When the Suns quietly after eight consecutive wins, they have already opened a gap with the Warriors, perhaps most people think that the Suns themselves are stable, in the absence of role players such as Ayton and Crowder, there are always players like Smith and Biyombo who are about to fade out of the league to give the Sun hope again. This is on the one hand, it is also a fact, but in fact, the gap between the Warriors and the Suns has been opened, mainly because the Warriors themselves, we can understand that the original Sun and the Warriors are two athletes on the same track, in the past, the frequency and pace of both sides were the same, and now the Warriors have dropped the chain.
There are, of course, a number of reasons for this, as Curry was in the slump during the month of January. In the last four games, Curry has shot 28.6%, 25.0%, 43.8% and 50.0% from the field. Curry's three points are 4 out of 13, 1 out of 13, 2 out of 10, 6 out of 10, the facts are in front of us, we don't need to argue. There's also Green's absence, without Green, Curry's power on the offensive end has been affected, he's lost a quality blocker, he's lost a great partner, and those are the reasons. But in my opinion, the comeback of Clay is the most important!
Klay's return after 931 days is certainly good news for the Warriors, the fans have waited for him for three years, fans, teammates, management, etc. are very and desperately eager for Klay's return. But in fact, Klay's return has somewhat disrupted the Warriors' position, the Warriors' original role players are running in, Kerr has been looking for a more suitable partner for Curry, from Poole to Peyton Jr. to Porter, Kerr is constantly experimenting, and when Clay returns, everything becomes disorganized. More critically, the team needs to share the ball with Clay, which is natural, and the Warriors can also accept it, but the problem is in Clay himself, because he has not adapted to this high-intensity game for a long time, Clay can't quickly get back to his form, the outside line is inaccurate, and even a voice says: "If Kerr is sincerely good for the Warriors, then put Clay off the bench!" ”
Cole did not do this, he chose to continue to expect, so Clay did not live up to Cole's expectations, more worthy of the fans' waiting. After missing two games against the Rockets and Jazz, Klay made a comeback in the Warriors' home game against the Lone Ranger, and this time Klay has obviously improved. The first point is that Clay is more clear about the tactical running changes, returning to play the Cavaliers in the first game, Clay even appeared to run heavily with Curry, but these phenomena did not exist after this game. The second point is that Clay has become more familiar with the other players, the players communicate with each other + the role players are willing to be green leaves, and they are familiar with Clay at the same time, Clay also understands them. The most important point is that Clay's outside form is back. Playing the Lone Ranger shot 6-of-12 from the field, 3 of 5 from three-point range, 15 points, 2 rebounds and 6 assists; Against the Timberwolves, Klay shot 9-of-16 from the field, 5-of-9 from three-point range, 23 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists.
15 points + 23 points + 8 three-point stats, this is the "bill" that Clay has handed over in his last two games. Although there is still this gap with the peak Clay, the minimum state is increasing and converging. In today's game against the Timberwolves, Curry scored six three-pointers and Klay scored five three-pointers, which was the 36th time that both of them hit at least five three-pointers, a full 16 more than the second-time combination in history. Everyone waited for three years, including Clay himself, and Clay fulfilled his promise, he was dressed in armor and his back was shining with light, and the king returned!