NBA analyst on what Steph Curry’s absence means for Warriors: “Warriors without Steph has been a blessing in disguise”
Steph Curry has been unavailable for the Golden State Warriors since Dec. 15 due to a labral injury to his left shoulder, but that hasn't hindered the team. Despite losing their star player, the Warriors have had a resurgence.
On Monday night, the Warriors (20-18) won their season-best fifth straight game, topping the Atlanta Hawks 143-141 for a tough double-overtime win. The victory was thanks to the efforts of Klay Thompson, who scored 54 points, including ten 3-pointers. Kevon Looney, who had 20 rebounds and a game-winning putback, was outstanding as well.
WNBA All-Star Chiney Ogwumike broke down the details:
"This without Steph has been a blessing in disguise for the Warriors," Ogwumike said. "If you think about Klay, he's getting more reps, finding his rhythm quicker. If you think about Draymond (Green), they've realized, 'Hey, maybe it's not a guard. That is our secondary facilitator when Steph is out, maybe it's Draymond.' And you see Draymond with commandeering.
"He was really the captain of their offense, and typically the beneficiary is Steph. But in this instance, he's getting everybody going. He's the engine. And so a lot of those questions of how they're gonna try to transition without Steph or Klay, what's the future looking like, they're figuring it out together."
There has been no update as to when the Baby-Faced Assassin will return, however, the team has been able to find a solution in his absence.
Thompson has been excellent in his last four games. He's averaging 34.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists while shooting 46.3%, including 41.7% from the 3-point arc.
Golden State, which is 17-2 at home, will try and keep its streak alive as the Warriors take on the Detroit Pistons (10-30) on Wednesday night.
Also read: Bill Simmons names Steph Curry, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Nikola Jokic into his most fun five in NBA history
The Warriors will be more deadly once Steph Curry returns
The Warriors have been incredible in their past five games, as they've slowly improved their record to 20-18. It's still not enough, though, but their chances of defending their title are increasing. With the way Golden State has been playing, they'll be a bigger threat once Steph Curry returns to the lineup.
Thompson has finally found his rhythm after a sluggish start shooting the basketball. He's back to having his usual 20-point average (20.3 ppg) and has bumped up his efficiency from beyond the arc with 41.2%. With his help, the team still managed to be deadly even with Curry on the sidelines.
Draymond Green is also back to his usual self. In their five-game win streak, the defensive forward has averaged 6.6 points, 11.2 rebounds and 7.6 assists. Green is back defending and facilitating at an elite rate.
With these things in place, Curry's return could make the Warriors unstoppable.
Also read: Steve Kerr confirms Steph Curry is "coming along well" on his quest to return from injury