The Warriors dynasty could perhaps have ended Sunday night in the event of elimination against the Kings. Steve Kerr is well placed to know, he who experienced the end of the Bulls dynasty in 1998. Even if the foundations are solid, you never know what can happen in a team. Bob Myers, the GM, is coming to the end of his contract. Draymond Green can test the market. And an elimination could have caused a break in this group, which experienced a disaster start to the season with the ugly gesture of this same Green on Jordan Poole.
But these Warriors seem indestructible, like a Klay Thompson returned to his best level after almost three years without playing, or a Kevon Looney who has become the best rebounder in these playoffs. We underestimate the toughness of this group, and we have too often limited it to a team of gifted shooters.
Difficulty to then return to the top
“Who knows what will happen this summer, but we live in a unique time”, admitted Kerr after his press conference. ” I know when we won the title in 2015, it was the first time in 40 years that the Warriors had won a title. I was part of the Bulls in 1998 and they’ve had great teams since. But it’s been 25 years since they returned to the final. This stuff is incredibly difficult, no matter how strong your franchise is. It’s rare to get a group like this together. There is an element of luck. I think you have to take advantage of this chance for as long as possible, because it will inevitably be very difficult to get back to the top. »
You have to take advantage of having a Stephen Curry capable at 35 of coming out of legendary matches. Like Michael Jordan in 1998 precisely. At the same age. At 35 too, LeBron James was going to seek a 4th title in the “bubble”. These players come from another planet, and they want to stay at the top. The longest time possible.
“We talk about the last dance and that’s what kicks things up a notch. This time it’s really special. As we are in the present moment, I have the feeling that it is the most important “ note Green about this victory in a Game 7. “Seeing Steph do the game he did, total domination…I’m a basketball fan and, as a fan, I know how to appreciate it. But as a teammate, he’s the guy you want to go to war with. … He left no doubt. This performance by Steph… When you think of everything we’ve been through. We win Game 5 here, we miss a golden opportunity at home, then we come back here, and we play even better than last time. That speaks for itself. »
Don’t bury the Warriors or LeBron too soon
For Kerr, this group is so sure of its strengths that it can afford to make adjustments on the fly. Because precisely, it is a group. After Game 6, Kerr decided to put Green back in the starting lineup.
“Our way of operating, over the years, was to continue on the same path when we win a playoff game,” Kerr recalls. “Last year we beat Denver three times (in the first round) with Steph off the bench, so we kept doing it. The players have understood this. There is a rhythm to follow, especially during the playoffs. If you find something that works, you keep doing it. But when that’s not the case, you have to go back to what you trust the most. And our performance in Game 6 was really poor in many ways, so the decision to go back to the main starting five was a natural one. »
As for knowing if it is the fact of being underestimated or treated as “old” by the adversaries that motivates them, here is what Stephen Curry answers. ” The competitive spirit is still with us, and we didn’t need words to motivate us, but it helped us to know that they thought they were superior to us with their pace.”. For Green, opponents tend to bury them too soon. Like the Grizzlies with LeBron James…
“We have to stop turning our page so quickly. Stop trying to turn the page on LeBron so quickly” launches Green, before evoking this desire to take advantage of every current moment: “We tend to project ourselves on the next step, and not appreciate the present moment properly. And then we go to the next step and we say to ourselves: “I would have liked it to continue…”. For me and our guys, we are going to enjoy every step of this journey.”
