LOS ANGELES — 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.
It now has. The Warriors missed 10-of-19 free throws against the Clippers on Monday night and lost 102-99. Curry and Gary Payton II missed game-tying 3s in the final sequence that might not have been necessary had they just made a handful more of their free throws throughout the game.
“We’ve gotta work on it, obviously,” Kerr said. “Our guys have to get in the gym and find their rhythm, find their confidence from the line for sure.”
Curry is 33 of 35 from the line this season, a sizzling 94.3 percent but a significant lack of volume. His 3.5 attempts per game are his fewest since his third season in the NBA. He didn’t take one against the Clippers.
That has left a bulk of the free-throw shooting to a group of teammates who are collectively in a funk. Jonathan Kuminga leads the team with 56 attempts. He’s made only 34. That’s 60.7 percent. Kuminga missed two straight to close the first quarter and had another miss at the top of the second. He went 1 of 4.
Andrew Wiggins actually had a decent night from the line, making 6 of 8. That bumped him up to 72.8 percent for the season, about in line with his career rate but still notably low for a scoring NBA wing.
Draymond Green split his two attempts. He’s at 69.7 percent for the season. Trayce Jackson-Davis missed both of his. He’s at 54.5 percent. Brandin Podziemski went 1 of 3. He’s at 60 percent. Kevon Looney missed the game with an illness. He’s at 60.9 percent. The misses add up.
“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, get your confidence right. It is correctable. We understand the details matter and (if) you make five more, it can change the game.”
The Clippers shot one fewer free throw (18) than the Warriors, but made seven more.
“It’s an issue,” Green said. “You gotta make free throws if you want to win at a high level in this league. Going 9 for 19, I think in the last two games, we missed 13 or 14 of them. It is an issue we’re going to correct.”
Steve Kerr on the Warriors’ continued free throw issues
“Our guys got to get in the gym, get in a rhythm, get their confidence from the line for sure.” pic.twitter.com/nrAuVDiS0E
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) November 19, 2024
The Warriors have been elite, above average or at least league average from the line as a team the last decade, finishing third, third, fourth, fifth, ninth, ninth, 11th, 13th, 16th and 17th. They don’t get there as often as most teams, but when they do, they haven’t typically missed like this.
So it’s a new problem for them to solve, combining with an old problem on Monday night that always seems to plague them. The Warriors turned it over 19 times, leading to 36 Los Angeles points. Two of their three losses this season have come against the Clippers. They turned it over 21 times in the first matchup.
“I sucked tonight,” Green said. “I sucked. Way too many turnovers. Too many missed bunnies. I just sucked tonight.”
Green had six of the team’s 19 turnovers. They’re only averaging 14.7 per game, a reasonable amount (16th most). But they’ve given it away 17, 19 and 21 times in their three losses, a common denominator for their worst nights.
Widen the scope, and the Warriors sit in a great spot. Their three losses are tied with the Thunder for the fewest in the conference. They return home to face the Hawks on Wednesday before a road back-to-back against the Pelicans and Spurs this weekend and a home game next Monday against the Nets. That’s four straight against teams below .500, setting them up to really bump their record.
But a slight bit of turbulence has arrived. They’re missing De’Anthony Melton, who is still getting additional testing and opinions on his sprained ACL. Melton was on the trip to Los Angeles but wasn’t spotted doing any court work. There remains a level of optimism that he may only need to miss a few weeks, but the team expects more information and a firmer timetable at some point soon.
Without him, the Warriors need extra production from Podziemski, who is struggling to generate traction early in his second season. He broke his nose late in the preseason and then had to leave a game and missed a game on the recent road trip because of an extended bout of dizziness. Vertigo was apparently ruled out, but the mystery illness led to fatigue and is partially to blame for what was a sluggish batch of performances.
“We didn’t figure out (what it is),” Podziemski said. “We’re still trying to figure it out right now.”
Podziemski said he met with Kerr and Mike Dunleavy recently to discuss his mini-slump.
“Come out and be myself and the best version of me,” Podziemski said of the message. “Not try to play for everybody else. Understand what I bring to the table.”
Brandin Podziemski left a game and missed a game on the recent road trip because of an illness. Fought through fatigue after returning. He says Warriors are “still trying to figure out” what it was.
Here’s Podziemski from LA shootaround today pic.twitter.com/l4pEU3aaSy
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) November 18, 2024
Podziemski missed all four of his shots and both of his 3s against the Clippers and went 1 of 3 from the line. He’s at 38 percent overall and 9 of 47 on 3s (19.7 percent) this season.
“He’s not shooting the ball with much confidence right now,” Kerr said. “That’s obvious. It’s part of being in the NBA. Everyone goes through stretches where you don’t quite feel it. The way he shot it at the end of last year, all summer, watching him in camp, he’s a really good shooter. He’ll find it.”
The Warriors need to collectively find it from the free-throw line.
(Photo of Draymond Green: Kirby Lee / Imagn Images)
