The Golden State Warriors may have scraped out a close win against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night, 109-106, to finally pick up their first pair of consecutive wins in over two months, but there was still much to be desired from how the Warriors played.
Gui Santos' career-high 31 points led the Warriors and the game's ensuing headlines, but many things weren't as they should have been against a team of the Nets' caliber, including allowing 8 different Nets to score at least 8 points.
Steve Kerr Addresses Warriors' Turnover Issue
One of the primary issues stemmed from the Warriors' rampant turnover issue. The Dubs coughed up the ball 26 times on Wednesday night, much to the anxiety and chagrin of Steve Kerr.
He did acknowledge the Warriors' lack of health and stamina due to their recent string of games, but still expected better from his players.
"It's not just your body that's tired. It's your mind. We made a lot of mindless plays in the first half. I think we'll be a lot better on Friday. I think we got our feet under us and guys will get another couple nights sleep and then we'll be ready to go for Washington. I thought Detroit and Atlanta were exceptional defensively getting into the ball, forcing some tough shots, tough possessions, late clock stuff. I felt like tonight and the Dallas game were really a matter of focus. We've got to clean that up, for sure."
Warriors' Turnover Issues Coming Back
Early in the season, turnovers were a major reason for the Warriors' struggles, but during their strong run in December and January, turnovers were largely mitigated, leading to more wins and an overall effective offense.
Now, the turnovers seem to have returned in full force. Over their past 7 games, dating back to the start of the six-game road trip, the Warriors are averaging 20.9 turnovers per game — the next-highest mark in the NBA in that same time frame is the Houston Rockets with just 17.8 turnovers per game.
The past four games, including this Nets win, have seen the Warriors give the ball up at least 21 times in each game. A season-high of 26 turnovers was recorded both against the Nets on Wednesday and against the Pistons last Friday.
Ultimately, though the Warriors went 3-4 in this stretch, the three wins were against largely uncompetitive lottery teams, and the way they had to grind for the wins, especially at home against the Nets, does not inspire much confidence for the home stretch and the Play-In, even with the injuries the Warriors are dealing with.