You knew it was happening.
The Golden State Warriors were blown out on national television against the Los Angeles Clippers last week. And this past Saturday, the Warriors were again blown out by the young Oklahoma City Thunder. If you're an avid Twitter, it was as if the apocalypse was amongst us.
But alas, the Warriors were not moved. Draymond Green understands that this Warriors team is young and revamped. To put it nicely, he doesn't think they are very good.
And after the Warriors first win Monday night against the New Orleans Pelicans, Steph Curry was wondering why the media wrote them off, when they knew the situation at hand?
“Everybody loves to label you when you're down or when you're losing,” Curry said. “That's easy. It's easy to get on TV and say whatever you want. It's easy to just throw darts at a team that's trying to figure it out based on how much success we've had.
The Warriors aren't oblivious. They know this season will be one where they will have to work harder than in years past. Kevin Durant isn't walking into the chase center to be a walking bucket. Klay Thompson won't be back any time soon.
However, they aren't hitting the panic button the way the internet has done. And maybe, we shouldn't either.
Just remember, the Warriors still have Green, Curry on the floor and Steve Kerr as a coach. Together, along with Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, and Thompson, built the NBA dynasty the entire league had to adapt to. Their pace-and-space ethos and culture for joy made children who enjoyed basketball also enjoy teamwork.
Yes, the Warriors made the three-point shot apart of nearly every team's arsenal. But they also brought joy to the game that teams from high school to pros have tried to copy. The basis of this blueprint, we must remember, is still there.
Culture always outlasts strategy in the end. Green's comments from the Pelicans post-game, he reminded his revamped team to don't forget they are nowhere near as a good a team as previous Warrior teams.
“The reality is we fucking suck right now…We just not that good right now. I don’t know what better way to frame it. I can try in Spanish, but I ain’t really that good at Spanish.”
Draymond Green: “The reality is we fucking suck right now…We just not that good right now. I don’t know what better way to frame it. I can try in Spanish, but I ain’t really that good at Spanish.” pic.twitter.com/itJIROvLG1
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) October 27, 2019
High expectations are always great, and the Warriors core have them. But they also know they aren't there yet and aren't throwing the season away. As Green stated, they aren't that good right now. The Warriors are ironing out the kinks as Curry stated, and this is something the general consensus knows.
But this is primarily why we should pump the breaks on attempting to write off Golden State. They have the self-awareness to see they aren't the 2015 Warriors. And they also see it's a process. While Green is blunter with his assessment, it's more of a sign of high expectations that Green is putting on his new Warrior teammates to get accustomed to.
In the end, episodes like this usually work itself out. Kerr found a way to get Kevin Durant to mesh with their system. It will only be a matter of time before Russell will intertwine within the Warriors system, too. The Warriors are a work in progress, and we should relax and let the NBA's dynasty of the 2010s decade take care of it.
Follow Us
Subscribe