The Golden State Warriors lost to the hottest team in the NBA while on the road.
That is not cause for concern, especially with the way that they lost. In fact, they should be encouraged with how they battled despite a horrific shooting night from two-time MVP Stephen Curry.
While the Golden State Warriors may have dropped their first of two games to the Suns, fans should still be encouraged from what they saw Tuesday night.
With multiple games this season in which Curry single-handedly led the team to victory, getting what should be considered a dud for him and still hanging around till the fourth quarter is impressive, and it took a herculean effort from third-year shooting guard Jordan Poole.
Poole was the main player that stepped up with Curry struggling, and that’s what Golden State had missed. To start last season, the Warriors were destroyed by the Bucks and Nets, and it was mainly because, when they took Curry out of the game, no one else stepped up.
This time around, they have that player, and with Klay Thompson set to come back this month, they’ll have another lethal threat set to take the court. Thompson and Poole will both be big-time players in high-impact games for Golden State.
There’s no excuse for Curry’s poor play, but typically when Curry misses 11 threes. He ended 4-for-21 from the field and 3-for-14 from deep. That’s a brutal stat line for the player that should be considered the league’s early-season MVP.
As for Poole, he knocked down 6 triples and ended 9-for-15 from the field.
With 4 assists as well, Poole got the job done, tallying a game-high 28 points. It was an effort that won’t soon be forgotten, and it’s because he showed himself as an elite scorer against one of the better defensive teams in the NBA.
Poole’s play, along with Otto Porter Jr.’s play, was encouraging to see in such a big-time game. Given that Curry struggled and the Warriors still had a chance, it means they did something right, and Poole stepping up has been the key difference.
Moving forward, he’ll start to garner expectations in these big-time games as he’s clearly the team’s second-best scoring threat.