Subscribe
Follow Us
The Golden State Warriors have looked dominant in the playoffs despite some of their key players being sidelined due to injuries. DeMarcus Cousins has been out since the first round while Kevin Durant hasn't played since the Western Conference semi-finals.
Still, the Dubs seem to have no problems playing without them, as they swept the Portland Trail Blazers in the conference finals and advance to the championship round for the fifth straight year. Warriors general manager Bob Myers is proud of what his team has accomplished in the postseason so far.
In an interview with San Francisco Chronicles' Ron Kroichick, Myers said advancing to the NBA Finals despite the injuries to Durant and Cousins speaks volumes on the team's championship pedigree.
Article Continues Below“Kevin picked up the slack while we weren’t competing at our best level for the first two rounds, and then to see his teammates respond like they did, and now provide an opportunity for him and DeMarcus to come back, there’s a team component there. It becomes harder and harder to keep the fabric of the team together these days. Everybody wants to write about the star of the movie instead of the supporting cast and director and producer. There’s a lot of people who go into making anything succeed or fail. But to see people get credit, outside the ones who are usually getting it, and to see a connectedness. … Some people would assume you lose a guy like (Durant) and you don’t survive it. But to see them respond to that challenge, it’s really a testament to their fabric, the way Steve (Kerr) believes in them and guys stepping up. To get here has been an achievement on its own in some ways.”
With the absence of both KD and Boogie, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green stepped up big time for the Warriors. A lot of people says their recent play is reminiscent of the Golden State team that won the championship back in 2015. Myers said that the injuries gave the trio more responsibility on both ends of the floor, and he's glad that they responded well to the challenge.
“They had to, right? You gotta win, and they know how to win. … It’s OK, sacrificing doesn’t have to be a bad word. I think sacrificing for the team is a compliment to anyone. So now there was a moment when we needed more from them, and they stepped into it. Maybe there are moments when we need less, and that’s OK. It doesn’t have to be bad or good. If you keep winning, you don’t have to label it anything short of winning.”
The Warriors will face the Toronto Raptors in a best-of-seven series for the NBA title. Durant has already been ruled out for Game 1 while Cousins is listed as questionable. But with or without those guys, expect Golden State to be at their best as they attempt to win their third straight championship.
Game 1 of the series will be on Thursday in Toronto.
