Stephen Curry’s dominance and court-to-court leadership can save the War Riders dynasty again with Claympson

The shot bounced from the back edge. The crowd fell silent. Seconds later, the Toronto Raptors were celebrating their first NBA championship. At the time we knew it was his last game at Oracle Arena, but none of us could have guessed that the final missed 3-pointer by Stephen Curry would be his last meaningful shot attempt in 18 months.

Even the most pessimistic mindset expected that Golden State and War Riders, in a very short time, would compete for a play-spot spot last season without Kevin Durant and Clay Thampson, both of whom suffered career-changing injuries in the final. Instead, in just the fourth game of the season, all 260 pounds of Aaron Baynes, proving too much to bear Curry’s left arm, sent the two-month MVP to the side for four months. Curry made his triumphant return in March, with Vu Rears well out of the huff hunting, just to suppress his season once again – this time a meninges, an endless virus rather than an injury bug that seemed endlessly dangerous on Golden. State locker room.

Eventually, the frustration turned to hope. The Warriors ’futility and lottery luck picked him No. 2 in the draft. A healthy return from Q and Thompson, a refreshed Dreammond Green and a refreshed Andrew Wiggins means the Warriors will return to the championship once again.

But, an old saying popularized by John Lennon reminds us, “Life happens to you when you are busy making other plans.” This sentiment should be embodied in our psychic human beings after enduring the horrors of 2020, but it is a testament to human resilience that we let despair prevail over constant optimism.

And similarly, with Thompson’s bizarre move during the ason fission pickup game in Southern California, the Warriors’ potential resurgence has become a rescue mission. News of the torn right Achilles tendon of ACMPson – after the ACL outbreak season – is a sucker punch that inspires more sympathy for Thompson than worries about the franchise’s basketball future. On Thursday, during a press conference that was supposed to be a celebration of the Warriors ’future stars, general manager Bob Myers spent the first 15 minutes for words to cover the devastation of Thompson’s latest injury.

“In my job, these are the phone calls where the color comes out of your face,” Myers said.

“It’s not that we can’t deal with these things. We do, and we will, and we have …. But, the saddest thing is that the time we spend in our jobs, the things we do We sacrifice to do what we do, and what to do [Klay] doing. And for her not being able to play basketball play anymore, it’s a pain. One day already being here we feel, Clay appeared nine years ago, or many years ago. “

In the most inappropriate of manners, the Warriors here are in almost the same place as they were before last season. No Thmpson. There is no Durant. There are no age-old leaders like Andre Igudala and Shaun Livingston. The longing for what might be, and the confusion of what lies ahead.

“We find ourselves in a situation where we don’t find many better people to fill in than Clay Thompson,” Myers said. “So now we write on our board, and we have a vacancy under two positions of guards.”

So once again, the fate of the season, and perhaps the Warriors ’championship window, rested squarely on Stephen Curry’s shoulders.

Before Curry’s injury last year, we wondered if head coach Steve Carey would change ball-movement-based offense to provide more pick-and-roll for his superstars in the absence of supers Mpson and Durant. Curry proved in a limited time that Curry was present in court, due to the presence of D’Angelo Russell, a ball-influenced defender, whose ball-ball skills never went beyond the choice of War Riders. After Russell’s departure, now Wiggins and the recently acquired Kelly ub Bray have been drawn by two athletic wings capable of wearing down opponents with a back-cut, and who will delight the outfit if they can sink 3-pointers consistently on a good clip. .

Currently under construction, the Warriors do not have a secondary ball-handler in the backcourt. That honor for going green, who has led the team for assistance per game over the last five seasons. So, it’s not hard to imagine a crime where Curry runs more peak-end-rolls and hand-rib boroughs, although Care has been reluctant to rectify his crime in the past.

No matter how it happens, fighters in the Western Council will have to turn to monster season in order to compete. In addition to the star-studded Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers at the top, there are at least nine other legitimate playoff contenders, perhaps 10 depending on how the Houston Rockets move forward.

But if there’s a player capable of exploding – and ready for it, he’s done.

The last time Curry was undefeated, back in the 2015-16 season when he was free of the sacrifices that come with welcoming Durant to Gauraksha, Karen attacked Libby with the biggest season in NBA history – 30.1 points, 6.7 assists, 5.4 rebounds and 2.1 steals 50 per game. The absurdity created per game on / 45/90 is divided by 5.1 3-pointers. He therefore received the first unanimous MVP selection in NBA history, and he may need to anticipate this season to give production rears a chance in the playoffs and beyond.

Everyone in the NBA is adjusting to this weird se fisson, and no one knows how it will go. Some teams are starting to make rapid changes from the playoffs while others, like the Warriors, are nine months away from playing in the NBA game. In 18 months – 139 minutes – will play exactly five games. You could say it will be relaxed – Curry always keeps herself in extraordinary shape – but it would be foolish to think that there will be no significant period of rust-shading for the start of the season. What it is and with the situation rear, the meaning of a tough start can be lost in the postseason.

While it is premature to close the book on the Warriors dynasty, there is a growing possibility that they will not return to the finals during Curry’s tenure. Thompson will return from torn ACL and torn Achilles after missing for two years. He May be the only player in the history of major sports In addition to the former Warrior Demarcus cousins, he suffered both injuries. There has long been concern that Green’s acting could deteriorate rapidly as he ages. There is no guarantee that Wiggins and / or Uber will fulfill the possibility that their natural talents indicate. As some draft appraisers have warned us – Wiseman could end up – an exaggerated Hassan Whiteside. The Timberwolves could be surprisingly good next season, crushing their 2021 top-three safe pick value – the Warriors ’best asset so far. And if curry hurts, well … let’s not go there either.

This is obviously the worst case scenario, but after the last two and a half years, it is natural to expect destruction by the Warriors. And that’s where the challenge comes in. Despite being a leader like Curry there, both on and off the court, can make all the difference. If Curry can keep the rears at bay, Golden State could be a potential target for the next offended star, deploying all the resources needed to strengthen the roster by the time Myers and front office chief Thumpson return. Then we’ll talk about Variety as a title contender next summer.

It’s a difficult task, but Kare has proven in his 11-year career that his contagious work policy and enthusiasm can inspire and galvanize his teammates.

“The challenge this time around is to stay together, while your fabric is being tested,” Myers said Thursday. “Our fabric was tested last year. People don’t know it. Our record was 15-50, but we didn’t break it as an organization. We didn’t break it. We didn’t start blaming people. And it’s hard in this day and age. Do. “