The Golden State Warriors couldn’t pull off the win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night at Intuit Dome. The Warriors fell short against the Clippers, with Jimmy Butler missing the game-winning shot in the end.
Following their 103-102 loss, Golden State dropped to 19-18 for the season and remained eighth in the Western Conference standings. They can’t separate themselves from the bottom half of the pack, but they also can’t get closer to the top contenders.
According to Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area, the recent defeat to the Clippers highlighted the biggest flaw in the Warriors heading into the trade deadline: shooting.
“Even on an off night, (Steph) Curry still was the only Warrior to make multiple threes. The Warriors lead the NBA in threes per game, but that’s because he’s responsible for 30 percent of them. Accuracy and shot making has been a serious problem for the Warriors this season and must be atop the priority list now that the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline is less than a month away,” Johnson wrote.
The Warriors are currently ranked near the bottom for field goal percentage at 45.2%, 15th in 3-point percentage at 36.0% and just a bottom-third team in terms of offensive rating at 113.6.
Warriors Targeting Michael Porter Jr.
In addition to shooting, Dalton Johnson also pointed out the lack of size and a third option as additional problems for the Golden State Warriors.
One player who can solve all three in a way is Michael Porter Jr. of the Brooklyn Nets. Porter stands at 6-foot-10, averaging 25.8 points per game this season and is shooting 41.0% from beyond the arc.
Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reported that the Warriors have had some “internal discussions” about possibly acquiring Porter from the Nets. However, Fischer added that Brooklyn isn’t interested in Golden State’s biggest trade asset, Jonathan Kuminga.
Fischer also pointed out how difficult it is for the Warriors to trade for Porter, unless a third team is interested in Kuminga. Newsweek’s Alex Kirschenbaum suggested a different Nets player for Golden State, Nic Claxton, a big man who can solve the team’s size problems.
Warriors Have Path to MPJ
Michael Porter Jr. was also the top choice for ESPN’s Kevin Pelton as the Golden State Warriors’ primary target. Porter’s bloated contract could make it hard for the Warriors to make the deal, but a combination of Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and a couple of salary fillers might be enough.
“Porter’s $38 million salary could be added without sending out Draymond Green, though that would surely require including Moses Moody. Golden State has plenty of depth on the wing, but not enough clear starters like Porter,” Pelton wrote.
The analyst also likened MPJ to Harrison Barnes and Kevin Durant, who were a huge part of the Warriors’ championship teams during their dominant run.
Golden State doesn’t look like a legitimate contender despite Steph Curry’s brilliance. However, another huge trade at the deadline, like last season, could give them a boost into the playoffs. They had a shot at making the Western Conference Finals, but they were plagued by injuries in the second round.
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