NBA 2018/19: 3 reasons behind Golden State Warriors' current struggles
When the already dominant Golden Stare Warriors added free agent DeMarcus Cousins in the summer, many experts proclaimed the outcome of the season to be a foregone conclusion.
In the early weeks of the season, that prediction looked to be exactly right, as the Warriors stormed to a 10-1 start. The two-time defending Champions have however won just 2 of their last 8 games, and they are currently on a four-game losing streak, which is their worst ever under coach Steve Kerr.
The Warriors' form has been so alarming that Kerr has proclaimed that the team has returned to 'the real NBA', after being in a dream during their recent dominance. The Warriors have obviously not become a bad team overnight, so here we will dive into some of the factors that are behind their worst run of the Steve Kerr era.
#3 Lacking Reserves
The Golden State Warriors' starting five is among the best to ever grace the NBA. The dominance of the starters often means that the bench can afford to surrender points and the team would still be in the lead.
Despite this, the quality of the reserve players has now reached the point where it is harming the team's results. A majority of the reserve players are young second-round draft picks, and the Warriors are hugely missing the impact of JaVale McGee from the bench.
The ever-reliant Shaun Livingston has also struggled, whereas Jordan Bell looks a shadow of the player we saw last season. Going forward, it looks as though the Warriors are going to need to field at least two of their starters at all times.