3 Things That Need to Go Right for The Warriors to Reclaim Their Throne
Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole - CBS SF
With the playoffs kicking off last weekend, I must admit, my confidence in the Warriors winning a championship has dropped from 110% to about 65%.
The Golden State Warriors hosted their first playoff game since the 2019 playoffs against the Denver Nuggets last Saturday at Chase Center. The Warriors finished the season 53-29 after struggling down its final stretch without their star point guard, Stephen Curry. The future Hall of Famer had been out since March 16th and aimed for a Game 1 return. Down the final stretch of the season, it was apparent how vital Curry is to the Warriors’ success. The Golden State Warriors dominated from the 2nd quarter, taking control of the offensive mismatches on the floor and taking advantage of Jordan Poole’s day of reckoning. Steph’s foot injury is a huge question mark, and our lack of interior presence causes me to roll back my expectations and not feel as confident as I was to start the season off. BUT, and I do mean BUT, I believe there is a chance for us to reclaim our spot on top of the NBA world if these three things go our way… and God, I hope they do.
Steph Curry VS Nuggets - CBS Sports
The Health of Steph Curry
“Jabari, you just said this is one of the main reasons you think you won’t win the title.” Yes, I know. BUT, this is truly my number one concern and why my confidence has fallen. Steph Curry is the best point guard of all time (which I will talk about in a future project), and his mere presence on a basketball court affects the way the Warriors play basketball and how teams defend the Warriors. Unfortunately, his presence won’t be enough. Steph will have to be on the top of his game upon returning. Statistically, this is Curry’s worst shooting year averaging 43% from the field, 38% from three, and averaging 25.5 points a game, per espn.com. Steph will have to be more efficient with his shot-making during this playoff stretch. It is a lot to ask for from someone who hasn’t played basketball in a little over a month, but if there is one person that can do it, it is the greatest shooter of all time.
Andrew Wiggins - USA Today
Andrew Wiggins Can Not Be Harrison Barnes 2.0
Harrison Barnes will always have a special place in my heart because of his contributions to our first championship and the best regular season of basketball I have ever seen. With that being said, Barnes' performance in the 2016 playoffs and especially the NBA finals of that year had me wanting to punch a hole in my room walls, and Andrew Wiggins has given me the same feelings since the All-Star break. Since the break, Wiggins averaged 13.8 points in February, which was his least productive month since November 2014, and averaged 14.8 points in March, with his shooting percentages falling to 40.7% from the field and 27.9% from distance. If Wiggins can get back to how he was performing before the all-star break, he can be the saving grace on nights when Curry, Thompson, Poole, or Draymond don’t have it going.
Jordan Poole
Jordan Poole Must Continue to Show Why He’s the Most Improved Player
Jordan Poole not only has been the most prominent bright spot of this season but has validated the reason why I told my peers (KAM AND JORELL) that I was excited that we drafted him. Poole, who spent a lot of last season in the G League, has shown why he belongs in the league and will be a pivotal part of the Warriors’ championship run this season and in the future—averaging 18.5 pts on 44.8% shooting from the field and 36% from three, per ESPN.com. But what has been most impressive is what Poole has done since Steph went down in mid-March. Since then, Poole has averaged 25.8 points per game, which is a huge reason the Warriors were able to keep the 3rd seed in the West. Fulfilling the scoring and primary ball handler role with Steph being out and Andrew Wiggins in a slump, Poole has shown to be a reliable third-scoring option once Steph returns. To add to his impressive run, Poole has had 18 games (with 17 of them being consecutive) of 20 or more since the start of March. If Jordan Poole can continue this hot streak and be a reliable scorer who can create his shot, the Warriors will have one of the best offenses in the NBA playoffs.
