Most fans and NBA analysts believe that Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors aren’t title contenders anymore after the team has been gutted this offseason. Kevin Durant is gone and so is veteran swingman Andre Iguodala.
To make matters worse, Klay Thompson will be sidelined for most of the season as he’s still recovering from an ACL tear he suffered in Game 6 against the Raptors. Thus, Stephen Curry is expected to carry hard in the upcoming season, which will also be complicated as coach Steve Kerr will undoubtedly want to ease the load of the sharpshooter to avoid injuries.
But the Warriors aren’t worried. Thompson himself recently said that it’s “ignorant” to count the Dubs out, adding that D’Angelo Russell will “blossom into a superstar” amidst the roster’s shakeup. Stephen Curry holds a similar sentiment with regards to the Warriors being the underdog.
“We don’t need any extra motivation, I don’t either,” Stephen Curry said regarding the naysayers who have come out of the woodwork and is casting doubt on the Dubs. “This year you can almost say we were playing with house money because we won championships and we were the hunted but now we get to go back to hunting.”
Co-creator of “Stephen vs. The Game” Gotham Chopra also told NBC that the 31-year-old is relishing his role of being the underdog. And all the criticism might be a blessing in disguise for the Warriors as Stephen Curry is no longer being put on a pedestal. While superstars like him have developed an ability to mute out the outside noise, there’s no denying that some of it are passing through.
But with the Warriors no longer the dynasty that they once were, the pressure of meeting all the expectations of fans and critics have considerably diminished too. This might be dangerous for the league as a loose Stephen Curry is a formidable opponent to go up against, case in point his performance during the team’s 2016 run.
Of course, this isn’t set in stone just yet, and everything may fall apart for the Warriors for all we know. It’s still unclear how Russel is going to fit in with the team. And the Warrior’s defense is no longer what it once was as Iguodala is now gone. Sure, Green is still there to shore up that hole, but defense isn’t a one-man job. Willey Cauley-Stein and Kevon Looney might provide some relief in this regard. But again, it’s still anyone’s guess how the new Warriors under the leader of Stephen Curry will shape up. Add the fact that the Clippers and Lakers also have a scary roster on the floor and the Warriors’ journey becomes even more arduous.
