Golden State Warriors: 3 takeaways from win over Sacramento Kings
The Warriors can still “flip the switch”
Golden State treated every regular season game like it was the postseason in the 2015-16 season. They won 73 games, but they, infamously, came up short of the ultimate title. Since then, they’ve taken a more lax approach to the regular season.
Kerr rests players more often in order to preserve them for another deep playoff run. Their effort level and focus are inconsistent. They’ve taken a page out of LeBron James‘ book and have decided that going all out for 48 minutes just isn’t worth it.
More from Golden Gate Sports
- Raiders: Rookie stock report following Week 3 performance
- 49ers sign new long snapper amidst a flurry of roster moves
- Oakland Athletics win Game 2 of Wild Card round with late-inning drama
- 49ers: George Kittle and Deebo Samuel cleared to return to practice
- 49ers expected to place DE Dee Ford on injured reserve
Now, that’s not to say that every loss can be attributed to them not trying or caring. In fact, with an increased workload for the stars, many of Golden State’s losses have just been a result of poor execution or being outplayed by a team giving the defending champs their best shot.
But there is a difference between an engaged Warriors team and one that just hopes that talent will be enough. It’s important to note that it’s rare for an engaged Warriors team to manifest itself over an entire game. That team only shows up for a few minutes, puts a team away, and then moves on to the next game.
That’s what Golden State did against the Kings. They’ve struggled to “flip the switch” at times this year, but they were able to do it in Sacramento. With Curry leading the charge offensively, everyone buckled down on the defensive side of the ball for small stretches to build leads. Though Buddy Hield and Justin Jackson both had career nights, the Warriors did just enough for a few minutes to come away with a win.
The Warriors shouldn’t rely on that switch because sometimes it’s not there. Like we saw in the 2016 NBA Finals, waiting on it can cost you. Still, Golden State proved that they can still do it, which should be a good sign for them.
Next. Warriors running plays to keep Durant happy?. dark
“Flipping the switch” is impossible without team cohesion and chemistry. For a team whose various frustrations have become apparent, it’s a good sign that the Warriors can still play together as a championship-level unit.