What we learned when Grizzlies shut down Warriors, spoiling Schröder’s debut originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
BOX SCORE
The Warriors entered Memphis on Thursday looking for a chance to restart their season and were publicly destroyed.
Their 144-93 loss to the Grizzlies at FedExForum was an all-out assault on the eyes and, in a professional basketball sense, perfectly suited to anyone who put a towel over their entire incredulous head.
The energy the Warriors hoped to generate for Dennis Schröder’s debut never materialized. After one quarter they trailed by 22 and in the second half they did not get closer than 31.
Andrew Wiggins’ 19 points (in 21 minutes) and Brandin Podziemski’s team-high 21 were completely and appropriately overshadowed by such stunning facts as Stephen Curry missing all seven of his field goal attempts, and Draymond Green committing four turnovers and four fouls in 19 minutes. and coach Steve Kerr doesn’t throw a clipboard on the field.
The loss leaves Golden State, which has lost nine of its last 11 games, with a 14-12 record, while Memphis improved to 19-9.
Here are three observations from the night the Warriors couldn’t slow down the assertive Grizzlies or find the bottom of the net with a telescope:
Schroder’s nightmarish debut
Schröder’s debut went as bad as possible. The best that can be said is that he suffered no visible injury during his 22 minutes.
The Warriors’ newest member was in the starting lineup and opened at point guard, giving Curry a chance to play off the ball and make his first shot, a midrange jumper that was responsible for Golden State’s first bucket.
Schröder missed his next nine shots – before making the skid midway through the third quarter – and committed three turnovers in that period. He finished with five points, five assists and four turnovers for a minus-34 for the night.
It is unfair to expect Schröder to make an immediate impact after a whirlwind five days. He moved from one coast to the other, to a struggling Warriors team that plays a different style than the Brooklyn Nets who led the first eight weeks of the season.
But this was a dream turned horror. A debut he wants to forget – if he didn’t do so immediately after the final buzzer.
Early defensive tone will have to wait
For all the talk about wanting to make an early statement on defense — as indicated by Green’s return to the starting lineup — the Warriors have put together one of their worst first quarters of the season.
Things did not get better in the last three quarters.
In less than four minutes, Golden State trailed by eleven (13-2). When Memphis closed the quarter with an 11-2 run (less than two minutes), the Warriors headed to the bench trailing 37-15.
The defense was poor, and Golden State’s sloppy offense made matters worse, scoring eight goals to give the Grizzlies 12 points while shooting 53.8 percent from the field, including 46.7 percent from deep, as they took a 22-point lead in the second quarter.
The Warriors’ 15 points came on 4-of-23 (17.4 percent) shooting from the field, including 2-of-10 (20 percent) from beyond the arc. Aside from Wiggins’ nine points in eight minutes, Golden State’s offense was little more than a concept in the first half.
That, combined with imaginary defense in the second half, is how the Warriors finished with 91 points while shooting 35.6 percent from the field, including 33.3 percent from deep.
Curry again below his standard
It may not be anything of great significance. Or it could be something ominous.
Curry shot 0 of 7 from the field, including 0 of 6 from beyond the arc, and finished with two points, both on free throws in the second quarter.
While his 3-ball has been solid lately – 40 percent from his previous 18 games – the rest of his shooting has been completely uncharacteristic of his standard.
Curry’s 0-of-7 game follows nine straight games in which he shot under 50 percent from the field. This is because the 36-year-old is dealing with pain in both knees and, well, probably a few other physical ailments.
Kerr, wanting to make Curry’s life easier, purposely opened the match playing without the ball. It made no difference.
Curry has never been one to cite injuries as an excuse; he hates to acknowledge them. But this is a concerning stretch of basketball, to say the least, according to the team’s touchstone. His last game with more than 30 points was on November 12, just over five weeks ago. He has scored fewer than 25 points in six of his last nine games.
The next few games should tell us whether this is a temporary problem or something more troubling.
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