Steph Curry must prove he can carry the Warriors without Klay Thompson.
This is a big season for Steph Curry. Because while Klay Thompson going down was a devastating blow to both the NBA and the Warriors, Golden State remains all-in when it comes to being committed to winning.
And if they are going to do so, Curry is going to have to carry them. The way we’ve seen LeBron James do with many lesser rosters, including all the way to the NBA Finals.
We’ve even kind of seen a guy like James Harden do it during his time in Houston, albeit to a lesser degree. While Chris Paul just got the Oklahoma City Thunder to the playoffs.
Now I’m not saying Curry needs to dominate the ball in order to accomplish this. That’s just not the way Golden State plays, which has led to much success for them by the way. Plus, in the past, Curry has been the best player on both a championship and 73-win team. Not to mention someone who transformed the game. Curry at his best is near the top of the list of most special players I’ve seen.
But if he wants to get back into the conversation when it comes to still being elite, and continue to elevate himself in the all-time NBA hierarchy, the Warriors cannot fall flat this season. Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, Kelly Oubre, James Wiseman and others aren't exactly what I would call a great supporting cast, but it also ain’t bad. Assuming their point guard is an MVP level player.
Curry once appeared to be the heir apparent to James when it came to being the face of the NBA. However, LeBron continues to reign. While it’s been a minute since Curry has entered a year without a stacked squad, excusing last season.
This Warriors team is a perfect chance for Steph Curry to send the league a reminder about who he is. But if they falter, the focus may instead turn to people pointing out what he isn’t.