Four Reasons Why The Golden State Warriors Are Falling Apart

Lack of Experience

It may sound a little clichè, but there’s no substitution for experience down the stretch of a long season, and the Warriors simply don’t have it. Their best player, Stephen Curry, has never played this many games in a season. The only players with postseason experience are Carl Landry, Andrew Bogut and Richard Jefferson. Landry and Bogut both saw time in the playoffs early in their careers, having never returned since, and Jefferson only averages 11 minutes a game for the Warriors and hasn’t played a significant role on a playoff team since 2007.

Analysts always talk about the value of having guys on the roster who have “been there”. Well, the Warriors don’t really have any. Veteran teams are often praised for having an even keel, for never getting too high emotionally after a win or too low after a loss. With a team as young as Golden State, they aren’t as equipped to handle adversity in the same way as say, the Spurs. Each loss chips away at the self-confidence that enabled them to go on a early-season tear and win a few games that maybe they shouldn’t have when they were banging on all cylinders.

This is the flip side of the coin, folks. It doesn’t mean the Warriors are a bad team, or that they’re going to remain in this state for the rest of the season. It means that the peaks and valleys of their season are going to be much more pronounced than that of a playoff-tested group that knows the pressure of battling for a playoff berth when you’re going through a slump.

Mar 02, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Harrison Barnes (40) celebrates with guard Stephen Curry (30) during the first quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

This would be one thing if they had someone like Gregg Popovich coaching them, but this lack of experience is true of Mark Jackson as well. He’s been there as a player, but he’s never been in this position as a head coach where he’s being looked to for answers to plug each and every leak that’s causing the ship to sink.

While I’d love to look on the bright side and say that this season’s been a success even with this recent rough patch, the fact is if the Warriors miss the playoffs again after such a great start, fans are going to be crushed. These flaws are fixable, and if the offense starts clicking they won’t be as much of an issue. However, for the long-term health of the team these are things that need to be addressed, and it’s up to the coaching staff and the players to figure it out in the film room and translate those findings on to the court.

If they don’t? We’ll be looking at an early playoff exit or worse. Let’s hope they can get it done, because Lord knows we want them to.