Everyone loves a winner. It’s a harsh reality, but it’s true. Whether you love them or hate them, the Golden State Warriors are winners. They lead the NBA in points, field goal percentage, assist and 3-point field goals made. In addition they also set the NBA record with 54 straight home wins and 34 road wins; while individually, Steph Curry set the NBA record with 392 3 point field goals made while Draymond Green set a new Golden State Warrior franchise record with 13 Triple doubles.
After the regular season, the reigning NBA Champs finished the with a 73-9 record, breaking the past record for most wins with 72 held by the 1995-96 Chicago bulls. Ironically enough, the Head Coach of that Bulls team was the one and only Phil Jackson, who is now brilliantly leading the Knicks, and on the team was Steve Kerr, the current Head Coach of the Golden State Warriors. Of course I have to give Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman shout-outs on that historic team.
Anyway, whether you follow the NBA, or just get stuck watching games to try to impress your boyfriend with your love of sports, it’s pretty easy to jump on the Warrior Bandwagon. Is that necessarily a bad thing? Some will say yes, but if you are just looking to watch some good team basketball with exciting players and an amazing culture, then I’d point you in the direction of the Warriors.
Now going into the post season, their leader, reigning NBA MVP, and ascribed “greatest shooter” in NBA history, Stephen Curry, has gone down in Game 4 of the postseason with a sprained right MCL. The Warriors won the 1st round of playoffs against the Houston Rockets taking Game 5, with a 114-81 victory as Curry cheered enthusiastically from the bench. Klay Thompson truly went off with 7 for 11 from the 3 finishing with 27 points; ultimately the team's strength and composure allowed for the Warriors to outscore the Rockets in every quarter, ending in not only a victory but a blowout. Individual performances from Thompson, Iguodala and Green as seen in the past few games have also been exemplary, and the leadership will carry over as the team progresses.
Similarly to the situation with the Warriors; after Game 4, both Blake Griffin and Chris Paul were announced to be out for the rest of the postseason. Griffin “aggravated a left quadriceps injury” while Paul fractured his right hand and had to undergo surgery. Both are major losses for the Clippers and definitely make things interesting for the rest of the post season, as they finish playing the Portland Trail Blazers to move on in the finals.
The Golden State Warriors are set to play in the conference semifinal round of the playoffs, which are sure to be exciting; especially considering the unavoidable injuries that continue to change the fate of many teams. As for the Warriors, despite popular belief, I think they have proven to be a strong and cohesive team that will be able to hold the fort down while Steph recovers, and hopefully give Golden State fans another exciting post season.
Get better Steph. #DubNation
