“Draymond ultimately will be back, Klay ultimately will be Klay” - Stephen A. Smith not worried about the Golden State Warriors
Some might say that the Golden State Warriors are in a rut right now, losing 2-4 in their last six games. Famous sports analyst Stephen A. Smith believes that the Warriors will ultimately be fine, and has blamed the recent struggles on Draymond Green’s absence and Klay Thompson still settling in to the team.
Smith spoke on ESPN's NBA Countdown show before the Golden State Warriors faced off against the Chicago Bulls. He went on to mention various Warriors players and how they factored in to the team's recent struggles.
“The fact of the matter is Draymond ultimately will be back, Klay ultimately will be Klay, James Wiseman will be back in the mix. If you have to worry about anything, okay I will worry about Steph Curry actually winning league MVP.”
The Warriors are still one of the best teams in the NBA, having the second-best record in the league at 31-11. Much of it was because of their hot start to the season and how well Stephen Curry played. Curry’s recent struggles have hampered the Warriors in recent times, over his last 5 games he is shooting 37,0% from the field and 28.9% from beyond the arc.
RT this, you know why.
#StephenCurry || #NBAAllStar https://t.co/CHP1VtCMfB
Even teams as good as the Warriors need their critical pieces on the floor to consistently win games in the NBA. Just look at their last two seasons where they failed to make the playoffs twice in a row.
It is understandable that a run of poor results should come as a consequence of Curry's dip in production during his recent outings and Green being out due to injury. Not to mention Thompson is still yet to truly find his feet since making his return to the basketball court.
Should Smith still have faith in the Golden State Warriors
On the surface, Stephen A. Smith's take on the Warriors is correct, their recent record suggests that they are in a bit of a slump right now. But considering the fact that they just beat the Chicago Bulls by a 42-point margin, they may already be getting back to their early-season form. If anything, this win suggests they could only get better when Thompson is back at full speed and James Wiseman returns.
The @warriors bounce back with a big road win behind Jonathan Kuminga's efficient scoring night!
Jonathan Kuminga: 25 PTS, 3 AST, 3 BLK
Jordan Poole: 22 PTS, 5 AST, 5 3PM
Andrew Wiggins: 21 PTS, 4 REB, 6 AST https://t.co/g1ERaj1jNm
Players such as Andrew Wiggins have contributed well to the team this season. he is playing like an All-Star, averaging 18.6 points and 4.3 rebounds. The Warriors also have a deep bench, with role players who are able to fill in when there are injuries and COVID issues. Johnathan Kuminga is one such player and his recent 25-point outing during the team's 138-96 win against the Bulls, proves just that.
The Golden State Warriors are still one of the best teams in the league through their coaching, playing style and roster. The Warriors hold the second-best record and will look to clinch the number one seed in the West as time goes on. Although they are missing key players right now, the whole league will be on notice once they are back at full strength.