Warriors Start 0–2; blown out by Bucks
By: Brian Abad
Tags: NBA, Golden State Warriors

Golden State put up a lump of coal on Christmas — losing 138–99 to the Milwaukee Bucks. There were some unfavorable similarities between this game against the Bucks and what we saw against the Nets:

Warriors again scored 99 points — and again blown out by 25+ points

Steph again shot 2–10 from 3 — was also the Warriors leading scorer for the 2nd straight game

Wiseman was again the Dubs’ 2nd leading scorer with 18 this time

Oubre was a no show; Wiggins put up a ton of bricks — again

The Warriors started with one of the hardest schedules going up against Brooklyn and Milwaukee but need to put up a better effort especially on national TV. Despite the same themes between Game 1 and 2 of the season, did we see any improvements or anything different on Christmas?

Wiseman is a bright spot in an otherwise dull roster

The rookie continues to show flashes of his potential and what he can do on the floor. He had a very active first 6 minutes of the game with a block, a dunk, two free throws, a rebound, and a 3 pointer. He also picked up the assignment to guard Giannis in the opening frame — resulting in 2 quick fouls. Even the foul trouble was a great sign as his length and athleticism made him the right choice to give it a go against the Greek Freak. His first half stat line was a standout for the Dubs, finishing with 14 points (4–5 shooting; 2–2 from 3) and 4 rebounds as the Warriors were able to keep it close, 56–66.

Unfortunately the 2nd half wasn’t good for anyone on the Warriors and Wiseman was no exception to that. He would finish the 3rd quarter taking only 1 shot and getting 2 more fouls as the Bucks broke open the game with a 24 point lead. He got to play 8 minutes in the 4th quarter, shooting a poor 1–5 in the frame but getting 4 more rebounds to end the game.

In all, Wiseman finished with a solid line of 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks. It was great to see his production come in the 1st half against rotation players of the Bucks compared to his standout quarter in garbage time against the Nets. I love the confidence of the rookie so far — taking the shots the defense gives him and not passing those up to wait for the offense. Although he shot 1–6 in the 2nd half and missed all his midrange jumpers, he should play a bigger role in the offense as Kerr continues to tinker with the rotation to figure out what works. The bet should be on Wiseman’s development versus how to get Lee or Wanamaker good looks on offense.

Warriors can’t play fast anymore but the Bucks can

It was close heading into the 2nd half as the Bucks built up a mere 10 point lead. Giannis looked contained as he only had 6 points off 1–6 shooting in the first 24 minutes (though he also had 8 rebounds). The standout for Milwaukee was all-star, Khris Middleton, who picked up where he left off in the bubble with an outstanding offensive display in the first half with 21 points off an efficient 7–11 from the field and 4–6 from deep.

In the 3rd quarter, the Bucks showed us why they are a top team in the league and the Warriors aren’t. In the 15 possessions that Milwaukee scored on in the frame — 7 were assisted, 4 resulted in free throws, and 2 were dunks. That’s 13/15 possessions as easy baskets — many of them as quick scores from missed Warrior shots.

For the game, Milwaukee beat Golden State in categories the Warriors used to own a few years ago:

Milwaukee made 10 more 3 pointers off 8 less attempts

69 to 49 rebound advantage

11 more assists than Golden State

21 points off turnovers

And a 20–10 lead in fast break points

Every missed Warriors shot turned into a fast break opportunity for Milwaukee — which they more often than not converted on. The Warriors had to slow down their offense as their bricks opened up more chances for the Bucks to widen the lead. Even the Bucks’ bench unit expanded on the score — as Wilson (3–3), Merrill (2–2), Agustin (3–3), and Forbes (2–3) all shot well from beyond the arc. This team will be a scary sight for the league if Middleton plays anywhere near his game today, Holiday continues being a presence on both ends of the floor, and the role players can space the floor for Giannis to attack the rim or get to the line.

The offense looked better but Dubs can’t hit shots

The Warriors did a better job having each player act as a threat on the floor with screens, movement, and more confident shooting. Unfortunately, they acted as a threat but were not an actual threat as each player tossed up brick after brick. The entire 13 man roster played and everyone except Bazemore and Toscano-Anderson shot a 3 in the game. The best shooter out of all of them? The rook, James Wiseman who was 3–4 from deep. Everyone else? Paschall 0–3, Wiggins 0–4, Oubre 0–5, Curry 2–10, Looney 0–1, Chriss 0–2, Wanamaker 1–2, Lee 2–4, Mulder 1–4, and Poole 1–6 from 3. That’s 10–45 from deep at a 22% clip. You don’t have to know basketball to know that’s not good. The Warriors missed as many 3’s (35) as the Bucks attempted (37).

Kelly Oubre had another forgettable game going 1–10 from the field with 3 points. At one point, the ESPN telecast put up a comparison of Oubre’s season in Phoenix last year side-by-side to Klay’s last full season. It spoke to the expectations of Oubre coming into Golden State this year and really highlights how poor he has been playing in 2 games. He came into the season giving himself Hall of Fame expectations playing on this Golden State roster. He may instead be a trade piece if he doesn’t pick it up soon.

Andrew Wiggins (12 points, 6 rebounds) continues to try to find his rhythm on the floor. The 2nd unit led by Wiggins in the 2nd quarter didn’t look as bad as they did against the Nets (can’t say the same for the rest of the game). Wiggins made it a point to be aggressive in the frame — shooting 3/8 from the field off an array of drives and jumpers. He needs to continue trying to find his game and confidence since Golden State has no other options. That said, at this point it looks like he is doing things not within his capability and frustration with his play is continuing to grow.

The Dubs ran a few plays running Wiggins off screens and getting him the ball close to the basket for an easy lay-up. Kerr should start his offense early using Wiggins more as an off-ball cutter getting close to the rim with the starters rather than letting him create his own offense. Seeing the ball in the basket with less effort should open up his isolation game with the bench because right now the opposite approach isn’t working for him.

The shortened preseason and going up against 2 teams looking to win the championship is no easy task to incorporate an offense but we should see it start to improve with each coming game. I anticipate more actual sets and plays rather than the pick and roll, drive and dish, read and reacts we’ve seen so far. The offense has sputtered and unless Steph can get loose next game, the Warriors would benefit from more structure to get to the rim over the 3 point shot.

Looking ahead for the Warriors

Warriors continue their road trip to start the season as they head to Chicago on Sunday to face Zach Lavine and the Bulls (0–1 record). The Bulls finished last season 22–43. If there’s a chance to get their first win of the season, the Warriors should take advantage of this game on Sunday.

Look out for Steph Curry to take a bigger role in the offense and be more assertive. I’m betting on him to take his shooting woes out on Chicago while giving a boost to his squad after suffering back-to-back blowouts on national TV. Steph has to lead by example if his team is going to get their confidence back and believe this season isn’t already headed for the lottery.

I also imagine Kelly Oubre will have his first good game of the season against the Bulls as well. Look for the Warriors to run more sets for him and Wiggins to get it deeper in the post rather than tossing up long jumpers to start the game.

— -

Warriors @ Bulls tips off at 5pm PST this Sunday.