(By e.Chang)

Currently: 13-12 (.520); 9th place in the Western Conference

Last Week:
at Charlotte (lost)
Dallas (WON)
Houston (lost)

This Week:
Sun: at Phoenix against the Suns (lost)
Tue: home against the Pelicans
Thu: home against the Spurs
Sat: home against the Lakers

So a funny thing started happening 14 games ago — the Dubs started losing. Up until then, the Warriors were 8-3 and were riding a four-game winning streak leading up to the November 20 game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Since that game, the Warriors have won five and lost nine. And after 25 games into the season, the Warriors find themselves at 13-12, just one game above .500. The last time the Dubs were .500 was after the second game of this season when they were 1-1. That doesn’t count. Before THAT, the last time they were at .500 was 13-months ago on November 18, 2012, when they were 5-5.

When looking at this seasons’ numbers, the drastic change in opponents’ points scored jumps out. During the first half of the season, the opponents’ points column was waifishly skinny. Soooo many 80s and 90s. Then, starting in mid-November, like the rest of us, it got fat. 102. 113. 116. In the last 14 games, opponents have scored in the triple digits 11 times. How? What? Why?

The Warriors spoon-feed opponents, that’s why.

The Dubs are a turnover machine. They love it. If they could, they’d marry it. 430 times this season, the Warriors simply handed the ball over to the other team. That’s 3rd highest in the NBA. That’s 17 times per game where the Warriors have denied themselves an offensive opportunity and gave it to the opponent. And Steph Curry loves it the most. Loooves turnovers. So much so that he’s done it 93 times this season. He leads the NBA in turnovers. Granted, Steph is the point-guard, the playmaker, so he handles the ball and distributes it more than anyone else--he is 8th in the league in scoring and 2nd in 3-pointers, and 3rd in assists per game-- but if he can learn to be just a wee bit less generous in sharing the ball with the other team, that’d be just great.

So here we are, 25 games in and staring .500 right in its stupid eye. The Dubs take on the New Orleans Pellies tonight who are right at .500. Not exactly an inspirational battle, but if the Warriors want to prove they’re better than their record, it starts tonight. They’d better take advantage of it, too, because they play five of the next six at the Oracle before heading out on a brutal seven-game road trip.