When the Nets' Big Three recovered their health, the Lakers formed a super Big Three, the Suns, bucks and other teams have risen one after another, compared to the Warriors who have not played in the playoffs for two consecutive years and have not been strengthened by major trades, it seems that they are the protagonists of the new season.
But no one thought that in the case that Thompson had not yet returned, the Warriors had already begun the season, with Curry averaging 28.6 points, 5.7 boards and 6.8 assists per game, 45.6% shooting rate + 41.2% three-point shooting rate of the giant star performance, long at the top of the league record list...
21-22 season: The Warriors played a top record, but were not recognized as having the strength to win the championship
Long before the start of the new season, the Nets, Lakers, Bucks, and Suns were all considered teams with a very good chance of getting involved in the championship. The Warriors, on the other hand, are no longer expected to win the championship because the lineup no longer dominates + can't play in the playoffs for two consecutive years — and even if they have a good record at the beginning of the season, it is still difficult to get unified recognition from the outside world.
The reason for this is mainly due to Durant's departure, which has led to a serious lack of offensive ability in the warriors' key moments. After all, relying solely on Curry's offensive firepower, the Warriors are destined to go far.
Because in the eyes of most people, even if the Warriors currently have a certain chance of reaching the Finals, they have always lacked enough championship competitiveness compared to teams such as the Nets and bucks. Unless the Warriors' management can afford to be able to give up the current immediate combat strength and reintroduce a strong forward who is at its peak to compensate for the biggest weakness in the Warriors' system.
Falling out of the league's first record + Curry can't play the scoring king style, the Warriors are more confident in fighting for the championship?
After the start of the new season, the Warriors have been almost stable in the league's number one position for almost a long time in the first two months. However, since entering December, with the imminent breaking of the all-time three-point record, Curry's personal offensive performance has fluctuated a lot.
Throughout December, Curry only scored 26.0 points, 4.6 boards, 4.1 assists, 38.1% shooting + 35.3% three-point shooting, and the Warriors were also overtaken by the Suns this month, losing the league's first position.
Originally thought to break the three-point record, Curry will definitely be able to pick up in January, playing the style of the past scoring champion on the offensive end, leading the team to become the league number one again. But in the first half of January, Curry's state was still bad - averaging 19.5 points, 6.1 boards, 6.4 assists per game, 35.9% shooting rate + 29% three-point shooting rate...
However, after a period of downturn, the Warriors as a whole have recently returned to the state they were in at the beginning of the season. Since late January, they have beaten the Jazz, Lone Rangers, Nets and other teams to win a nine-game winning streak.
And it is also under the premise of this wave of nine consecutive wins, even if the current Warriors have fallen out of the league's first record, Curry no longer has the same outstanding offensive performance as last season or the beginning of the season, but now the Warriors have been recognized, but they are considered to have a lot of chances to win the championship this year.
So, why is it that when Curry can't play the scoring king style, the Warriors have more confidence to compete for the championship?
1, low open high go - Thompson state recovery, gradually return to the past state. In Thompson's six games back in the new season, the highly anticipated individual performance of averaging only 14.6 points, 2.8 boards and 2.0 assists per game, 36.9% shooting rate + 30.1% three-point shooting rate is far from the performance before the injury.
But just when the outside world thought that Thompson could not return to the peak after injury like Durant on the offensive and defensive ends, Thompson slowly regained his form.
During the Warriors' nine-game winning streak, Thompson averaged 18.6 points, 3.8 boards and 4.0 assists per game, and although the basic data did not change qualitatively, Thompson's shooting efficiency changed qualitatively compared to the previous six games - the shooting percentage rose to 49.1%, and the three-point shooting rate also rose to 44.7%.
Thompson, who returned to normal offensive state, is self-evident in his importance to the Warriors. For example, in the recent Game between the Warriors vs. the Thunder, when the Warriors were unable to determine the victory for a long time, it was Thompson who stood up at the last moment and laid the thunder's defeat with two consecutive three-pointers...
2. On the bench - the play of Poole + Cuminga. The reason why the Warriors have been able to play the league's top record without Thompson since the new season is that Poole has helped the team a lot. But when Thompson returned to the starting lineup and Poole was put on the bench, he was completely lost.
In the first seven games of Thompson's return, Poole averaged 12.4 points, 2.0 boards, 2.7 assists per game, and a personal performance of 33.4% shooting + 25.3% three-point shooting. Compared with his season average of 16.7 points + 44.4% + 34.1% per game, there has indeed been a big decline.
Fortunately, as the season progressed, Poole gradually found his form on the bench. During the Warriors' nine-game winning streak, Poole averaged 17.0 points, 3.8 boards, 4.1 assists per game, 50 percent shooting and 40.3 percent three-point shooting...
And Cuminga, who has been silent for more than half a season, has also ushered in an outbreak in recent times, playing a good personal performance in the game many times. Especially during the Warriors' nine-game winning streak, Cuminga can not only provide the Warriors with a certain defensive intensity, but also average 10.1 points, 3.4 boards, 1.1 assists per game, and a personal performance of 44.4% shooting percentage.
It is precisely because of the excellent and stable personal performance of Cumminga + Pooler on the bench that the Warriors can forcibly stabilize the score and even gain a score advantage when the starting lineup is not playing well, so as to occupy the initiative.
3, not afraid of the high score of the curry, afraid of the no score of the curry. Without more help around him last season, even if Curry averaged 32.0 points per game, he could not lead the Warriors into the playoffs. The reason why the Warriors' record in the early days of the new season is so good is precisely because of Curry's excellent state, which is the main reason why the outside world believes that the Warriors have no chance to win the championship.
Because if the Warriors can only rely on Curry to score and win on the offensive end, then as long as they pinch and defend in the playoffs, so that Curry can't fully play out, then the game has actually won half. So no matter how well the Warriors are in the new season, as long as they rely too much on Curry, it will be difficult for them to win the championship.
Fortunately, now Thompson's state is back, Poole, Cuminga, Wiggins and others can score steadily, and can also help the Warriors win consecutively in the case that Curry can't play the scoring king state, and this is the warrior's terrible place.
Because as early as the 14-15, 15-16 season, the Warriors had won a championship trophy for two consecutive years with the outstanding performance of the Splash Brothers + rotation lineup. So now that Curry can't play the scoring king state, and the team can still win, this Warriors are more confident in fighting for the championship...