Warriors Players Who Have to Elevate Their Game in 2024

The Golden State Warriors haven't had the start to the 2023-24 NBA season they would have liked.

Every now and then, though, they send a hint that their preferred championship ending is still possible.

This group can play with anyone—for better and worse. Their ceiling is sky-high, but their floor dips uncomfortably low.

If they hope to end up anywhere near the highest of their high-end outcomes, they must get better play moving forward from the following trio.

Kevon Looney

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PHOENIX, AZ - DECEMBER 12: Kevon Looney #5 of the Golden State Warriors handles the ball during the game against the Phoenix Suns on December 12, 2023 at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)

The normally rock-solid Kevon Looney suddenly appears to be one of the less reliable players in the rotation.

While there maybe hasn't been a huge decline in any specific area of his game, you can find signs of slippage all across his stat sheet. And for someone who didn't have the largest margin for error to begin with—centers who aren't shooters or shot-blockers must consistently ace all the position's subtleties—even a relatively minor decline can be a major hindrance.

His defense has declined, and his offense wasn't great to begin with. In statistical terms, he's dropped from 9.3 rebounds and 7.0 points to 7.9 and 5.4, respectively. His field-goal percentage is down a full seven points (63 to 56). Last season, he had the third-best net differential among rotation regulars (plus-5.4 points per 100 possessions, per NBA.com). This time around, he's third-worst on the team (minus-9.2).

These struggles aren't all on him. He is built to complement the players around him, so when they can't get it going, his strengths are muted and his weaknesses are magnified. Still, this center group needs things he isn't providing as often or as effectively as he had in the past. If he doesn't find his footing soon, he might get squeezed out of the starting five and even see his rotation role in jeopardy.

Klay Thompson

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SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 19: Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors shoots the ball against the Boston Celtics in the first half at Chase Center on December 19, 2023 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Klay Thompson has free agency awaiting him at season's end. He'll celebrate his 34th birthday well before that. And don't forget, he has a pair of campaign-cancelling leg injuries in his past.

The pressure on him to perform is enormous. It's tempting to cut him some slack, particularly because his play his perked up of late.

The bottom line is, though, the Dubs aren't contenders if he isn't a difference-maker. His shot-making is the ultimate counter for teams who want to consistently send double-teams at Stephen Curry. Thompson's scoring punch can give this offense better direction when Curry takes a seat. Thompson's defense, while certainly not what it was before the injuries, is still needed to make all of these puzzle pieces fit.

More than anything, though, Thompson must be lights-out from long range, and he just hasn't been to this point. A lot of players would be thrilled to have his 37.6 percent splash rate, but it's career-worst mark for him and only the second sub-40-percent rate he's ever posted.

Andrew Wiggins

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA - DECEMBER 19: Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Golden State Warriors handles the ball during the game against the Boston Celtics on December 19, 2023 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Mike Rasay/NBAE via Getty Images)

Two seasons back, Andrew Wiggins played an invaluable part of the Warriors' championship run. If Stephen Curry wasn't such an obvious choice for MVP of that series, Wiggins could have made quite the argument. That's how good he was at both ends.

Put that version of Wiggins on this season's Warriors, and maybe they're rubbing elbows with the Western Conference's elite instead of scrapping with the play-in tournament-hopefuls. He might be the biggest reason why they find themselves in this predicament.

Wiggins, who was yanked from the starting lineup earlier this month, has underwhelmed in all aspects. He's not only averaging a personal-worst 12.3 points, he's doing so while posting a career-low 49.3 true shooting percentage, per Basketball-Reference. Formerly Golden State's preferred defensive stopper, he's now allowing opponents to shoot 2.2 percentage points better than they do on average.

The Dubs' difference when having Wiggins on the court has been a staggering 17.8-point swing in the wrong direction per 100 possessions. If he can't become the two-way asset he's been before, Golden State should start making its play-in tournament preparations.