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Stephen Curry calls out the Warriors' biggest problem this season
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- Stephen Curry calls out the Warriors' biggest problem this season
Many expected the Golden State Warriors to return to elite status this season, but instead, the same struggles from recent years have continued. Despite the brilliant return of two-time MVP Stephen Curry after a quad injury, the Warriors are now under .500 at 13-14 after losing to the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday evening, 136-131.
Asked by the San Francisco Chronicle's Sam Gordon about what he thought was the Warriors' biggest problem so far this season, Curry went straight to the point and answered , "We're not winning."
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A lack of sharp execution
Pressed to expound on why the Warriors have been unable to take advantage of his recent offensive explosions (Steph has scored 87 points and drained 18 threes in the last two games), he pointed out their inability to consistently execute their game plan and close out games.
"Not executing well enough for 48. There's a lot of things you can point at. Tonight was a mixture of everything. We were resilient to give ourselves a chance. So, I like the spirit that we had. Now it's matching that with execution," Curry said.
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The biggest culprit for the Warriors' loss on Sunday was their porous defense, which was ironic, since in a season marked by inconsistent play, their defense has been a bright spot (fifth in points allowed per game and fourth in defensive rating). However, against the Blazers, it was virtually nonexistent, especially in the fourth quarter, when Portland shot 65 percent and made six of its 20 three-pointers.
"I think there were a couple breakdowns on the ball switches, letting them walk into the threes. And then there were breakdowns driving to the corner — you're leaving capable shooters," Steph noted. "There were definitely moments like that where we were taking control of the game and the momentum, not letting them have any life."
"But they're a relentless team. They have three guys that can try to break it down off the dribble, get drive and kicks going. They can shoot threes. They made enough plays to keep themselves right there. Athletic teams like that, you've got to sustain that effort," he added.
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Warriors power forward Draymond Green , who returned to the lineup after missing the last three games, agreed with his longtime teammate's assessment, saying they scored enough to win but didn't do the work on the defensive end to close the game out.
"We played well enough to win, we just didn't get enough stops. … It was one of those tough nights that you want to have back. We scored enough to win. Didn't get enough stops," Green stressed.
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A passive Jimmy Butler
Jimmy Butler's role in Golden State is clear: he's Robin to Steph's Batman. However, against the Blazers, his presence was barely felt. He attempted only 11 shots and none in the last four minutes. He finished with 16 points on 3-for-11 shooting, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Curry, though, did not make a big deal of Butler's lack of assertiveness, explaining that it has been his M.O. during his tenure in the Bay Area.
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"There's going to be times where he's going to score. There's going to be nights he's a facilitator for certain stretches, he's one or the other," Curry stated. "But he's such a unique player because he can still dominate the game even if it doesn't show on the stat sheet. He's going to find ways to get everyone involved. We just have to be organized around him."
"But tonight, I don't think it was him offensively at all—it was us collectively defensively," Curry concluded.
Curry has averaged 43.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in the Warriors' last two matches. Both have been losses. With three days off before their next game against the Phoenix Suns , the team has a lot of thinking to do. They must devise a game plan to help navigate this rough stretch.
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This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Dec 15, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
