Golden State Warriors: 3 takeaways from collapse vs. Detroit Pistons

The Golden State Warriors blew a 14-point lead to the Detroit Pistons on Sunday, losing 115-107. What are the takeaways from the most up-and-down — and most disappointing — game of the Warriors’ wild homestand?

The Golden State Warriors could have gone 3-0 during a stretch which saw three of the Eastern Conference’s better teams come through Oracle Arena. They also could have gone 0-3.

They should be happy with a 2-1 homestand, though not with how it ended. The Detroit Pistons rallied from 14 down in the 3rd quarter to go up 13 midway through the 4th. The Warriors made a third-consecutive crunch-time push, but this one was not enough. They lost 115-107.

The league is at an all-time high in terms of talent. Every team the Warriors have faced thus far has been dangerous, and each has given them their best shot. Combine that with Golden State’s wildly inconsistent play, and its 4-3 record must be viewed as a positive.

Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ second home loss of the season.

1. Bradley a nightmare for Curry

If there is a Stephen Curry “stopper” in the NBA, it’s Avery Bradley. The 6’2″ shooting guard is as tenacious an on-ball defender as there is in the league. His ability to crowd without fouling is of particular value against Curry, who thrives on airspace.

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Now, Curry had a tremendously efficient game, going 11-of-17 from the field, scoring 37 points and finishing a team-best +12. This was primarily due to an expert adjustment from Kerr, who put the ball in Durant’s hands from the beginning.

This is the same strategy the Warriors employed early last season, based on the fact that Curry was the better shooter and Durant the better double-team drawer. Once they realized this was backwards (Curry was easier to hold off ball than Durant, and Durant less dynamic a ball-handler), they changed roles. Kerr brought the strategy back for this matchup, due to Bradley being far better at pressuring the ball than he is at chasing cutters and wreaking havoc as a help guy.

It also helped that Detroit had no one who could guard Durant. The Warriors forward scored a ridiculous 28 points on 14 shots and almost single-handedly brought them back in the fourth.

The Pistons smartly started to double and deny Durant down the stretch, and the ball ended up back in Curry’s hands. The result? Two Bradley steals and two Curry misses in the final 1:55 of the game.

2. Warriors overcome two of Detroit’s four major strengths

In 2016-17, the Pistons were one of the league’s least distinguishable teams stylistically. Early this year, they have formed an identity based on four key principles: Ball control, forcing turnovers, rebounding and transition defense.

Entering their matchup with Golden State, the Pistons were No. 2 in the league in turnover percentage, No. 4 in opponent turnover percentage, top 10 in both offensive and defensive rebound rate and No. 1 in fewest fast-break points allowed.

The Warriors got Detroit to cough the ball up 14 times, slightly more than their season average (12.4). They capitalized on these turnovers in a way no one has this season, scoring 22 points in transition.

Overall though, Golden State thoroughly lost the possession battle. It committed 26 turnovers, the most during the Kerr era. Detroit forced some, but the majority were due to bigger issues (more on this in takeaway No. 3).

While they had 40 rebounds to Detroit’s 37, they were effectively beaten on the boards. The Pistons recovered 17 of their 50 misses (34 percent), while the Warriors grabbed only 10 of their 33 (30.3 percent). That is not a terrible showing by the team in the matchup that does not have Andre Drummond, but it is when you are already giving away 12 net possessions in turnovers.

3. Warriors trying to do way too much

One sequence at the end of the third quarter says it all.

With 0:48 left, the Warriors gained possession. Curry went around a screen and found a window above the break with 0:39 left, but, seemingly seeking a better-timed 2-for-1, decided against shooting. The defense recovered. He was forced to give the ball up to Shaun Livingston, who was pressured into a turnover with 0:33 left. The Pistons scored in transition four seconds later, achieving their own 2-for-1. Curry traveled on the ensuing possession, and Anthony Tolliver hit a jumper at the buzzer.

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The Warriors had been up 79-68 with 2:20 left in the third. They entered the fourth down 82-81.

Curry has a brilliant basketball mind. So do almost all of his teammates. Kerr’s offense is the most intricate in the league, foregoing pick-and-roll in favor of rapid ball movement, off-ball cutting, flow and improvisation. It is what makes the Warriors so impossible to beat at their best.

Squeezing extra possessions from the end of quarters is in Golden State’s DNA. Curry’s range makes doing so particularly easy, even with only a couple seconds to work with. But when that same all-time shooter is given an open, dead-on 24-footer, he’s got to take it. Maybe you lose your extra possession, but that’s a worthwhile risk for three points.

The Warriors are in a funk. They are trying to be perfect, and in doing so are ignoring the little things. The irony, and issue, is that being perfect is impossible without a foundation of basic execution. That they are 4-3 is a testament to their talent and will, which almost carried them to another snatched victory last night.

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Maybe, in defeat, they will better understand the fundamental adjustment they must make.