The Warriors’ Championship Glow Is Gone. And Yet …

Kerr said he was most frustrated that the Warriors were coming off two days of solid practice before they took the court and “did not execute much of anything.”

“We’re just scattered right now,” Kerr said. “Just feels like we’re a series of moving parts.”

It has been a nightmare start for two players who will go a long way toward dictating whether the Warriors are a playoff team. Kelly Oubre Jr., whom they acquired in a trade after Klay Thompson was lost to injury for the second straight season, has missed all 11 of his 3-point attempts. And Andrew Wiggins has shot 10 of 34 from the field to start his first full season with the Warriors.

“It’ll shake out over time,” Kerr said. “Kelly will be fine. Andrew will be fine. Both guys are proven players in this league.”

The N.B.A. schedule makers did not do the Warriors any favors: two championship contenders on the road to christen the season, back to back. Before Thompson was lost for the season, both games figured to be marquee matchups. But the Warriors are not the same without Thompson, which is obvious but ought to be emphasized.

Draymond Green, the other core member of the Warriors’ championship years, has yet to make his first appearance because of a foot injury. On Friday, Green was in street clothes and a mask, jumping off the bench to share his wisdom with James Wiseman, the team’s first-year center, about defensive positioning. Wiseman has been one of the team’s bright spots, averaging 18.5 points and 7 rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the field. He went 3 of 4 from 3-point range against the Bucks.

“The game is starting to slow down for me,” Wiseman said, which is saying a lot considering he is two games into his career.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/25/sports/basketball/warriors-bucks-christmas.html