watch1958 wrote:During the 27-12 stretch, they were 2-6 against the top 7 teams in the West.
2W, 6L.
So, as I stated, the 25-6 record against the East and the bottom of the West is encouraging.
The 2-6 against the top seven in the West is not.
I think that's a very valid reason to dismiss the 2nd half of the season. I just don't think those 39 games should be called a 'recent run.' It's more like 'the second half of the year.'
Now, I agree that a 2-6 record against the teams they should compete with looks terrible. On the other hand, it's just 8 games and if we take a look at those 6 loses, we see:
5 points home vs NOP, 2nd night of a b2b, to end the craziest bit of travel I've seen in a while (mostly due to the 2 make up road games, but still, insane stretch).
2 points @ DAL, 2nd night of a b2b, 7th road game in 8 games, 2nd time they played dal in 4 nights.
4 points @ MIN, Kerr refuses to play Curry more than 30 mins
10 points @ DAL - no Curry
16 points home vs DEN - worst loss, possibly of the season. looked outclassed in the 4th after 'hanging with the champs' for 3 qtrs
5 points home vs LAC - Early in this run when TJD was still getting DNP-CDs
The only game that wasn't competitive was the Den game. Two losses on the 2nd night of a B2B in the middle of the craziest travel stretch I've seen in the NBA - check out that schedule from 3/16 to 4/14. Two other losses by 2 possessions. Another that was before they made changes to the lineup (like Klay and TJD).
You can look at all that and see a bunch of excuses, I get it. I see a team that has the talent and ability to hang with the best, despite the circumstance. No prizes for coming in 2nd and their (mostly Kerr's) inability to push the right buttons, or any buttons, in 'clutch games' is infuriating. 3 more wins and this team is a 'title darkhorse' out of the 5 seed with only the LAC and possibly OKC between them and the WCF. I don't think anyone thinks they weren't a good enough team to get 3 more wins. I mean, they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in 5 games, at least.
I really wish I agreed with most of you that think this team is done, Klay is cooked, Dray should be tried at the Hague, and Kerr is mentally handicapped. Problem is, I still think this team is really good and with the right lineups, defensive schemes, rotations and late game execution, they can win. Looks like we'll never know because whatever mojo these guys had late in games, seemed to have left.
Maybe they were never that good in the last 6 minutes, they were just so dominant in the first 42 that it didn't really matter.