Will the Golden State Warriors need to rely on Steph Curry again for all of their offense in the 2021-22 NBA season?
Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors will enter the new NBA season with a fully healthy roster, which they haven't been able to say since the 2018-19 NBA finals. Two years on, that's how long the Golden State Warriors have navigated injuries to one or more of their star players.
Last season, Klay Thompson was out for the year due to injury, forcing the Golden State Warriors to rely on the brilliance of their maverick point guard Steph Curry. Of course, Steph Curry obliged and had a borderline MVP. As a result, shooting an insane 42.1% from deep on 12.7 attempts per game. No other player can do it quite like Stephen Curry can.
The non-stop movement, subtle little shoulder feints and an eye-popping quick release, Steph Curry had his full offensive arsenal on display throughout last season as he tried to keep the Golden State Warriors relevant in the Western Conference.
The Warriors with Steph ON the court: 13th best offense this season.
The Warriors with Steph OFF the court: the worst offense by any team in the last 5 seasons. https://t.co/nz5FyqIhh7
This season projects to be a different story for both Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors. Klay Thompson is back from injury, James Wiseman has had a full off-season to develop, and the team added Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga and Jordan Poole is likely improved too.
There's no reason to expect Steph Curry to shoulder such an enormous offensive load for the Golden State Warriors this season. Instead, we hope to see a throw-back to their era-defining ball movement and selflessness, with a clear emphasis on breaking down teams from the three-point line. Heck, even James Wiseman could become a capable three-point shooter.
During the Golden State Warriors' dominant heyday, Steph Curry averaged roughly 18 attempts per game. Last season, that number jumped to a shade below 22 shots per contest. With the roster now healed and raring to go, it makes sense for Steph Curry to scale back his offensive output and look to facilitate some of the team's other scorers.
Steph Curry will always be the Golden State Warriors metronome, their arrow head on offense. But his peek-a-boo brand of off-ball movement is tailor-made to create scoring opportunities for others, and defenses are so focused on keeping track of the NBA's greatest shooters that it's easy for other players to slip through the cracks.
Draymond Green is one of the league's highest IQ players, and his playmaking is going to be integral this year. Klay Thompson will provide additional floor spacing for Wiseman, Kuminga, and Moody to get clear cut opportunities, which should aid their confidence and progression.
Nothing is stopping @KlayThompson when he makes his return 😤 https://t.co/tBPIDHv504
The Golden State Warriors and Steph Curry need the splash brothers to be back to their best this season.
The gravity the pair provide is imperative to the success of the roster's role players. Steph Curry isn't getting any younger and has his own injury history, and expecting him to shoulder such a mammoth load on offense for a second straight season is a recipe for disaster.
Should Thompson re-aggrevate his injury, or pick up slight knocks, the Golden State Warriors can lean on Steph Curry to up his offensive output while his teammate recovers. But if he gets injured, who can the Golden State Warriors rely on while Steph Curry rehabs? Is their young core capable of shouldering the load in their rookie and sophomore seasons? Yeah, I don't think so either.
A new-look roster means a fresh chance to integrate an offensive outlook that features Steph Curry rather than relies on him. At 33-years-old, the master shot maker needs help. Sure, he's capable of leading a team at an elite level, and arguably has another MVP run in the tank, but Steph Curry's longevity in the league relies upon him taking a slight step back.
The Golden State Warriors have a break-in-case-of-emergency option in Steph Curry - they know he can take over the game at a moment's notice if the offense is faltering, or they need a bucket urgently.
Curry, Thompson and Green are the names who made up the core of the dynasty just a few years back and all three remain on the roster today. None of the big-3 relied on athletic games, rather they are all skill based and rely on their ability to read the game better than 95% of their peers. As such, the trio should still find ways to dominate games and pass teams into extinction.
Will the Golden State Warriors need to rely on Steph Curry again for all of their offense in the 2021-22 NBA season? If the roster performs at its optimum level, then no, Steph Curry should be able to play in a slightly reduced role. If there are injuries to key players, or the young guys fail to hit the ground running, then Steph Curry could find himself putting some extra miles on the clock this year.
Either way, Steph Curry is pure box office, irrespective of his offensive load. The Golden State Warriors will lean on him for stretches of games, but now, just like in their prime, there's a roster full of highly skilled players capable of sharing the weight of expectations. All that's left is to see if the dynasty still stands, or if the foundations have begun to truly crumble.
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