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The Golden State Warriors They avoided tough decisions in ways that the modern NBA dynasty never did, but the arc of history bends back in that direction and they do so very quickly.
Expeditiously.
Immediately.
like today.
General manager Bob Myers and head coach Steve Kerr walked the line with intelligence and experience, getting the best out of the core while the supporting chops delivered just enough to press for another championship, but the stout organizational bamboo seemed to be under unplanned pressure.
Consistent winning requires unique focus, proficiency, and a little bit of luck. The competition in the NBA is very heavy, and good teams are so excited to see an opening at the top of the conference just to plant roses at the feet of the champions.
It is respect, but not reverence.
The three biggest NBA brand names – LeBron JamesAnd the Stephen Curry And the Kevin Durant – It is not promoted by their organizations, for the sake of Various reasons And the levels of guilt.
unlike Brooklyn Networks And the Los Angeles Lakersthe warriors still have a way out of the basement and back into the shed, but it seems the leverage they have gained must be used.
One could argue that Curry exists his best season, and that’s given that he was a consensus MVP seven seasons ago. But his greatness is pressing the Warriors into a corner that the organization better have a plan to get out of before this looks like franchise misconduct.
It is not as easy as sitting Clay Thompson Or blame the slow start on the fatigue of handling it Draymond Green punching Jordan Paul at boot camp.
“In terms of passing, they’re good problems in this league. I’m not worried about the big picture,” Curry told Yahoo Sports weeks ago after a lose way in Detroit. “We’ve been through this before, too. This is the first time in a while. But I know the process.”
It’s easy to assume that a team like the Warriors would pick up where they left off last June, but they’re starting from scratch like everyone else. The problem is that they are still at ground zero.
“If you look at our team, it’s different. So we have to treat this year as a separate, different year,” Curry said. “That’s the part where you notice, how we’ve been through this before so don’t panic.”
When Carrie does speak that night, be sure to provide an air of calm. Not arrogance but definitely a little bit of angst.
“[Setting] “Realistic championship expectations for this particular team,” Curry said. “That’s why I’ve been trying not to be so sad in the press room that everyone is holding us – as we should – to this expectation that we’re supposed to be. [undefeated]. This is not the way it works. “
Kerr decided to say what everyone with trained eyes already believes — that there is no cohesion on either end of the floor and there are no easy solutions.
Losses pile up, and even if it’s a champ fighting their way into a new season after a summer-long playoff run, it’s getting late early. They are the second worst defense in points against W.C 27th in the defensive rankings.
For all the flash they showed in winning four championships, it was the work done on the defensive end that set everything else apart. No other team has had the mental stamina to keep up for so long – you could see it in the finals last year when Celtics Disintegrated, and before that when yelling Memphis Grizzlies I couldn’t find a consistent formula to remove them.
The immunity factor is gone – even if one could claim that the Intimidators left the building when Durant left a few years ago, there was still an added charm when the Warriors came to your building.
Champions usually get the opponent’s best shot anyway, but it was born out of a respectful fear of embarrassment — that Curry might unleash a series of threes, touches, and bashful smiles, so that Thompson faces the man in front of him stoned in the night, all while dining on shots. Open, and Green will field the full 12-man roster at uncharacteristic stretches.
Usually, the combination of two plus something extra will be the formula and the Warriors can continue their road trip to another stop. The Warriors may not be food yet, but other foams are gathered to help – all with the knowledge that Curry is capable of delivering 50 ball.
The more Curry continues to deliver these sterling performances and opponents find a way to absorb body shots to deliver their own knockouts, the more confident the NBA in general will be in believing there is a formula for knockout champions.
All modern dynasties have had to start tough conversations to keep them going and give them new life. For Showtime’s Lakers, it was unleashing Magic Johnson and shortening Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – after three championships under the previous formula, no less. The Magic won three MVPs in the next four years, the Lakers won two more titles and did their best to bide their time catching Abdul-Jabbar.
The Celtics’ Larry Birds had to replace the hard-driving Bill Fitch with the more soulful lady, even after Fitch led the Celtics to a title in 1981. Bird’s off-season and seasonal habits improved greatly, and he went on a run of three straight MVPs and four consecutive finals.
Of course, Michael Jordan bulls He went from hating Dennis Rodman to fully embracing, giving Rodman a second colored act in the second of three peats. History says these were easy decisions, but in real time, they were all risks.
until the San Antonio Spursthe team’s latest dynasty — not counting James’ conference dominance in the past decade — had to change from a grinding style centered around Tim Duncan to more spacing, driving and kicking, and room for others to cook.
See, even New Edition has added Johnny Gil to the mix.
And it’s certainly easy to blame young players who didn’t live up to expectations, players who, in almost any other NBA situation, would have the runway to make mistakes on the fly because the stakes aren’t that high.
James Wiseman has barely played enough real-time competitive basketball over the past few years to contribute to a high-octane, fast-moving environment, let alone succeed in this compact void created by the Warriors.
He played three college games, missed half of his rookie season and didn’t play at all last season. His memories of dominating the competition date back to his bland high school days, and that simple race doesn’t carry over. Curry just wants him to run into the ball screens and move with purpose.
Musa Modi And the Jonathan Cuminga They have increasing roles, but they can’t be catalysts for transformation, so the pressure is tenfold because everyone knows any outside help will require their exit.
Warriors can sell veterans and young players alike to sacrifice in order to win. But for young players who know the spoils of team success but not individually, it is human nature to desire self-affirmation rather than to selfishly wallow in the team dynamic.
Because you already win.
And while it’s easy to argue that the Warriors will turn it around on their own, no one can ignore the stark warning signs calling for fundamental change.
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