With the Warriors' 121-101 win over the Grizzlies, the Warriors are now 21-25 in 12th place in the West, 0.5 wins behind the 10th-place Jazz in the West, and the team is still capable of making the playoffs.
The Warriors' starters in this game were Curry, Thompson, Kuminga, Wiggins, Green, Curry got 20 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists, Kuminga 29 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists, and Podzemski 12 points, 14 assists and 0 turnovers.
The Kukupo combo was born, and the Warriors quietly upgraded
The basic plate of the Warriors dynasty is Curry, Thompson, Green's Kuchai Tang combination, this combination helped the Warriors win 4 championships, with Thompson's injury caused by poor form, Green's athleticism declined, and the Kuchai Tang combination was much less powerful than before, which is also the reason for the Warriors' poor performance in the first half.
In this game, Kuminga and Podemski's outstanding performance gave Warriors fans new hope, and the new Kukupo combination could replace Kukuemo to help the Warriors build a new dynasty.
Kuminga scored a team-high 29 points in this game, which was also his eighth consecutive game with 20+, in which Kuminga averaged 25.6 points per game, shooting 65% from two-point range, 56% from three-point range, and 79% from the free throw line. Kuminga has now fully developed his attacking skills, and he can finish the attack in all directions without dead ends.
Curry also scored 20+ in 7 consecutive games, according to statistics, the last time the Warriors scored 7 consecutive 20+ games in a double group was the combination of Curry and Durant 5 years ago, and many fans believe that Kuminga and Curry can lead the Warriors to create miracles.
Podzemski's outstanding performance made the eyes of Warriors fans light up, and it turned out that the Warriors not only have Kuminga, a treasure boy, but also Podemski, a superstar embryo.
In this game, Podemsky had 12 points, 7 rebounds, 14 assists, 2 steals and 1 block, no turnovers, and a plus/minus of +18, the first player on the team to reach or exceed these numbers in NBA history. The 14 assists in a single game also set a new record for the most assists by a rookie in 23 years.
The Warriors are now playing a 2-guard 3-forward lineup so that Curry and Thompson partner in the backcourt, from today's game, Pojemski's partnership with Curry is better, Podemski has excellent organizational skills to pass the ball for his teammates, Podemski also has an excellent overall defensive awareness, and Thompson has the possibility of leaving the Warriors in the future, Podzemski can be on the position smoothly.
Thanks to the performances of young players like Kuminga and Podzemski, the Warriors have recently returned to being a strong team, leading the league in points and offensive efficiency per game and second in assists and shooting percentage per game since Jan. 13. If the Warriors continue with their current staffing and 2 guards and 3 forwards, their results will improve very quickly.
3 forwards and 2 guards create surprises, and the Warriors need to optimize and reorganize
The Warriors' current lineup of 3 forwards and 2 guards can play their own characteristics very well, and the Warriors should be equipped with players in this lineup, and the Warriors are now paying attention to releasing Kuminga's offensive talent, and they will set up pick-and-roll tactics to give Kuminga a chance to attack the basket directly.
In the forward line Green, Wiggins, and Kuminga can rotate well, they can complement each other without giving the opponent a chance to attack in a misplaced position, and they can make up for the lack of interior height of the Warriors with fast movement. The Warriors' defense still relies on Green's command and scheduling, defending the opponent's strongest interior player, and the offense is also the offensive initiation point for teammates to make the ball for teammates in the high position.
Judging from the current configuration of the Warriors, they are obviously short of forward players, such as Saric is not a good candidate for backup forwards, and the guard line is overcrowded, even if Paul recovers, it will not play much role in the current Warriors.
The Warriors' current situation is that there are more guards and fewer forwards, and from a trade point of view, Paul should be traded for a good forward player in order to maintain the depth of the roster.
Goodbye, Paul
Recently, Joseph has been reused, he is younger, his feet are fast, and his defensive awareness is good, so that he can play Curry off the bench, so that Paul is dispensable in the Warriors.
Whether Thompson stays with the Warriors or not, his role in the team is much less than before, and the trend of the Warriors' development shows that Podemski will replace Thompson as the starting guard. Podzemski prefers to pass the ball more as a team, and he and Kuminga often have pick-and-roll combinations, which was also the highlight of the game.
If the Warriors want to improve their performance, they should trade him out if they want to improve their performance, and if the Warriors trade Paul for a forward player like the Nets' O'Neal, Smith, who is an offensive and defensive player, to enrich their forward group, the Warriors' strength will be improved. If the Warriors have enough forwards, the Warriors can play a small lineup of 2 guards and 3 forwards to make up for the lack of height.
The Warriors are now on the right path, Kuminga has proved that he is suitable to be the core of the team with his excellent performance, and Podemski also has room for improvement, and in the future, the Warriors can build a Kukupo combination to replace the past Kuchimo, and the Warriors can build a new dynasty. Fans, what do you think about this?