Falling short against the Raptors, the Warriors suffered a major setback dropping below .500 for the first time in the 2024-25 NBA season. Steve Kerr and crew blew a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter. Putting on a show, Toronto saw excellent performances from their bench tandem of Chris Boucher and Ochai Agbaji.
While the Warriors had a chance to tie the game with close to just one second remaining, Buddy Hield failed to make the three-pointer. Addressing the media postgame, Kerr took accountability for his team’s struggles of late. The former Bulls guard believed he wasn’t doing a good job as their head coach.
Nonetheless, Andrew Wiggins was quick to come to his coach’s aid. The 2022 All-Star called for collective responsibility stating how everyone on the roster needed to do more. The Warriors forward, who had missed the last two games due to personal reasons, posted 20 points in the loss to the Raptors.
Andrew Wiggins Bats For Steve Kerr as Warriors Drop Below .500
Wiggins Shoulders Blame With Kerr
It was a disappointing night for Dub Nation with their team slipping below .500. That is certainly not an outcome many expected, given their 12-3 start to the season. Adding to the misery, the Raptors were on a five-game losing streak before hosting the Warriors.
Speaking to the reporters, Kerr took the blame for his team’s poor showing lately. Referring to it as a frustrating loss and how he needs to do his job better, the veteran coach stated the following,
“I’m the coach of the team. I have to find a way to help this team and I’m not doing a good job of that. Down the stretch, we’re not executing. But that’s happening throughout the game at both ends.”
When asked about the Warriors falling below .500 for the first time this season, Kerr responded,
“It sucks. I don’t like falling below .500, but here we are. So we’ve got to do better.”
Amid the 2015-16 Coach of the Year taking full responsibility of Golden State’s lackluster performances, Wiggins came out in support of his coach.
Andrew Wiggins disagreed with Kerr’s assertion that he’s at fault for Golden State’s struggles: pic.twitter.com/hANL00LtP0
— Sam Gordon (@BySamGordon) January 14, 2025
Wiggins didn’t echo Kerr’s sentiments, mentioning how everyone could do more to help the team. The 29-year-old highlighted how the two-time All-Star Game coach was obeying the true essence of being a leader.
The Last Word
The Warriors find themselves in a challenging spot. Making it worse is the absence of players like Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski who are recovering from their respective injuries. Draymond Green who sat out against the Raptors with a back injury should return soon.
However, the roster cannot expect Curry and Green to step up every time, considering their ages. It’s time players like Hield, Wiggins, and Schroder take some load off the veterans on the team. At the same time, the front office needs to make some moves ahead of the trade deadline of February 6.
General manager Mike Dunleavy has been on the hunt to pair a star player alongside Curry, but hasn’t found much success. Time is ticking for the two-time MVP with the window for a fifth ring closing. Hence, the front office needs to tread this path carefully without sacrificing the future of the franchise.
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