After losing to the Raptors, the Warriors' win percentage dropped below 50% to 11th place in the West. Stephen Curry scored nine points on just 2-of-14 shooting, Andrew Wiggins had three and Klay Thompson missed out with an injury, resulting in 133 points at home to their opponents. This game can be said to be a microcosm of the Warriors' entire season, and may even be the last straw that breaks the camel's back. with"Crash"It is probably no exaggeration to describe the current warriors. Curry's form has been inconsistent, Thompson's contract extension has been up in the air, Paul Dream has been sidelined due to injury and suspension, Wiggins has been in serious decline, and Kerr has a disagreement with the young player ......The NBA's most successful team in the last decade really seems to be saying goodbye to the pastStephen Curry, who is about to turn 36, is still at the heart of the team, averaging 271 point 46 assists 46 triads provide a lot of support for the team. But if you look closely at this season's games, you will see that the traces of time have left their mark on him.
Unlike LeBron James and Kevin Durant, Curry has limited height and sheer talent, so as the years wear off, sometimes you get the feeling that the hero may really be getting old. For the past five years, Curry has consistently made at least one three-pointer per game during the regular season, a record that is arguably unique in NBA history. But in the past month, Curry has missed two consecutive three-pointers in a single game, once on 0-of-8 shooting and the other on 0-of-9 shooting. It's not that I want to criticize Curry, but I feel a little emotional, feeling the veteran and time, and feeling that I will also look a little sad. After the loss to the Raptors, Curry said, "Obviously, I have to play better. It's in my nature to go and see where you can do better when things get tough. So I have to stay there and respond in the way I know and we need to pick ourselves up as soon as possible. "With Curry, we never doubt his ability to adjust, and athletes of this calibre, just trust him.
But the Warriors' current predicament, relying on Curry's strength alone, may be too difficult to turn the situation around. One of the three core members of the Warriors dynasty, the two pillars around Curry, Klay and Dream, are both experiencing important career change moments this season. Klein's form has declined since returning from injury, and he has not been able to get the desired contract extension**, and he is a bit stubborn and has been battling with himself and the world. Klay Thompson was lost in ball-handling singles at the start of the season, making frequent irrational offensive choices in a rush to prove that he was still playing at the same high level. This mentality has led to his state going up and down, with his points per game, shooting percentage, and true shooting percentage all dropping to the bottom. In a podcast, he described his current state this way: "After talking to coach Kerr, I relaxed a lot. Sometimes, I forget about my success and my luck, that I was a champion and that I was an All-Star. When you are so desperate to get back to that level, but you find yourself hindered, you feel lost.
I'm enjoying the final stages of my career and I'm lucky enough to be able to keep competing. When an average of points per game still reaches 17When the 33-year-old player with 2 points said the "last chapter", it was inevitably shocking, and then heartbroken. You can feel the pride and happiness of Clay recalling those glorious moments, and you can also feel the loss and helplessness of the present. This is a kind of helplessness that fights against fate but cannot break through. Another Warriors player, Dream Chaser, had a similar expression, having an in-depth conversation with NBA commissioner Adam Shaw during his back-to-back suspension. Dream Chasing told Xiao Hua: "The ban is too difficult for me, I want to retire." I let the Warriors down, I let the NBA, my family, myself and my friends down. ”。I still remember Curry's stunned look when Dream threw that punch at Nurkic. It's as if we're like Curry, and we can't understand what's going on with this season's dreams. In the past month, he has accepted his mentality and should have calmed down a lot, but it is certain that he is still not ready to play.
* When it was revealed that he was returning to the team, the wording was "he still needs a week to find his game form". Dream apparently didn't stay with the team during this time, nor did he continue to train, and he was frustrated with the current situation. So how far will he be able to recover from his comeback?The Warriors' Big Three also has two very important supporting characters next to them, namely Chris Paul and Andrew Wiggins. Chris Paul was getting older, his energy was limited, and his fractures were exacerbating his predicament;And Andrew Wiggins' slump of form this season has left everyone confused. The former No. 1 player who showed amazing prowess against Luka Doncic in the playoffs a year and a half ago has suddenly taken a nosedive. This season, Wiggins has averaged just 119 points 42 rebounds 13 assists, shooting just over 4 percent from the field, and only 29 from three-point range7%, all of which set a new career low for all of the figures.
It's hard to imagine that the highly anticipated talented striker could suddenly hit such a low point at the age of 28 without warning. Even more embarrassing is the fact that this season the Warriors have a net minus of 150 points when Wiggins is on the court, and a net win of 157 points when he's not on the floor. Such a poor performance made it unbearable for head coach Kerr to put him on the bench. Prior to that, Wiggins had been a starter, starting 656 consecutive games, a record that ended this season. Similarly, Chris Paul faced the same fate as the Warriors ended his streak of 1,365 starts. It's not hard to accept as a substitute, but it sends a signal that difficult times are coming. After Wiggins became a substitute, Kuminga, who replaced him in the starting lineup, was not too happy. He said in a previous interview that despite his ability to attack with the ball, he still needs to give the ball to the veteran in this team. This statement has already revealed a sign of unease.
In the game with the Nuggets, Kuminga, who was arranged by Kerr to "not start", completely "broke out". He told ** that he had completely lost faith in Cole and no longer believed that Cole would be able to reach his full potential. And this game became the final blow to add insult to injury. Meanwhile, another potential rookie, Moxie Moody, who joined the Warriors in the same class as Kuminga, also revealed to ** that he was frustrated by his lack of playing time. As a rookie in the lottery, Moody has averaged just 17 minutes per game this season8 minutes, while Kuminga is averaging only 22 minutes per game6 minutes. They all admit that there isn't a lot of playing time like that. And the rookies in their class, including Cunningham, Jalen Green, Barnes, Mobley, Wagner Jr. and Shin Kyung, have all been given the playing time they deserve. Between young players, there is no harm and no gap between the young players. The Warriors dynasty may indeed be coming to an end. From Wiseman to Poole, from Kuminga to Moody, the Warriors don't seem to be kind to newcomers over the years.
Steve Kerr, who stands behind the player, is facing his toughest challenge since taking over the Warriors, and he is being questioned. Objectively speaking, the Warriors have been in a tough situation this season, and Kerr has to bear a fair share of the blame for that. The latest news report says that Cole went to visit Dream after he was banned and shed tears when he saw Dream Catcher, and Dream couldn't help but cry. There seems to be an emotional bond between the two, and this bond has gone through the highs and lows. Cole tells Dream that he hopes Dream will have a good ending. We can't be sure of the truth of this news, but let's assume it's true. Imagine this scene, two middle-aged men looking at each other and crying, no matter how unbearable it is, the moment is heartbreaking. If it weren't for all kinds of pressure, they wouldn't have such emotional catharsis. At the time of Durant's departure, many had said that the Warriors' dynasty was over, but soon Curry took it upon himself to lead the team back to the top. You've been hoping for them all those years because Curry and Klay are in great shape and there's a lot of room for young players to grow.
This time, however, the Warriors' dynasty may really be coming to an end, and they are no longer glorious and faltering. It's hard to convince yourself that the current Warriors roster can reopen the door to a championship, just as you have a hard time convincing yourself that the years you've gone by will come again. Cole and Dream Chase tears seem to be a farewell to the glory days they once spent together, and that is a thing of the past, never to come back.