The Warriors Keep Blowing Leads

Brief Week 2.2

Golden State has now lost five games in a row.

The good news is that they’re still 12-8, with plenty of time to right the ship. The other good news is that I’ve been too busy with work and Thanksgiving activities to watch these games, saving myself from an embarrassing amount of heartache.

The bad news is how the team has lost these games:

• 11/23 - the 12-3 Warriors lead the 8-8 Spurs by 17 with 14 minutes to go. They go on to lose by 10.

• 11/25 - the 12-4 Warriors lead the 7-10 Nets by 18 with 21 minutes to go. They go on to lose by 8.

• 11/27 - The 12-5 Warriors lead the 13-4 Thunder by 3 with 5 minutes to go after trailing for the whole game. They don’t score again until there are 26 seconds left and lose by 4.

• 11/30 - The 12-6 Warriors trail the 10-8 Phoenix for the entire game, falling behind by as much as 17. Nice to switch things up, right?

• 12/3 - The 12-7 Warriors lead the 10-8 Nuggets by 10 with 7 minutes to go. They go on to lose by 4.

Of course, this doesn’t even account for the fifth game of the year, when the Rockets trailed the Warriors by 30 before taking the game to overtime. The Warriors snuck out a win, but it didn’t feel good. There was also their first game against the Thunder, when the Warriors let a 31 point lead get as close as 4 before pulling themselves together.

The Warriors have held double digit leads in 14/20 games this season. They’ve only won 7 of those games by double digits. In these losses and close calls, I see a team that is trying to wait out the clock, settling for jump shots, making lazy passes, and having attentional lapses on defense. Hard to say if this is a coaching issue or a problem with the players, but it certainly makes the viewing experience a lot more stressful.

Whether or not you’re a basketball fan, the takeaway here is to, as my track coach used to say, “run through the line”. Don’t let up on your projects just because the holiday is getting close. Don’t leave the gym before you do core and abs. Don’t be like the Warriors - finish the job!