The Golden State Warriors are entering a season full of pressure for them. Last season they missed two key players in Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson due to injuries, as well as Kevin Durant, who left to join the Brooklyn Nets in free agency. They had the worst record in the league (15-50), finishing a five-year streak of going to the Finals. They were the biggest dominators in the league over that span and now they’re back on the line to show they can compete.
They are considered one of the favorite teams to at least contend next season but some people believe they can do a lot more than that. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith recently tipped the Warriors as the biggest threat to the current champions Los Angeles Lakers, who will have to defend their title against everybody in the league. Smith claimed they are going to ‘wreak havoc’ in the league and the Lakers don’t have a response for that (0:38 mark).
“Let me tell you something right now, they are going to wreak havoc on the NBA… The only thing that’s going to stop them from wreaking havoc is injuries.”
Then, when Max Kellerman talked about the Lakers’ X-Factor, Anthony Davis, he doubled down in his comments, claiming that AD can’t stop the ‘greatest shooting backcourt known to man’ (0:37 mark).
“For a simple reason, it doesn’t need to be complicated, like some people might try to make it, they have the greatest shooting backcourt known to man,” Smith said on “First Take.” “There has never been anybody, a backcourt in NBA history, that can shoot like these brothers, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.”
“Anthony Davis don’t have no answer for Klay Thompson and Steph Curry, he can’t be out there guarding those brothers,” Smith continued. “Somebody else has to do that, somebody else has to follow them around when they’re moving without the ball, to make sure they’re not open when a fast break takes place, all of a sudden you gotta find them on the wings, 30 feet away from the basket because they fire away.
“To me, to knock off LeBron and AD, that’s what it’s going to take, and that’s the only thing it’s going to take.”
Smith is very confident in the Warriors next season. The analyst made a compelling case for the Dubs but at the end of the day, everything should and will be decided on the court. The Warriors are looking for revenge and the Lakers took their throne in the Western Conference. Now is time to settle this issue once and for all.
