Steph Curry threw his head back from his bench seat and fixed his sight for a moment on the spectators sitting behind him, possibly to take his mind off the chaos developing in front of him.

The Warriors’ second consecutive home blowout loss was over with two seconds left in the third quarter. The New Orleans Pelicans were sinking wide-open three-pointers, making a mockery of the Warriors’ defense. The boos from the fans got louder as the deficit grew greater and the reality of this season struck in once more.

Curry shook his head and flipped his head forward again. Although the game had ended, the countdown to the trade deadline had begun. Sure, Chris Paul and Draymond Green’s absences are felt, and their return might at the very least improve defensive communication while tightening the screws on offense. The question this front staff must answer before the Feb. 8 trade deadline is whether the expected returns will be sufficient to propel them up the Western Conference standings.

Curry was forthright when asked if the team had enough time to prove to the top staff that this squad should be together: Things have to change.

“We have a standard,” Curry stated following the game. “It’s pretty obvious that when things stay the same – isn’t that the definition of insanity?” Continue to do the same thing and expect a different result.”

According to one interpretation, Curry is not just admitting that this squad isn’t up to par – injuries and all – but also daring the front office to make some changes. Following Green’s extended suspension a month ago, general manager Mike Dunleavy stated that the club still sees Curry as a superstar capable of carrying a team to a championship while also admitting that his team needs 15-to-20 games to examine the roster.

After Curry, the roster is depleted at the top. Not only has Green missed more than half of the games, but Andrew Wiggins hasn’t lived up to the standard he set during the 2022 championship run. When he’s on the floor, the Warriors have been outscored by 179 points, and he’s done little to reclaim the starting lineup spot he lost early last month. Kevon Looney has taken a step back on both ends, with a minus-67 total that ranks second only to Wiggins. The Warriors are designed to fill the hole left by the starting lineup.

Thompson has improved since being benched in Phoenix last month, hitting 39.9% from three-point range in 20 games. But the dominoes started to fall when Curry, Thompson, Wiggins, Green, and Looney lost their touch, spacing, and viability. Coach Steve Kerr has been on a desperate search for the proper lineup ever since, but has come up short.

“We’re all over the place with lineups,” said Kerr. “We’re experimenting with different combinations.” Whereas some teams, such as New Orleans, are really rounding into form and know exactly who they are, we’re dispersed.”

That toxic mix of desperation, lack of confidence, and failure has resulted in a team that frequently plays insanely. From the standpoint of ownership, the product is far from worth the high price. Curry believes that there is pride to be protected.

“As players, what we can control is our effort, focus, competitiveness,” Curry said in a statement. “That stuff works itself out, like every NBA season, every organization.” You can’t afford to be sidetracked by that. Because whether you’re at the top of the standings or at the bottom, there are always rumors and talks going on. It’s all part of the job. You can’t get caught up in it until something happens.”

What this means as the deadline approaches remains to be seen. Names will be put up for sale. Golden State is in desperate need of a supplementary scorer, ideally in the front court. They may benefit from more defensive size and perimeter athleticism.

The Warriors have goods to offer from their bench depth, including Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody. They have moveable contracts in the books for Chris Paul and Thompson. Wiggins agreed to a team-friendly extension that is transferable. They also have future first-round picks to sell.

Curry and his colleagues will use the next three weeks to continue their hunt for something that works. That is all they can do. Curry, on the other hand, has stated that he has no intention of going nuts.