The Golden State Warriors' current record is not very good, they are currently ranked 10th in the West, and considering that teams such as the Jazz are in a bad position, they want to stay in the 9th-10th position in the West, and there is no big problem. However, Stephen Curry and others want to get the fifth championship ring of their careers, which is a bit difficult.
We can see that the Los Angeles Lakers led by LeBron James, and the Phoenix Suns led by Durant, both have a better chance of winning a championship ring this season than Stephen Curry. However, on ESPN's "First Take" program, Stephen A-Smith said that Stephen Curry has a better chance of winning a new championship ring than LeBron James and Durant.
Stephen A. Smith said "I said, I didn't stutter, I'm going to tell you why." "Because I don't think the Lakers shoot well enough, and in the end it's going to be the end result. ”
"When you look at Denver and its scale, when you look at Minnesota and its scale, I look at those guys, I look at Oklahoma City's shooting ability, I look at the Clippers and their offensive lethality. I've seen a lot of teams that could get in the way of the Lakers because the Lakers don't have the ability to shoot. ”
The Los Angeles Lakers have not been doing well this season, and they have not won against the Nuggets in seven times so far last season. The main reason is that the Lakers' offensive endurance is too poor, it's not that the Lakers can't beat the Nuggets, but that LeBron James is old, and they don't have stars who can stand up and continue to score at critical moments.
We can see that when the Lakers play against the Nuggets, they often drop the chain at critical moments. The Nuggets offense won 2-3 consecutive offensive rounds before the Lakers scored once. That's why LeBron James wants the Lakers to get a consistent offensive scorer to complement him.
The Lakers are now taking Dinwiddie, or buying out players, Dinwiddie has personal offensive ability, can organize ability, and defense is also good. However, he has been plagued by injuries. Moreover, D'Angelo Russell's performance was not stable enough. They face defenders from the Timberwolves, Thunder and Nuggets, and they all have easy losses.
Stephen A. Smith also explained why he is not optimistic about Durant winning the championship, saying that he has not been able to break through in the semifinals for so many years after leaving the Golden State Warriors.
Stephen A. Smith said: "I think Phoenix have a bit of a compromise defensively, I can't trust them defensively, and I think that's ultimately the crux of the matter. KD, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, "Deadly **3", no doubt but they need to prove something, and I have to see that. ”
"I'm going to tell you the news, we all know what I think of KD, he's one of the greatest scorers in the history of the sport, a two-time champion, a two-time NBA Finals MVP, he hasn't crossed a semi-final since he left the Golden State Warriors, it's just a fact. ”
After Durant left the Golden State Warriors, the furthest he went in the playoffs, the semifinals, he has not reached the finals or the finals. The Suns' current offensive firepower is indeed quite strong, but the three main players have injury problems. Moreover, their interior line, Nurkic, has been blown up by Draymond Green.
Durant wants to help the Suns win the championship, and can only hope that the defense of other players can improve. However, with the exception of Devin Booker and Durant's defense, the defense at almost all positions is easy to break.
Finally, Stephen A. Smith said that with Stephen Curry's projection ability and the rise of young players Pozzi and Jonathan Kuminga, the Golden State Warriors are still a team with the ability to win championships. Stephen A. Smith believes that the Golden State Warriors can compete with the best teams in the NBA in the playoffs and challenge for the championship again.
"Now we're at the Golden State Warriors. Stephen Curry is still the greatest shooter God has ever created, and we saw it in Saturday night's three-point contest, and that's what he did, and we're already getting started.
"Jonathan Kuminga has elevated his game, his three-point shooting percentage and shooting percentage, he's got that now, and his athleticism is unmatched. Draymond Green upped the ante and defensively they really improved. Klay Thompson came off the bench for the first time in years and scored 35 points. ”
"He's my key, Shannon. Here's why: If you don't have enough size, what do you use to make up for it? Shooting. Because you're forcing the opponent to be smaller, because they can't come out and defend you on the outside. If the Golden State Warriors had Pozzy and Kuminga, if Klay Thompson had elevated to the level of Klay Thompson that we know him in terms of shooting, and he is shooting 37 percent from three-point range this year, we know his career would be better, okay? ”
"But shooters will shoot, and if Klay Thompson finds a shot again, Stephen Curry plays his way, and the brothers shoot their way, it's going to change everything, and I would say it's better. ”
The Golden State Warriors have won 8-2 in the last 10 games. Moreover, this is still in the case of Draymond Green no longer using unconventional moves as often as in the past, which is the most terrifying thing for the Warriors.
The Golden State Warriors' defensive line offense has increased a lot of threat, and now Andrew Wiggins' form is starting to pick up. Their biggest problem, of course, is how to limit the interior led by Jokic, Anthony Davis, Gobert and Towns.
Their defensive line offensive strength is currently arguably in the top five in the league. However, in terms of interior offensive ability, it is estimated to be the bottom five in the league. Moreover, their interior defense is also easy to be blown up.