Warriors’ persistent shooting woes could accelerate trade pursuit

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Warriors’ persistent shooting woes could accelerate trade pursuit originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – The joyride the Warriors were on while winning 10 of their first 12 games largely was a product of stellar defense, an acceptable assist-to-turnover ratio and fantastic 3-point shooting. They earned that 10-2 record.

They’ve since lost eight of 12, with all three of those categories declining. The 3-point shooting percentage has plummeted from third in the NBA to 14th.

Can this roster recover? Or must general manager Mike Dunleavy and his front office squad pick up their intensity toward a trade?

Or maybe this is something that will fade in the next few games. A slump.

“Nah,” Lindy Waters III said Friday after practice. “Nah.

“The ball is going to go in. You’re going to miss on a night-to-night basis, defensive schemes, everything you can take into account. From the outside, you can think it’s a slump.

But like I said, we’ve been in every single game. We’ve had chances to win a lot of games. But I would never call that a slump.”

Waters came to the Warriors over the summer as a branch plucked from Oklahoma City’s tree of 3-point shooters. He had a terrific start but has cooled appreciably. The 6-foot-6 wing shot 40.7 percent from deep through the team’s first dozen but since is at 30.6 percent.

Waters has plenty of company in the team’s recent slide. Let’s scan the designated 3-point shooters on Golden State’s roster:

Stephen Curry, the all-time 3-point king, was at 43.2 percent through 12 and since has taken a slight dip to 39.8 percent.

Buddy Hield, one of the NBA’s true 3-point shooting marksmen, dropped from 46.9 percent in the first 12 games to 37.6 percent in next 12. Still respectable, but below his norm and a considerable dip from an initially unsustainable number.

De’Anthony Melton was at a respectable 37.1 percent but lasted 11 games before a knee injury ended his season.

Moses Moody shot 45.8 percent through the team’s first 12 games, 23.5 percent since.

Jonathan Kuminga, advised to spend last summer honing his 3-point shot, has struggled from the start,…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/warriors-persistent-shooting-woes-could-015559490.html

Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2024-12-14 01:55:00

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