{"id":115976,"date":"2025-01-04T10:23:10","date_gmt":"2025-01-04T15:23:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=115976"},"modified":"2025-01-04T10:23:10","modified_gmt":"2025-01-04T15:23:10","slug":"warriors-worst-3-point-woes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/01\/04\/warriors-worst-3-point-woes\/","title":{"rendered":"Warriors Facing Worst 3-Point Struggles Since Kevin Durant&#8217;s Exit"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Widely regarded as the NBA&#8217;s 3-point connoisseur team for a long time, the Golden State Warriors seem to be losing their touch from beyond the arc. While <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/curryst01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-01-04_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Stephen Curry<\/a> continues to dominate in that department, his teammates haven&#8217;t matched his productivity.<\/p>\n<h2>Warriors Facing Worst 3-Point Struggles Since Kevin Durant&#8217;s Exit<\/h2>\n<h3>Curry&#8217;s 3-Point Prowess<\/h3>\n<p>Currently, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/01\/03\/stephen-currys-100-3-point-night\/\" target=\"_self\">shooting 41.8% from three<\/a>, Curry&#8217;s long-range prowess isn&#8217;t enough to improve Golden State&#8217;s overall 3P%. In the 33 games played so far, the Dubs have made only <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/traditional?Season=2024-25&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=FG3_PCT\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">36.5% of their three-point attempts<\/a>, ranking them 15th in the league.<\/p>\n<p>Not including their 36.4 3P% in 2021-22, this marks their lowest 3P% ranking since the 2019-20 season when the Warriors shot 33.4% from long range, placing them 29th in the NBA. Ironically, this was the same season that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/d\/duranke01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-01-04_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kevin Durant<\/a>\u00a0decided to part ways with Golden State and join the Brooklyn Nets.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Stephen Curry\u2019s done for the night after going a perfect 8-of-8 from three \ud83e\udd2f\ud83d\udd25 <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/LJYsm1lZE1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/LJYsm1lZE1<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; TheWarriorsTalk (@TheWarriorsTalk) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheWarriorsTalk\/status\/1875046648008859660?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">January 3, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3>Dub Nation&#8217;s Poorest 3-Point Show Since the 2019-20 Season<\/h3>\n<p>The Warriors found themselves in deep waters after a Finals loss to the Raptors in 2019. Durant&#8217;s decision not to re-sign, coupled with season-ending injuries to the Splash Brothers, had the Dubs finish at the bottom of the Western Conference.<\/p>\n<p>At the time, G-League point guard <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/p\/pargoje01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-01-04_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jeremy Pargo<\/a> had the <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612744\/players-traditional?Season=2019-20&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=FG3_PCT\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">best 3P% on the Warriors<\/a> at 42.9%. Leading Steve Kerr&#8217;s roster in three-pointers made was <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612744\/players-traditional?Season=2019-20&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=FG3M\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">D&#8217;Angelo Russell, sinking 3.6 shots<\/a> per game. This was a period when <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/t\/thompkl01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-01-04_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Klay Thompson<\/a> was out with an ACL tear, and Curry had sustained a fractured hand.<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately, the Dubs witnessed an upward curve in the coming years. Between 2021 and 2024, Golden State fluctuated within the second and ninth positions in 3P%.<\/p>\n<h3>Potential Reasons Behind Warriors Diminishing 3P%<\/h3>\n<p>Losing one of their marquee players in <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/07\/02\/nba-trade-grades-klay-thompson-reportedly-passes-up-more-money-to-sign-with-mavericks-how-did-each-of-the-3-teams-involved-in-the-sign-and-trade-make-out\/\" target=\"_self\">Thompson to the Mavericks<\/a> indicated the end of an era in the Bay Area. Dub Nation continues to fathom seeing Curry&#8217;s Splash Bro in a Dallas uniform. Another reason is the sudden shutdown of <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/hieldbu01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-01-04_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Buddy Hield<\/a>, which serves as a major determinant.<\/p>\n<p>In his <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.statmuse.com\/nba\/ask?q=buddy+hield%27s+average+stats+for+first+15+games+a+warrior\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">first 15 games with the Warriors<\/a>, Hield averaged 16.2 PPG on 44.2% from three-point range. Nonetheless, the 2020 3-Point Contest champion would go completely cold from beyond the arc in the coming days. Nevertheless, Dub Nation hopes the 32-year-old will find his rhythm back.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Buddy Hield has shot just 2-19 from three over his last 4 games \ud83d\ude33 <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/3YlJ0Roj81\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/3YlJ0Roj81<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; TheWarriorsTalk (@TheWarriorsTalk) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheWarriorsTalk\/status\/1874187956380197034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">December 31, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Entering his sophomore season, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/p\/podzibr01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-01-04_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brandin Podziemski<\/a> has failed to meet expectations, especially from beyond the arc. Shooting the ball at close to 39% accuracy in his rookie year, the six-foot-five guard has dropped to 29.5%. Other factors for the Warriors&#8217; 3-point woes include the departures of shooters like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/d\/divindo01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-01-04_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Donte DiVincenzo<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/p\/poolejo01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-01-04_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jordan Poole<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>The Last Word<\/h3>\n<p>The Warriors can change their 3-point tide with just over half of the season remaining. It is only a matter of time before Hield makes a comeback. This, in turn, would prohibit the opposition from throwing double\/triple teams at Curry, allowing him more spacing.<\/p>\n<p>The recent acquisition of <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/s\/schrode01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dennis Schroder<\/a> would allow <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/12\/17\/dennis-schroders-impact-warriors-brandin-podziemski-buddy-hield\/\" target=\"_self\">Podziemski to play to his strengths<\/a>. Also, looking at how the front office has been actively pursuing a trade, expect anything in the coming days. No matter what, you can never write off the Warriors, considering the championship DNA on the roster.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Widely regarded as the NBA&#8217;s 3-point connoisseur team for a long time, the Golden State Warriors seem to be losing their touch from beyond the arc. While Stephen Curry continues to dominate in that department, his teammates haven&#8217;t matched his productivity. Warriors Facing Worst 3-Point Struggles Since Kevin Durant&#8217;s Exit Curry&#8217;s 3-Point Prowess Currently, shooting [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5398,"featured_media":116028,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,25,62],"tags":[48978,256,252,69,70,48],"class_list":["post-115976","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-warriors","category-nba","tag-brandin-podziemski","tag-buddy-hield","tag-dennis-schroder","tag-kevin-durant","tag-klay-thompson","tag-stephen-curry"],"modified_by":"Kayla Fonte","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115976","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5398"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115976"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115976\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":116027,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115976\/revisions\/116027"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/116028"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115976"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115976"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115976"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}