The Golden State Warriors have gotten off to a hot 10-3 start early into their 2024-25 campaign, picking up their third loss of the season on Monday night to the LA Clippers. The Warriors have already lost to the Clippers twice this season, but Monday’s 112-109 loss could have seemingly been easily avoided.
The Warriors sabotaged themselves on Monday, shooting an abysmal 9-19 (47.4%) from the free-throw line, compared to LA’s 16-18 (88.9%).
The Warriors are last in the NBA in free-throw percentage this season (71.2%), an odd mark for a team built around one of the best free-throw shooters the NBA has ever seen in Steph Curry.
Warriors at the line this season:
Steph: 33/35 (94%)
Non-Steph: 170/265 (64%)Worst free throw shooting team in the last 5 years. https://t.co/yGHKb7viFF
— WarriorsMuse (@WarriorsMuse) November 19, 2024
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was not shy about voicing his frustrations about their weakness at the charity stripe and self-inflicted turnover mistakes, speaking out about their performance following Monday’s loss.
“Our free throws obviously hurt us, but as a coach you don’t really focus on that. You focus on the turnovers in the first half… I thought we lost the game in the first half by wasting a lot of possessions.” Kerr continued to talk about their free throw struggles, “We entered the game dead-last in free throws. We also entered the game 10-2, so they haven’t hurt us until tonight. Our guys got to get in the gym, find their rhythm, find their confidence from the line for sure.”
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
Of course, it is odd for a team to be last in the NBA in free throw shooting yet be one of the top teams in the league, but that is what the Warriors have been able to accomplish. Kerr is oddly downplaying Golden State’s struggle from the line, especially considering poor free-throw shooting will cost them games more often than not.
Golden State seems to have found their two weaknesses early into the season: Free throws and the LA Clippers. It is unlikely Golden State’s free throw woes will continue throughout the entire season, but they might be in trouble if they cannot find consistency at the line.
The Warriors move on to host the Atlanta Hawks on the second leg of a back-to-back on Tuesday, a fair test against a team coming off a win over the Sacramento Kings.
