The Golden State Warriors Don’t Think This Is the End of steve curry at the team

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Stephen Curry Scores 42 Points, Hits 11 3-Pointers in Win Over Pacers | NBA.com

TheThe show in Barclays Center starts when Stephen Curry emerges from the east tunnel 72 minutes before a Monday evening matchup against the Brooklyn Nets. His ensuing warm-up, which has famously become a spectacle over Curry’s 15-year career, brings the lower bowl’s activity to a screeching halt. As Curry twirls left- and right-handed layups alongside Warriors assistant Bruce Fraser, kids, their parents, and everyone in between meander toward the court, transfixed. Five minutes later, Klay Thompson arrives from the same tunnel to a similar reception, looking to shake out of a recent shooting slump.

Eventually, Draymond Green appears, completing the Beatles-like exhibition. By tipoff, coach Steve Kerr will join the trio as he attempts to guide the Warriors out of their recent stretch of mediocrity. For the past decade, that foursome has been the NBA’s most decorated touring act. Thirteen months after Kerr was hired in the spring of 2014, the Warriors brought the Larry O’Brien Trophy back to the Bay for the first time in 40 years. In 2016, they set an NBA record with 73 regular-season wins and then recruited Kevin Durant in free agency and reeled off two more titles.

Two years ago, with Durant out of the picture, this same quartet led the Warriors to 53 wins and an improbable title—their fourth in eight years—cementing their spot in the league’s dynastic lore. This season, however, has steered Golden State in a different direction. Four straight wins have helped the Warriors rediscover some momentum, but they are just 25-25 overall, 10th in the Western Conference. A succession of bad losses and inconsistent play has thrown the limitations of this roster into stark relief and brought this proud dynasty face-to-face with its mortality. Andrew Wiggins, perhaps the Warriors’ second-most important player during the 2022 Finals, has looked like a shell of himself. Chris Paul, acquired last summer for Jordan Poole, has missed the team’s past 15 games after hand surgery. Warriors' Draymond Green return to team facility nears: report | Fox News

Warriors' Draymond Green return to team facility nears: report | Fox News

Before Jonathan Kuminga emerged as a potential franchise cornerstone, he was complaining publicly and privately about playing time. Green has been in and out of the lineup serving suspensions for reckless on-court behavior. And Thompson’s devolving skill set has the team reassessing his role on the roster. Off the floor, the Warriors are still grieving the death of assistant coach Dejan “Deki” Milojevic, who collapsed suddenly during a team dinner last month in Salt Lake City and died of a heart attack the following afternoon. “

Every year has different challenges,” Curry tells me. “This one’s been a lot of stuff that’s kind of uncontrollable. Hits to the family that kind of rocked us, for sure: the tragedy with Deki and all that; injuries; and then with the tease of how the season started, thinking that we had an identity and all that, and we obviously haven’t. So it’s been a challenge for sure, but that’s part of being in this league, honestly. We have, at the core of the team, standards that we have, so just got to embrace it.” As Golden State approached last week’s trade deadline, many around the league wondered how aggressive the front office would be in trying to rescue this team.

Nearly every Warrior has seen their name in trade rumors at some point this season. Would the Warriors move on from Green or Thompson to reconfigure the roster around Curry? Would this deadline mark the official end of the Warriors’ two-timeline plan, in an effort to load up with win-now veterans? Would another team talk itself into trading for Wiggins? If this season represented the end of the Warriors as we know them, then the deadline represented the opportunity to pivot to whatever’s next. Perhaps it’s unsurprising that Golden State stood pat, opting to double down on its Hall of Fame quartet and its belief that those four belong together. Stephen Curry Scores 42 Points, Hits 11 3-Pointers in Win Over Pacers | NBA.com

Whenever the Warriors have found themselves in a bind, the organization has turned toward Curry, Green, Thompson, and Kerr. This roster has its work cut out for it, both this year and beyond. But wherever that path leads, the core characters would like to see it through together. “The conversation’s been—since I got drafted, then Klay and Draymond, since ’15 when we won, until this last one—it’s always been about us trying to figure out the different groups and different supporting cast and the different challenges around us,” Curry says. “And we’ve built this culture, obviously with Steve and Mark Jackson. This is a story that’s still kind of unfolding, and it’s important that we see it all the way through until it’s proven that we can’t win.”

The scene at Barclays Center unfolds as Stephen Curry emerges from the eastern tunnel 72 minutes prior to a Monday night game against the Brooklyn Nets. His renowned warm-up routine, a spectacle developed over his 15-year career, captivates the crowd, bringing a pause to the lower bowl’s activity. As Curry executes layups alongside Warriors assistant Bruce Fraser, fans of all ages gravitate towards the court. Shortly after, Klay Thompson enters to a similar reception, aiming to break free from a recent shooting slump. Finally, Draymond Green completes the trio, resembling a Beatles-like exhibition. By tipoff, coach Steve Kerr joins the group, endeavoring to steer the Warriors out of their recent struggles.

For the past decade, this quartet has been the NBA’s most celebrated touring ensemble. Just thirteen months after Kerr’s hiring in 2014, the Warriors secured the Larry O’Brien Trophy, ending a 40-year drought. Subsequently, they notched an NBA-record 73 wins in the 2016 regular season, followed by the acquisition of Kevin Durant and two more championships. Even with Durant’s departure, the same core group clinched another title two years ago, solidifying their dynasty status.

However, this season has taken Golden State on a different trajectory. While four consecutive victories have provided some momentum, their overall record stands at 25-25, placing them tenth in the Western Conference. Inconsistent performances and significant losses have highlighted the team’s limitations, confronting their dynasty with its own mortality. Key players like Andrew Wiggins and Chris Paul have struggled with form and injuries, while off-court tragedies, such as the passing of assistant coach Dejan “Deki” Milojevic, have added to their challenges. Stephen Curry Scores 42 Points, Hits 11 3-Pointers in Win Over Pacers | NBA.com

As the trade deadline approached, speculation swirled around the Warriors’ potential moves to revamp the team. Would they part ways with Green or Thompson to build around Curry? Would they abandon their dual timeline strategy to focus on win-now acquisitions? Despite the rumors, Golden State chose to maintain their faith in their core quartet, doubling down on their belief that they belong together. While uncertainties loom, Curry, Green, Thompson, and Kerr remain committed to seeing their story through to the end, determined to prove they still have what it takes to win