What is going wrong with Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors this season?

After going through several tough years, including a multi-year layoff for Klay Thompson, the Golden State Warriors finally retook their place atop the NBA. With their 2021-22 NBA Finals win over the Boston Celtics, everything seemed to be going well for the team. With young players like Jordan Poole stepping up in crunch time, the team set their sights on back-to-back titles.

In the offseason, the team was expected to re-sign Jordan Poole to a contract extension. Before that happened, however, Draymond Green socked Poole in the face at practice. Immediately, the Warriors' future was put in jeopardy. Analysts questioned whether Poole would resign, or if Green would opt-out of the final year of his contract after the season.

Both men agreed to put the situation behind them after Green took a hiatus from the team. However, once the season started, things went from bad to worse. The team had an incredibly underwhelming start to their season while under the NBA media's microscope. While Poole and Green's altercation seemed to be a thing of the past, the present wasn't much better.

Just when things were starting to click in Golden State, the injury bug reared its ugly head and saw Steph Curry sidelined with a non-shooting shoulder injury.

How did Steph Curry's injury affect the Golden State Warriors?

The injury to Steph Curry was absolutely devastating to the team. It seemed that, right as the Golden State Warriors were starting to find their rhythm, it was taken from them. Shockingly, after Curry went down with an injury, the team went on an impressive run in his absence that saw them close the month of December with a 5-3 record.

Steph Curry (Golden State Warriors v New York Knicks)

Then, it was revealed that Steph Curry was back at practice, looking to work through the injury to help his team rather than sit out any longer. When he returned to the floor on January 10 against the Phoenix Suns, he struggled. The team fell to a Phoenix group that was without many of their starters and key players.

This fueled analysts like Kendrick Perkins to state that the 'fear factor' the Warriors once possessed was all but gone. The way he saw things, the team was in win-now mode, and every loss that pushed them further from another championship was devastating.

Do the Golden State Warriors need a roster change?

While the team continues to fight and claw for a spot in the Western Conference playoffs, every win and loss is a big one. Currently, just two games separate fifth place and 11th place in the West. With the Warriors sitting in ninth place, many believe a trade is on the horizon.

As the trade deadline rapidly approaches, it has been predicted that the team could look to trade Moses Moody and James Wiseman. The two young players are valuable assets, especially to a team looking to build toward the future. For the Warriors, a team in win-now mode, they don't have the time to allow them to develop.

Given that, many believe it's time for Steph Curry and the Warriors to make a move before the trade deadline. With the season halfway over, the Warriors will have to get it together in the second half of the year if they have any hope of going back-to-back.