Things I Liked
Beating the Cavs. This was as gratifying a win as the Warriors have had all season. First of all, you saw Kevin Durant do this:
Kevin Durant takes flight! #DubNation pic.twitter.com/DHCixGGj5F
— NBA (@NBA) January 16, 2018
And Stephen Curry do this:
And second, the game was a clear sign that the Cavs, as presently constructed, do not have nearly enough to topple the Warriors. Without Kyrie Irving, Cleveland is missing a key part of its 2016 championship roster. Isaiah Thomas doesn’t look 100 percent — and even when he gets there, he’s not close to bringing the star power and skill set that Kyrie did.
It’s why the Cavs are reportedly going after big names on the trade block such as DeAndre Jordan, Lou Williams and George Hill. They know their window with LeBron and the rest of this veteran group might be shutting, and they’ll only get so many shots at the Warriors in the Finals — their chances this year are looking slimmer and slimmer as the season drags on.
I don’t think any addition short of a bona fide star is going to change much in the matchup. The Warriors are three, four, five levels ahead. They dominated last year’s Finals, and this season, the disparity is even larger.
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Steph an All-Star captain. There’s no question that Steph remains one of the most popular players in the game, and this is just a re-affirmation. I feel like I do this is a lot, but if you told me a decade ago that the Warriors would have one of the first All-Star Game captains, I literally would not have believed you, even if you bet your life on it.
Kevon Looney and David West. I’m giving a shoutout to perhaps two of the Warriors’ most surprising bench contributors this season. I thought Looney was too raw and didn’t have a future on this team. I thought West’s production might slow after turning a year older and finally clinching a championship.
I was wrong. Looney has shown so many promising signs this season, and continues to develop as a young center. The Warriors may regret not picking up his option and letting him leave as a free agent after this season. Looney has become more mobile, finishing around the rim and he’s also starting to hit his free throws. With this team, that’s all you need to do as a big man to be productive.
West is fun to watch. His midrange jumper is automatic. He bullies his way inside. He’s far better than he was even last season, shooting at over a 60 percent clip. Oh, and he’s 37 years old. The Warriors are blessed to have this man on their team.