Curry, Green Stinking the Joint to Spite Kerr, Resist Change in Dying Warriors Dynasty?
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 21 Dec 2024
The Golden State Warriors suffered their most shameful loss in memory by coming down to a 50 points plus debacle to the resurgent Memphis Grizzlies, 144-93 at the Fedex Forum arena in Memphis, Tennessee.
It was the Warrior's eighth loss in the last ten games putting them in a free fall in the West where they are now at 10th spot from a high of second place two weeks after the start of the new season.
What made the defeat more galling was that Steph Curry scored just two points on 1-9 field goal shooting including 0-8 from three points territory. Fellow old timer Draymond Green laid a big fat triple egg in scoring, rebound and assist.
It was a sorry, gory way to welcome new addition, guard Dennis Schroeder who nevertheless still posted a decent 5 points, 5 assists and 2 rebounds in 22 minutes of action.
The latest defeat has prompted the question - Are Curry and Green intentionally playing sub par and practically stank the joint against Memphis to spite Warriors' head coach Steve Kerr and as a not too subtle protest against his plan to rebuild the team?
With Golden State giving up Klay Thompson to Dallas for virtually nothing, the expectation has been that main remnants Curry and Green will step up more to carry the cudgels for a Warriors team seen as going the way of a dying dynasty.
But that could only be among the short term objectives of coach Kerr. In fact, Kerr has been giving more exposure to other Warriors particularly the younger, relatively newer sets in a move that can be interpreted as preparatory to their eventual take over the team from the aging super duo.
Kerr's intention has become more and more obvious especially to Curry and Green as Kerr has used more and more players from his bench leading Curry to complain about an extended lineup that he claimed made it hard for the starters, meaning him and Green to establish their rhythm.
This sentiment was expressed by Curry even as he praised his former coach Ime Udoka who is successfully implementing an extended lineup in turning around the fortunes of the rebuilding Houston Rockets from an also run team to one that is seriously gunning for a playoff spot at least in the West.
The dig on Kerr is more profound than what is obvious in Curry's praise of Udoka: Houston is a team which building is still in progress justifying Udoka's maximizing his bench to give exposure and experience to as many Rockets in order to come up with sets of players who can consistently deliver as the season rolls on.
Curry and Green do not believe Golden State is on the same stage. The two are proud players who believe that they can still shepherd the flock to the promise land so to speak despite failures the past two seasons to advance even beyond the first round of the playoffs.
Curry in particular has been collecting individual honors for himself this season and that could have only accentuated his self worth.
But basketball has never just been about a great player. Or about a clutch of good players.
It is about a whole team.
Kerr knows that too well having come from a six time championship dynasty at Chicago himself.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
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