‘It all sucks’: Booed again at home, Warriors’ season hits new low point

SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors, according to Steve Kerr, have lost their belief, spirit and confidence. They don’t have Chris Paul or Draymond Green. They don’t have any reliable lineups to lean on. They don’t have a second wave of young talent ready to consistently contribute.

What they have — a generational superstar still dominating in his 15th year and residual championship pedigree — hasn’t been enough.

After consecutive blowout losses to cap a 2-5 homestand, the Warriors (17-20) have sunk to a valley in which only major changes could lift them out. To a point in which they’ve gotten booed by Chase Center fans twice in a row, and deserved it both times.

The most recent smattering of boos came in Golden State’s 141-105 loss at home to the Pelicans on national television Wednesday. Toronto embarrassed the Warriors a game before. Other losses in the home stand included a defeat to the Heat’s B-team, a convincing shortfall against Dallas and Nikola Jokic’s gut punch of a game-winning prayer.

In the past two weeks, Paul fractured his hand, Jonathan Kuminga aired public grievances and Andrew Wiggins has continued to float through games.

“I think you get to a point where you try to explain it away, trying to figure out what can change, like specifically that can help us,” Stephen Curry said. “That’s the conversations that are happening in between games, in our film sessions, in our locker room. But it’s heading the opposite way. I don’t know what to say about it, just because we’re not used to this vibe around our team. So we have to acknowledge it, not let go of the rope as they say, when it comes to our belief that we can just win the next game. But it all sucks.”

Nothing changed against the Pelicans, as the Warriors got off to one of many slow starts this year. Kerr, still in search of any effective lineup combinations, started Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Klay Thompson, Kuminga and Kevon Looney. That unit lagged behind as the Warriors lost the first quarter 46-27.

Nearly four minutes into the second quarter, the Pelicans stretched their lead to 25. At that point, New Orleans had gone 11-for-20 from deep as the Warriors’ defense — which allowed 124.8 points per game on the home stand — failed to close out to the corners. Kerr called timeout, and a smattering of boos soundtracked the Warriors to the bench. The Warriors fans who have seen four championships in the past 10 years had nothing to cheer for.

“You’re supposed to lose sleep over it?” an irked Thompson said of how to handle the boos.

“It sucks, but we’ve been playing like we’ve deserved it,” added Looney. “Can’t be mad at the fans. They hold us to a high standard, we set a high standard here. So we’ve got to go out there and compete and player better.”

The Warriors’ five who left the court to the light boo chorus were Podziemski, Cory Joseph, Thompson, Kuminga and Dario Saric. That lineup doesn’t have enough size or athleticism to compete defensively, nor enough perimeter shooting to stretch defenses. Without Paul or Green, Kerr doesn’t have many cards to play.

“We’re all over the place with lineups,” Kerr said. “We’re trying to find different combinations. Whereas a lot of teams, like New Orleans, are really rounding into form — they know exactly who they are — we’re scattered.”

The Warriors have had 13 lineups this season with a positive point differential. Ten of them include Paul, who is out at least three weeks after undergoing hand surgery. Two more have Green, who’s joining the Warriors on their upcoming road trip but hasn’t played since his indefinite suspension began Dec. 13.

Without Paul, Green and Gary Payton II (hamstring), the Warriors are too quiet — both on the court defensively and in the locker room. Curry has never been a vocal leader. Neither has Thompson nor Looney, the steady veteran. Kerr’s style is to encourage the team to try to instill confidence rather than yelling at them, though he admitted that approach may need to change.

As Curry alluded, though, Golden State will need more than shouting to extend their dynasty. Nearly halfway through the season, the Warriors are in 12th place in the Western Conference. They’ve already lost 11 games at home, three more than they did all of last year. This group ranks 23rd in defensive rating and has less than a month before the Feb. 8 trade deadline to prove it can even compete on a nightly basis.

But with Curry’s prime dwindling, the bar should be higher than just competing.

“We have a standard,” Curry said. “It’s pretty evident that when things stay the same — that’s the definition of insanity, right? Keep doing the same thing expecting a different result.”