Stephen A. Smith believes Stephen Curry can be Chris Paul’s kryptonite: “Steph Curry ain’t trying to run a team, Steph Curry is pulling up from 40, that’s a problem for CP3”
The Golden State Warriors had plenty to celebrate Monday night after a spectacular 126-112 win over the Washington Wizards.
Stephen Curry scored 47 points with six rebounds and six assists.
But more importantly for the long term, Draymond Green returned after being out for two months with a back injury.
Green, out since Jan. 9, had an immediate impact, scoring six points with seven rebounds and seven assists and a box plus/minus of plus-24 in 20 minutes.
All told, Monday marked the first time in 1,005 days since Curry, Green and Klay Thompson played together on an NBA court.
After the game, Green talked about the Warriors' championship aspirations:
"Obviously the two seed (in the Western Conference) will be great, but we're not chasing it. .. Whether we're two seed or three seed, we're gonna win the championship."
On ESPN's "First Take," Stephen A. Smith reacted to Green's return and his postgame comments:
"Happy to see him back. I hope he stays healthy. I'm praying he stays healthy, because my championship prognostications for the Golden State Warriors is contingent on everybody, including Draymond Green, being healthy."
Smith put the Golden State Warriors above the Phoenix Suns in the West:
"CP3 (Chris Paul) is phenomenal in his own right ... but if there's one person that could arguably be his kryptonite, it is Steph Curry. You know why? Because Steph Curry ain't trying to run the team. Steph Curry's pulling up from 40 (feet). That's a problem for CP3."
The Warriors (47-22) meet the Suns (54-14) on March 30 for the fourth and final time in the regular season, leading 2-1 in the head-to-head matchup.
Golden State's Championship Contention
The case for the Golden State Warriors winning a championship this season is plausible yet elusive. The homegrown Big Three are back, but as has been noted throughout the season, these are not the 2015 Warriors.
Draymond Green came off the bench and had a highlight pass to Klay Thompson, a dime to Stephen Curry and, surprisingly, a 3-pointer within 20 minutes.
Draymond Green’s first possession back is some split cut action that leads to an assist to a Steph Curry 3 https://t.co/r9SwO9Mx2Y
While this may seem to paint a rosy picture, the extent of Green's back injury is unknown. For a championship, the Warriors need to fire on all cylinders. Green needs to return to his pre-injury minutes rotation. Coach Steve Kerr needs to refrain from subbing Klay Thompson out the moment he gets hot. And Stephen Curry needs to do what he had been doing before Green got hurt.
With James Wiseman coming back from the G League soon, if Wiggins, Poole and Kuminga maintain the level they've had all season, the Warriors might win it all.