Warriors vs. Lakers
The 2023-2024 NBA regular season is over, the play-offs are in full swing, and the much-anticipated playoffs are just around the corner. On the first day of the play-offs, the four powerhouses in the Western Conference, the Lakers, the Pelicans, the Kings and the Warriors, fought fiercely against each other's opponents. The Purple and Gold narrowly beat New Orleans to advance to the playoffs and will face defending champion Nuggets in the first round. The Warriors defeated the Kings to become the first team to go out of the playoffs this season. As a giant in the NBA, the Warriors have been eliminated early.
The Warriors dynasty collapsed! Kerr and Curry's contracts will expire at the same time! Where do Klay and Paul go from here?
In the playoff contest against the Kings, the Warriors were at a disadvantage in all aspects. The Warriors, who were almost overwhelmed by their opponents, finally lost to Sacramento by 24 points. The Warriors, with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green as the core, have reached the Finals for many years in a row and won the NBA championship 4 times. The Golden State Legion is arguably one of the best dynastic teams in league history, and their performances have conquered opponents and countless fans.
Curry, Klay and Green are the founders of the Warriors dynasty
Statistics show that this is the first time that the Warriors have missed the playoffs when Curry, Klay, and Dream are all healthy. This also means that the Warrior Dynasty has completely collapsed. The performance of the Warriors' three giants, Curry, Klay and Green, was not ideal. Curry scored 22 points, had a game-high six turnovers, had a plus/minus of -21, and was also stolen and blocked by Kings junior Ellis on multiple occasions. Klay shot 0-of-10 from the field and 0-of-6 from three-point range, scoring no points and committing one turnover. Green had 12 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and 3 turnovers, with a plus/minus of -22, the second-lowest in the game, and he had no sense of presence on the court. Curry, Green and Klay combined for just 12 goals and 10 turnovers. The Big 3 were in a slump at the same time, and the Warriors were defeated.
The Warriors defeated the Kings and went out of the play-in tournament
Statistics show that the Warriors have played a total of 3 play-off games, with a cumulative 0-3 loss, making them the first team in history to lose 3 games in the play-offs. Competitive sports are brutal, and even more so in the NBA league. The glory will always pass, and the dynasty will eventually come to an end. The Warriors spent $382.5 million on building their roster this season. Among them, the player's salary is 205.6 million, and the luxury tax is 176.9 million. The Golden State Legion has the highest salary in the league this season, and their roster is nothing short of luxurious. As the team that has paid the most luxury tax this season, the Warriors missed the playoffs early. It seems that the Warriors are really starting to rebuild.
Warriors Curry, Green and Klay
After the end of the season, the Warriors' Curry and coach Kerr also became the first members of the 12-man U.S. men's basketball team + coach to prepare for the Paris Olympics. According to previous reports, the 12-man roster of the U.S. men's basketball team is as follows: James, Durant, Curry, Embiid, Tatum, Booker, Holiday , Thick Eyebrows, Edwards, Adebayo, Haliburton, Leonard.
Notably, Curry had a season-high record of seven turnovers in the previous game. The decline in Curry's athletic form can be seen from this. As the most outstanding sharpshooter in NBA history, Curry is probably no longer at his peak.
Curry with Warriors head coach Kerr
As one of the highest-paid head coaches in the NBA, Steve Kerr's contract with the Warriors expires in two years, and he agreed to a two-year, $35 million early contract extension with the Warriors in February this year. As a result, Kerr's contract will expire with Curry (at the end of the 2025-26 season). This also means that the Warriors will most likely continue to use Kerr as the head coach and Curry as the core of the rebuild. However, Kerr's coaching has been controversial. The aging of the squad made it impossible for Kerr to continue to rely on his previous skills and tactics to achieve victory. The good news is that both Kuminga and Moody have made huge progress, and both of the young players mentioned above can be extended early (both have team options for the 2024-25 season). In the future, Curry, Kuminga and Moody will be important members of the Warriors' return to the playoffs.
Klay shot 0-of-10 from the field and 0-of-10 from the playoffs or play-in tournaments, the worst single-game shot in Warriors history since 1964 (the most shots made of 0). Klay has made only 10 of 60 shots in the last four games on the verge of elimination, and the key games have completely failed. Klay had a puzzling smile on his face after the Warriors opted for early defeat after they replaced the bench. Before leaving, Clay even stopped and looked around the arena for a week, and his loneliness was overflowing. The G6 soup god who frightened opponents in the past has disappeared from everyone.
Klay, Curry and Green
The Athletic, a well-known sports outlet, wrote: "This is the last time we see Curry, Klay and Green (all three of whom have been with the Warriors for 12 years) wearing Warriors jerseys at the same time?" Klay is on a $43.22 million contract this season and will become a free agent this summer. It is unknown what the future holds for Clay. However, both Curry and Green supported Klay during the interview, believing that the Warriors would prioritize a contract extension with Thompson.
Clay didn't score in a crucial game
Chris Paul, the Warriors' backcourt giant, has no presence in this game. Facing the old master, Paul shot 1 of 3 in this game, and only got 3 points, 1 rebound and 2 assists. One of the best point guards in NBA history, Paul is currently at the end of his career. After 19 years in the NBA, Paul has not won a championship. This season, Paul averaged 9.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game, and his stats shrank significantly.
Clay & Paul
Paul's $30.8 million contract expires this season and his $30 million contract for next season is non-guaranteed. As the Warriors' most important offseason signing, Paul didn't help the Warriors achieve their goals. Paul may no longer be on the Warriors' future plans, but where will he go from here?