With two Monday Night Football games in Week 7, ESPN's networks had two halftime shows to fill. That's why Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry joined Scott Van Pelt to discuss the upcoming NBA season while the Baltimore Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers enjoyed intermission. As Curry's segment ended, Van Pelt thanked Curry for coming on during halftime. Curry responded, “Absolutely. Go Panthers!” Curry even added a little fist pump. Without missing a beat, Van Pelt said, “Good luck with that.” Curry lost it. Van Pelt lost it. America lost it. It was the laugh the country needed most.

The Panthers are 1-6 and have lost four straight games. On Sunday, the Washington Commanders beat them 40–7. Carolina has given up the most points in the NFL by quite a margin and has already benched its starting quarterback. Now, people wonder if the backup will return to the bench soon. Perhaps the Panthers will eventually get things going. Until then, jokes like this will continue. Hopefully, for Curry and the Warriors sake, the stink of the Panthers doesn't impact their on-court play. Golden State is on a mission to win it all again this season.

What to expect from Steph Curry and the Warriors this season

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While there are plenty of familiar faces alongside Curry and Draymond Green in the Golden State locker room, Klay Thompson is no longer one of them, as he's now a member of the Dallas Mavericks. In Thompson's absence, Kyle Anderson, Buddy Hield, De'Anthony Melton, and Lindy Waters III have joined the Warriors. On paper, Golden State has one of the deepest rosters in the NBA. If the team can use its depth to support star veterans like Curry, then a bounce-back playoff run could be on the table for the Warriors.

Despite going 46-36 last season, the Warriors finished just 10th in the West and saw their campaign come to a close with a loss to the ninth-seeded Sacramento Kings in the Play-In Tournament. However, with this deep roster, Golden State should reach the 50-win mark for the first time since the 2021-22 season. That should be enough to avoid the Play-In Tournament, and depending on who they draw, it could be a tremendous first-round battle.

Curry will do what Curry does. And even without Thompson, the Warriors have plenty of players who can pick up the scoring slack left by his departure. As Golden State does, this team will shoot a lot of threes throughout the season, both in the set offense and in transition. It should be a fun season, and the Warriors could be primed to win it all.