Sixers don’t plan to underestimate Golden State Warriors despite struggles, Stephen Curry injury

It’s hard for some to tell that the Golden State Warriors are defending champions.

More than a quarter through the NBA season, the Warriors are 14-15. They are 10th in the Western Conference behind teams like the Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz, and Dallas Mavericks.

It took Golden State nine attempts to win on the road. Now 2-13 away from home, the Warriors are tied with the 2002-03 Los Angeles Lakers for the worst record by a defending NBA champion through 15 road games.

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If that’s not disappointing enough, two-time MVP Stephen Curry is expected to miss extended time after suffering a partially dislocated left shoulder in Wednesday’s road loss to the Indiana Pacers.

So does any of this change how the 76ers approach Friday night’s game against the Warriors at the Wells Fargo Center?

“No, no, they’re the Warriors,” coach Doc Rivers said Thursday, referring to a squad that has won four of the last eight NBA titles.

Georges Niang said the Sixers can’t get caught up in Golden State’s struggles.

“Because that’s when Golden State will pounce on you,” he said. “Just like everybody counted them out last year. You know people said they are not going to win it, and what did they do? They came in and blasted people and won in the playoffs.

“So this is a big game for them. They’re on the road. They want to get a win. So we’re going to have to come in and give them our best shot.”

Rivers and Niang know the Warriors will still have All-Stars Klay Thompson and Draymond Green in the lineup, along with standout Jordan Poole. And despite its record, Golden State has had some success in Philly, winning seven of its last nine meetings here.

But perhaps the biggest motivation for the Sixers (15-12) is a chance to win four games in a row for the first time this season.

Their three victories over the Kings, Charlotte Hornets, and Lakers mark their fourth three-game winning streak of the season.

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And things have been clicking for the Sixers during the stretch. They led the league in scoring (129.0 points per game) and three-point percentage (.461), were second in assists (31.7) and net rating (15.7), and fourth in steals (10) over the last three games.

“I like where we’re headed,” Rivers said. “I love what we’ve been doing on both ends of the floor.

“Defensively, we’re really locking in, taking people out of their first option a lot, loading to the ball. Offensively, the floor is open and we’re playing with great pace overall.”

In the last three games, All-NBA tandem of Joel Embiid and James Harden has shown no signs that they previously struggled to mesh.

Embiid, the league’s leading scorer at 33.3 points, has averaged 40.7 points and 10.3 rebounds in the last three games. He shot 65.7% from the field, including a 62.5% mark from beyond the three-point line in the first three contests of the Sixers’ seven-game homestand.

Harden averaged 22.7 points and 14.3 assists while shooting 50% from the field, including a 43.5% mark from beyond the three-point line, in the last three games.

Tobias Harris has also been a solid two-way player in that stretch, averaging 17.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.0 block.

“It’s not on us to be concerned if [the Warriors] are ready to play or not ready to play,” Niang said. “We’ve got to come in here and focus on us and continue to grow and continue to be better. I think that’s kind of been the story for this year.”

The Sixers had several visitors from the Pennsylvania Innocence Project attend Thursday’s practice. The project has freed 25 people from wrongful imprisonment since being established in 2009. Those 25 people have lost a combined 560 years to the criminal justice system.

“We had eight guys here,” Rivers said. “I think the lowest guy served 20 years. One guy served 32 years. Every single one was completely innocent.

“The one guy’s story was he spent 27 years in jail convicted for murder and he was on the other side of town. There was a video of him on the other side of town they showed the next day, and he still spent 27 years.”

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Another man told the Sixers he went to jail at the age of 14 and came out at 50.

The Sixers listened to the wrongfully imprisoned share their stories and explain why they had to let go of bitterness and move forward.

“It was a really powerful thing for our players,” Rivers said.

Following practice, Harris wore special sunglasses during a shooting drill to recreate a hand in his face during catch-and-shoot situations. The power forward has excelled recently in that role.