The Golden State Warriors’ improved shooting over recent games provides optimism that they can turn things around after starting with an 8-9 record.
Aside from superstar Stephen Curry, who keeps shooting the ball at an unbelievable rate, Golden State had trouble making three-pointers throughout the team’s first twelve or so games. Part of it is shot selection and the looks they’ve been receiving, and part of it is just a difficult patch that fell around the season’s beginning.
The Warriors are hitting just 30.5% when they get ‘open’ three-point shots this season, despite having the fifth-most in the NBA. Only the Orlando Magic and Washington Wizards, two clubs that shoot fewer than 12 open threes a night, rank lower than that.
There must eventually be a regression back towards the mean; in the previous season, Golden State’s open three-point percentage was 37.6%. Though none of them are considered three-point snipers, Andrew Wiggins, Chris Paul, or Jonathan Kuminga are nonetheless better shooters than they have been for a significant portion of the season.
The good news is that the Warriors seem to be getting back on track as of late; in their last four games, they have made 68 of 162 (42%) three-point tries. Against the San Antonio Spurs on Friday, they shot 19-45 (45.2%) from beyond the arc, the distance they needed to find to make up for an embarrassing 24 turnovers.
Wiggins and Paul have started to regain their confidence after a season marked by historically poor shooting to begin with.
Over the past six games, the senior point guard has made 56% of his triples, while the former has made 50% of his in the previous four games.
Klay Thompson is certainly a major factor in Golden State’s three-point shooting statistics as well; this season, he is still shooting a career-low 37% from beyond the arc. Nevertheless, the five-time All-Star has shown flashes of life, as he has scored 20 points or more in each of his last two games while shooting 44.7% from three-point range.
The Warriors are hoping that this rising trend will continue so that their offense—which is now ranked 12th in the league—can move up into the top 10. There’s reason to think the franchise can turn things around with Draymond Green returning to lead an inconsistent defense.
.
