Seven technical fouls, including Klay Thompson’s first career ejection, disrupted a competitive Warriors-Suns game on Tuesday.
The contest had a playoff-like intensity without the playoff-level defense. After Thompson’s ejection midway through the third, the game spiraled out of Golden State’s control.
For the first time this season, Stephen Curry (21 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds) didn’t reach 30 points. But Golden State’s poor defense is the real story of its 134-105 loss. The Warriors (2-2) had allowed 120.8 points per game before Tuesday, 26th in the league. Nothing about Tuesday’s defeat quelled early panic.
Here are three takeaways from the testy loss.
What is going on with the defense?
Golden State’s overall defense has left much to be desired so far. GSW allowed a 40-point quarter to Denver and let Sacramento creep back into what should have been a blowout.
Phoenix then hung 72 points on the Warriors in the first half.
Part of the Suns’ eruption came down to elite shot-making. Chris Paul drilled all three of his first-half 3-pointers and Devin Booker canned both of his triples. The Suns shot 9-for-15 from deep overall in the first 24 minutes.
Regardless, it marked the third straight game Golden State has allowed at least 70 first-half points.
The Warriors played more young players, particularly James Wiseman, in the first half. Inexperience may contribute to missed rotations or miscommunication. As could lineups that are unfamiliar with each other.
But a lackluster defense is becoming a trend. One particular issue that has recurred is transition. Some of the issues start with shot selection. Some are turnovers. Others — the inexcusable ones — come from a lack of effort or complaining too much to officials.
Before Tuesday, the Warriors were allowing 24.7 fast break points per game — 30th in the NBA. Last year, that number was 12.3.
One play early in the second quarter must have driven head coach Steve Kerr nuts. After a ridiculous isolation score from Jordan Poole, two of seven straight points from the guard, Landry Shamet got an easy dunk on the other end just by beating the Warriors down the court.
The Suns scored seven fast break points in the first quarter, but only 11 overall. After the Shamet dunk, Golden State surely regrouped.
It didn’t solve their problems. The 134 points allowed was a season-high.
Golden State’s dynasty starts with defense. It didn’t evaporate overnight. But GSW has work to do.
Klay’s ups and downs persist
Thompson’s conditioning isn’t where he needs it to be — even he admitted that during Tuesday’s shootaround. That’s why he’s on a 25-minute limit to start the year.
An offseason mental block and the emotional toll that’s come with two major injuries has clearly had an effect on Thompson. He hasn’t looked quite the same to start the 2022-23 season.
“I learned that it takes a lot to knock me down,” Thompson told reporters at shootaround. “Whether it’s the injuries, the shooting slumps, the lessened athleticism, I’m still going to get out there and I’m still going to make an impact on a championship level team. I’m very proud of myself for what I’ve accomplished, but I still want more. I still want to be great and I don’t want to use my past injury experiences as a crutch…I might not get from point A to point B as fast as I once did, but I can still make shots and get stops with the best of them.”
Against the Suns, Thompson again struggled to find his shot, but competed defensively. He stood up Devin Booker on an isolation in the first half. He poked the ball away from him later, leading to a jump ball. In the third, he stuffed a Booker step-back 3 attempt.
Midway through the third quarter, Thompson and Booker started jawing between whistles. That was after both Draymond Green and Chris Paul had picked up technical fouls. The officiating crew had had enough.
But Thompson and Booker’s yapping continued. The shooting guards kept going at it.
Thompson eventually got tossed for the first time in his career. Frustrations boiled, and he left the court pointing to his four championship ring fingers.
He finished with two points on 1-for-8 shooting. He missed all five of his 3s and went down as a -12 in the box score.
Booker (34 points, 7 assists) got the better of Thompson, both on the court and in the game-within-the-game.
Kuminga out of the rotation
Jonathan Kuminga was the only active Warrior to not get off the bench in the first half. Ty Jerome even got run before the second-year wing.
Kuminga also didn’t play in the first half of Golden State’s win over Sacramento, only getting his number called once the Warriors built a big lead.
When Kuminga finally entered, with 3:09 left in the third, the Warriors trailed by 16. They were also short a perimeter player as Thompson had been tossed.
Kuminga ended up playing 15 minutes and scoring four points, but almost all of it came in garbage time.
The Warriors are still working out their rotations. It could take all year before they settle on set lineups; they didn’t have things cemented until the playoffs last season and they won a title. But not letting Kuminga get reps is a curious early development to watch.
