Warriors’ reeling defense in desperate need of Draymond boost

Warriors’ reeling defense in desperate need of Draymond boost originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Steve Kerr tried switching his starting lineup again, partially with hopes of jump-starting the Warriors’ defense which has been suspect most of the season.

Like so much of what Golden State has tried in order to get things turned around, the switch in lineups didn’t come close to being the fix that Kerr and his coaching staff were hoping for.

Much like Miami and Dallas last week, the Toronto Raptors pretty much had their way offensively against the Warriors on Sunday. They shot well, repeatedly attacked Golden State down low, and had a lead that was never really threatened after building a 27-point lead at halftime.

Got punked from the jump,” Stephen Curry said of the Warriors’ dismal performance in the 133-118 loss to Toronto at Chase Center.

“We got punched in the mouth right away,” Kerr said. “We have not been a good defensive team this year so we wanted to try. (The defense) hasn’t connected really and it hasn’t been good all season but we’re experimenting.”

On Sunday the Warriors changed this up by starting both Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga, two of the team’s longer and more athletic players. The duo rarely has been on the floor together but Kerr was looking for some kind of spark.

When that didn’t happen, and with the Warriors down by 27 at halftime, Kerr tried a different starting five after the initial group played poorly on defense due to a serious lack of communication. Brandin Podziemski and Dario Šarić replaced Wiggins and Kuminga.

“The only thing I was interested in that second half was competing,” Kerr said. “It means talking on defense. It was silent in the first half. We needed to have some talk, some chatter, some connection. I went with that lineup because I felt they would give us that, and they did. We made a pretty good run in the third but obviously, it wasn’t enough.”

While the defense has had its problems, which might be a result of the ongoing changes to the rotation, the lack of communication was a new issue for the Warriors.

“This is the first time I’ve seen this all season and I suspect it’ll be the last,” Kerr said. “I know our team, I know our guys are competitors and they were embarrassed tonight.

“Normally in an 82-game season, you do get a couple of them but we have to bounce back and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

All of this while the Warriors’ best defensive player over the past decade – Draymond Green – looked on from the end of Golden State’s bench. Green had his indefinite suspension lifted by the NBA on Saturday, clearing the way for his return.

But it will likely be a week or longer before Green is back up to speed and ready to play.

“Draymond’s gonna be a huge piece for us, especially on the defensive end of the floor,” Trayce Jackson-Davis said. “I feel like he’s one of the connectors, he’s a huge talker. Even when he was out there on the sidelines (against Toronto), just talking to us, telling us what to do. He’s just a huge guy in the locker room and he’s much-needed on our team.”

Until Green is fully back and playing, the Warriors have to do something to shake things up. Their season is spinning out of control right now and the main culprit has been the team’s defense.

Against the Raptors, Golden State had no answer for stopping R.J. Barrett, who has been with Toronto less than a week yet burned the Warriors for a season-high 37 points and 13-of-20 shooting.

As a team, the Raptors shot 58.5 percent (55 of 94), the ninth time in 36 games that opponents have shot 50 percent or better against the Warriors.

In 36 games, Golden State has held 17 teams to fewer than 115 points. The Warriors’ last five opponents, including Toronto, put up 133, 113, 127, 121 and 122 respectively.

In the past, the Warriors had an offense more than capable of using that to their advantage, but this season the steady offensive firepower hasn’t been there either.

When Green returns to games, the hope is that he’ll provide a much-needed boost that the defense has been missing while he’s been out. In the 13 games while Green was serving his most recent suspension, opponents were averaging 119.8 points a game.

That, and the overall atmosphere surrounding the Warriors, should change once Green returns.

“We’ll never be the same until he’s in the lineup,” Thompson said of Green. “We are eager for his return on the court and he is obviously the backbone of this team and the heart and soul. I’m looking forward to being out there with Draymond again. He’ll be a difference-maker.”

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