After a disappointing two seasons in the afterglow of winning the NBA finals where the Warriors went 44-38 and 46-36, a loss to the Sacramento Kings in the play-in tournament, and the departure of franchise legend Klay Thompson, many were sure that the Warriors’ dynasty was truly over.
This season, the Warriors have been through their ups and downs. After their start of 12-3, where they had a top five offense and defense in the league, they’ve gone 5-13 with their entire offense going through a slump, having a bottom five offensive rating. As of press time, the Warriors are the 9 seed and sit at 17-16.
The Warriors have proven their capability after beating teams like the defending champion Celtics, the 1st seed OKC Thunder, the 2nd seed Grizzlies, and the 3rd seed Rockets.
“Despite their struggles, I think the Warriors still have what it takes to compete for a title,” said Michael Zegarra ’25.
Additionally, they have a top seven defense rating in the league led by Draymond Green. Furthermore, they are third in the league in rebounding and sixth in the league in assists. A lot of this has been made possible by the Warriors’ revived theme of “strength in numbers.”
“Even with the setbacks, I believe the Warriors’ culture of perseverance will help them bounce back,” said Devin Angeles ’25.
Buddy Hield, who was acquired in the offseason had a strong start to the season but has been shooting 23% from three point range over his last 8 games.
Kyle Anderson and Lindy Waters III, additional offseason acquisitions have shown strong play from time to time but have been inconsistent and in and out of the rotation.
The Warriors also recently traded for Dennis Schroder, who averaged 18 points a game and 6 assists on the Brooklyn Nets. On the Warriors, he’s barely been able to replicate that shooting 32% from the field and 26% from three. However, he recently shined in the Warriors’ game against the 76ers.
Jonathan Kuminga, who had a slow start to the season, has picked up the pace on the season. He’s had multiple 30 point games and is averaging 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists over his last 10 games.
Furthermore, Andrew Wiggins looks like his 2021-2022 self where he was named an all-star starter, averaging 16 points a game and being one of the team’s key defenders.
However, the Warriors lack of a consistent secondary option has led to many of their losses. In their stretch of games where they went 5-13, they either led by 10 points or more or lost those games by less than 10 points. These losses were caused by the Warriors’ prevalence of scoring droughts where they don’t end up scoring for five minutes or more at a time.
Ethan Situ ’25 added, “It’s been frustrating to watch, but you can tell the team still has a lot of potential. They’re just missing a few pieces.”
In addition, Brandin Podziemski had a very slow start to the season, which has made many the Warriors labeling him as “untouchable” and unwilling to trade him for stars such as Lauri Markannen. However, as of late, he has started to heat up and has found his three point shot.
The Warriors are also shooting a league worst 70 percent from the free throw line, which has also contributed to some of their losses and close games.
Despite their key weaknesses, the Warriors have shown their potential with their feats and have a hopeful season ahead.
Editor’s Note: This story, originally published on Dec. 16, 2024, was updated on Jan. 3, 2025.
