OKLAHOMA CITY – Whether or not they had been staring down the Warriors-branded microphone in entrance of the postgame podium, or wanting into area in entrance of their visiting crew’s locker at Paycom Area, the Warriors veterans had been united of their message following the crew’s galling 126-102 loss in Oklahoma Metropolis.
The crew has too many particular person objectives, and never sufficient of them embody doing the issues the Warriors must win.
“You have to make the personal agenda work in the team confines,” Draymond Inexperienced mentioned from the rostrum. “If it doesn’t work, then you kinda gotta get rid of your personal agenda.”
Inexperienced didn’t specify who possessed mentioned private agendas after the primary recreation of a six-game street journey that can take the crew to San Antonio subsequent. Whether or not it was younger gamers similar to Jonathan Kuminga or Brandin Podziemski, older veterans similar to Gary Payton II or newcomer Al Horford, or the crew’s established Corridor of Famers, Inexperienced wouldn’t say.
A half-hour later, Jimmy Butler mentioned the duty fell upon each participant within the locker room.
“Everybody might have to sacrifice something,” Butler mentioned. “I can’t tell you what that sacrifice might be for every individual, and it may be different for every individual.”
How has that lack of sacrifice and abundance of private agendas manifested itself throughout a stretch wherein the crew has gone 2-5 after a 4-1 begin?
Head coach Steve Kerr famous that the Warriors (6-6) isn’t enjoying with the identical reckless vitality it did to finish final season, including that the crew has not performed nicely exterior of the primary two weeks of the season.
“Taking care of the ball, crashing, creating good shots for each other, winning the possession battle, we’re not doing any of those things right now,” Kerr mentioned, earlier than shifting blame to himself. “I’ve got to do a better job, I’ve got to find the keys that can get us back to getting some confidence and rhythm back.”
The Warriors had 21 turnovers, 18 of which occurred through the first three quarters when the starters performed.
Whereas Oklahoma Metropolis had 20 of them in entrance of a delirious residence crowd, the defending champs offered a stark counter reference to the disjointed product the Warriors put out on the ground.
Regardless of lacking three rotation gamers – together with All-Star and Santa Clara alum Jalen Williams – the Thunder hummed alongside.
No Williams, Lu Dort or Aaron Wiggins? No drawback. Cason Wallace, Ajay Mitchell and Brooks Barnhizer stepped in and offered unimaginable vitality, athleticism and team-first play on each ends of the courtroom.
For Steph Curry, it reminded him of the great outdated days, when the Warriors had been the mannequin franchise for that type of basketball.
“It starts with (having great players), and having a roster that fits together,” Curry mentioned. “Having the identity of knowing what you’re supposed to do.”
It was a degree of roster and function readability that the Warriors don’t have.
“It requires some selflessness,” Inexperienced mentioned. “Your role won’t always be what you want it to be. Who I thought I’d be coming into the NBA, and what my role turned into were two completely, drastically different things. But you have to be a star in that role.”
Shopping for into that function required, in Inexperienced’s thoughts, a degree of sacrifice. What is going to occur if the unnamed members of the crew don’t purchase in?
“Eventually, the agenda is the cause of someone getting rid of you,” Inexperienced mentioned.
