Golden State Warriors Injury Report (Nov. 20): Latest update on Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson’s status
The Golden State Warriors (6-8) will look to snap their six-game losing streak when they face the Houston Rockets (6-5) on Monday. The Western Conference contenders started the season strong but have suffered a dip in recent weeks.
Both Steph Curry and Klay Thompson are expected to participate. However, Golden State will be without Draymond Green (suspension) and Gary Payton (foot sprain,) while rookie big man Trayce Jackson-Davis is questionable due to lower leg soreness.
A big part of the Warriors' struggles has been centered around their inability to generate consistent offense. Only Curry has been a reliable 20-point-per-night scorer. The rest of the rotation has been fighting an uphill battle to keep the offense running.
Encouragingly, Andrew Wiggins snapped out of his slump in the recent loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The championship-winning wing dropped 31 points and converted five of his eight 3-point attempts. Golden State will hope that the veteran forward has turned a corner and begins producing at a high level.
However, questions surround Klay Thompson's struggles this season. The veteran hasn't been converting his shots at the high clip expected from him, earning criticism.
Chris Paul is still finding his feet with the Golden State Warriors
Chris Paul was the Golden State Warriors marquee off-season addition. The veteran point guard was acquired to provide balance in the second unit and give the Warriors an additional ball-handler when Steph Curry is off the court.
However, early returns haven't been what many had hoped. Paul is making an impact defensively, and his ability to marshall an offense has been evident every time he takes to the court. However, his shot isn't falling, limiting his overall effectiveness.
In 14 games, Paul is averaging 9.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 7.4 assists per outing. He's shooting 38.9% and 30.2% from the three-point range. Steve Kerr's team needs Paul to rediscover his shooting touch. They need him to be an offensive weapon as well as the creator he's known to be.
When his shot starts falling at a more consistent rate, the Golden State Warriors will be a more competitive unit. However, they can't wait for Paul to figure things out. They must halt their current slide before things get worse.
Otherwise, the confidence in the locker room could hit rock-bottom, and that's a tough place to lift yourself back up from.