Dub Hub: Steph Curry calls out the Warriors ‘glaring’ free-throw struggles

Rounding up all Warriors and NBA related news for Tuesday, November 19th.

In today’s Dub Hub:

• Steph Curry calls the Warriors free-throw struggles a “glaring issue” following their 9-of-19 shooting from the line in loss vs. Clippers.
• Draymond Green takes blame for the loss against the Clippers: “I sucked tonight.”
• Undefeated Cavs take on the defending champion Celtics on Tuesday night.

The Golden State Warriors suffered their third loss of the season on Monday night, falling to the Los Angeles Clippers, 102-99. A quick glance at the box score highlights the key reasons for their defeat: 19 turnovers—13 of which came in the first half—and a dismal 9-of-19 performance from the free throw line. While the Clippers committed 20 turnovers of their own, they capitalized at the charity stripe, going 16-of-18 which proved to be the biggest difference on the night.

After the game, Steph Curry called the Warriors’ issues at the line a “glaring” issue that needs to be corrected.

“It’s a glaring issue we need to correct,” Curry said. “But it’s not like we’re going to spend an hour at practice and everybody’s going to shoot free throws. It’s what you do pre-practice, post-practice to get your confidence right. It is correctable, that’s a good thing. We understand that the details matter and (if) you make five more, it can change the game, so get your work in.”

While Curry is among the best in the league at shooting free throws at 94.3%, the Warriors as a team currently rank dead last with a percentage of 69.7%. Along with turnovers, free-throws have been a weakness for the team, despite their otherwise strong start to the season. The Warriors know they’ll need to clean up these details quickly if they hope to maintain their pace in the competitive Western Conference.

For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Tuesday, November 19th:

Warriors News:

The Warriors have a free-throw problem that burned them in road loss to Clippers | The Athletic

Despite employing the most accurate free-throw shooter in NBA history (Steph Curry, 91 percent for his career), the Warriors exited Monday night’s game in Los Angeles as the league’s worst free-throw shooting team: 69.7 percent. No team since the 2019-20 Knicks has been below 70 percent for the season. The Warriors haven’t dipped that low since 1999-2000.

“We entered the game dead last in free throws,” Steve Kerr said. “But we also entered the game 10-2.”

His general point: The inaccuracy, while annoying, hadn’t burned them. They missed 11 free throws against the Mavericks and still won. They missed 18 in Houston and survived in overtime. It hadn’t been too hot a topic internally because it hadn’t been attached to substantial consequences.

Draymond blames himself for Warriors’ turnover-heavy loss to Clippers | NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors as a team committed 19 turnovers, one fewer than the Clippers, but their many mistakes taking care of the ball equated to 31 points for the opposition. Coach Steve Kerr used 11 players, and eight had at least one turnover. None more than Green’s six.

“I sucked tonight,” Green said.

When asked to clarify if he meant the team or strictly himself, Green pointed the finger solely at one person.

“I sucked tonight,” he repeated. “Way too many turnovers. Too many missed bodies. Yeah, I just sucked tonight.”

Will Warriors overcome The Wall, free-throw struggles vs. Clippers? | NBC Sports Bay Area

Podziemski tried to run up the wall, but admitted after getting three-quarters of the way up, he walked the rest.

“It’s a crazy view from up there,” he said.

But he isn’t worried about fans lining up along The Wall being a factor in the outcome of Monday night’s game. Road teams get to choose which basket to shoot on first, and Podziemski expects the Warriors to pick the side of The Wall to begin the game, making things easier for the second half.

Draymond Green helped a current NBA All-Star reach out to Steph Curry this past summer

Steph Curry comments on James Harden surpassing Ray Allen for second on the all-time made threes list

NBA News:

Sources: Tyrese Maxey challenged Joel Embiid in 76ers meeting | ESPN

The loss was the team’s fourth in a row, sparking veteran guard Kyle Lowry to call for the meeting — a much-needed heart-to-heart and a call to action and urgency, sources told ESPN. Players and coaches held each other accountable and took fault in the start to the season.

Maxey challenged Embiid to be on time to team activities, calling out the 2022-23 league MVP about being late “for everything” and how it impacts the locker room, from other players to the coaching staff, sources briefed on the meeting told ESPN.

Emirates NBA Cup: Cavs vs. Celtics showdown tips off crucial week | NBA

For the Cavaliers, this is a chance for both payback and history – they’re currently tied for the longest unbeaten start to a season, so 16-0 would give them second place behind Golden State’s 24-0 in 2015-16.

For the Celtics, it’s an opportunity to go from hunted to hunter. And they’re already a little cranky about a 4-2 home record, having gone 37-4 at TD Garden last season.

The matchup is elite: Cleveland and Boston rank No. 1 and 2 in offensive rating, with the Cavs sixth defensively and the Celtics ninth. The playoff series in May was determined in the trenches, with Boston grabbing a 221-177 rebounding edge while getting and making 30 more free throws.

Nets’ guard Cam Thomas ‘widely considered to be available’ for trade, per The Athletic’s Sam Amick

In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:

Player grades: Warriors vs. Clippers

Brandin Podziemski

16 minutes, 1 point, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 0-for-4 shooting, 0-for-2 threes, 1-for-3 free throws, 9.4% TS, +2

One compliment for Podziemski: it doesn’t matter if his teammates show up acting like they’re stuck in mud, Podz will always bring the energy. And he certainly brought it in this game, though it’s not quite enough to make me overlook the brutal attempts at scoring. He was a menace on the glass though, and played pretty decent defense.

Grade: C

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