Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors were presented with a golden opportunity on Monday night against the New York Knicks.
With a win, the Warriors could have remained ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers for the 9 seed in the Western Conference as well as inch closer to the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns, who currently occupy the 7 seed and 8 seed in the conference, respectively.
Unfortunately for Curry and Golden State, another game ended in late-game disappointment as the Warriors fell 119-112 on their home floor.
Now 35-32 overall this season, the Warriors are just 17-18 in Chase Center this season. With 15 games remaining on their schedule, there is very little opportunity left to potentially move up in the standings.
This heartbreaking loss to the Knicks on Monday is yet another reminder that this year's Warriors team is not the same threatening group as in the past. Even though the same championship core remains, this team has dealt with a variety of confidence and effort issues throughout the season.
For Curry, these deficiencies stand out as reasons why the Warriors' seeding in the Western Conference doesn't matter.
“Maybe a week or two ago, the 6 seed was the motivation,” Curry stated after the game when asked about the Warriors place and goals in the Western Conference standings. “Right now, I could care less about where you’re at. It's just the consistency of how we are playing.
“That's the most important thing. Honestly, who cares what seed you are? If you play like we did tonight — six, seven, eight, nine, 10 — whatever it is, doesn’t matter. You’re not getting very far. That's the perspective and the focus. It doesn't really matter where the standings are.”
Stephen Curry's frustrations are mounting
It is clear to see that Curry is frustrated with the way things have gone for the Warriors this season. Golden State is used to being near the very top of the Western Conference standings and competing for titles. They rattled off three championships from 2015-18, as well as a recent, improbable title run in 2022 after finishing with the worst record in the league during the 2019-20 season.
An organization built with championship DNA and one that still has its same core from their recent title run, it is quite a conundrum as to why the Warriors have struggled so much this season.
Perhaps the constant change in roles and rotations has played its part in their demise, but as Curry pointed out in his postgame comments, the Warriors' lack of effort and consistency has become their biggest problem.
The Knicks and Jalen Brunson may have played well enough to win on Monday night, leading by double digits at multiple points in this game, but the fact of the matter is that the Warriors had numerous chances to seize control of the game on their home floor.
Early on in the third quarter, the Warriors pulled within four points of New York. The Knicks then extended their lead to double digits. In the fourth quarter, the Warriors were again able to pull within four points. Once again, the Knicks answered the call and pulled away for a gutsy road victory.
Wins are there for the taking. The Warriors have been in numerous tight games throughout the course of the 2023-24 season, yet they have been unable to close out so many of them. Just two, three, or maybe four more wins would be the difference in them actually being ahead of the Lakers, Suns, and Mavericks in the Western Conference standings.
Ultimately, consistency is the biggest roadblock standing in the way of the Warriors reaching their full potential right now. For Curry, this has become evident, and the Warriors may be running out of time to right their wrongs ahead of the conclusion of the season at hand.
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