CHICAGO - Once upon a time in the NBA, from 2015 to 2019, it seemed like only an act of congress could stop the Golden State Warriors from perpetuating a ruthless dynasty.
But as they thumb through the stale croutons of their lavish salad days, it now appears that only an act of God can save their rapidly sinking 2020-21 campaign.
With Klay Thompson out for the season with a ruptured Achilles and Kevin Durant out of the team for good, the Warriors, even with Steph Curry leading the charge, are so pitifully ordinary.
They are 2-3 to start the season, second to last in the Western Conference.
In their two wins, they beat lottery-bound teams Chicago and Detroit by a combined 11 points. In their three losses to Brooklyn, Milwaukee and Portland, the Warriors got brutalized by an average of 30 points.
Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
The same way we rejoice over rags-to-riches tales, we weep over penthouse to outhouse misadventures.
Even Golden State's hometown paper, The San Francisco Chronicle, described the Warriors' recent 123-98 drubbing at the hands of the Blazers as a performance that was "empty" as the Chase Center.
OUCH.
If you're a Warriors fan like me, try not to cry over what I'm about to report next. And if you a have a heart condition and do not have a deep threshold for pain, I suggest you stop reading right now.
In the 2018-19 season, when KD was still rolling with the Splash Brothers, the Warriors were No. 1 in the league in offensive rating at 115.9. And they were No. 2 in points scored per game at 117.7.
This season, per BasketballReference.com. the Warriors are 21st in scoring at a meager 108.2 and they are 30th in offensive rating at 100.1.
Their defense, meanwhile, is in comatose. Ranked 30th in points allowed (124) and 28th in defensive rating at 114.7.
Without Thompson and Durant, Curry is a mirror image of Trae Young before the Atlanta Hawks got considerable help this past off-season.
At 26.4 points and 6.6 assists per outing, Curry is still churning All-Star numbers. But his shooting efficiency has suffered.
He has swished just 42 of 100 field goals through five games and his 3-point shooting is below average, 18 of 56 for a tepid 32.1 percent clip. Steph is also plagued with 3.6 turnovers an outing.
If it's any consolation, Steph has made all 30 of his free throws so far and he owns a viral video that shows him drilling 105 consecutive 3s in practice where he was unguarded and not under duress.
Just like the old days, when they were collecting titles the same way a philatelist collects stamps, the Warriors love to shoot 3s.
They are currently sixth in the NBA at 38.6 attempts per game. But they are dead last among 30 teams in accuracy at 30.6 percent.
Kelly Oubre Jr was supposed to help fill in Thompson's void and wreak havoc on offense.
So far, though, Oubre has only been a train wreck.
Through five games as a starter, Oubre has made just 17 of 62 shots, including a horrific 1-for-25 from 3. And he has 12 turnovers against three assists.
It's the kind of stats that make you religious and yell: Jesus Christ!
I have more bad news to write but I have been advised to stop.
It's bad for my heart.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
