The Golden State Warriors lost to the Houston Rockets last night, ending their winning streak at eight games. That was going to come eventually.
More concerningly, Stephen Curry left the game in the first quarter with what was described as a "abdominal strain". He had an MRI in the second half, and it's unclear what sort of time he'll need to miss. As unfortunate as it is, that was also going to come eventually.
This team knew it was going to need to play without Curry or Draymond Green, or both, at some point during this regular season. It's simply the reality a team with a 38-year-old as its superstar must live with. And it's quite possible that the results over these next few games cancel out a portion of the eight wins Golden State just carved out.
But here's the thing. What we've seen from this team over these past eight games was more than just Curry carrying it on his shoulders—this is a team with toughness, with grit, and with a constant will to compete that has made life difficult for opponents even when Curry's been on the bench.
And nothing exemplifies that better than Charles Bassey's "encounter" with Marcus Smart last night against Houston.
The Warriors are forming a new identity—and it's going to be what keeps them afloat during the regular season
It started in Game 1 of the regular season, when Yaxel Lendeborg, in his first NBA appearance, went back and forth with Luka Doncic. Although Golden State lost that game by a healthy margin, it prefigured what was to come for this team.
Georges Niang has had his fair shair of scuffles, as have Lendeborg and Brandin Podziemski. Of course, Draymond Green has been involved as well. And last night, Bassey maintained his composure while Marcus Smart took a swing at him after an altercation underneath the basket. Smart was ultimately ejected—Bassey stayed in the game, finishing with seven points, six rebounds, and a block in just over 13 minutes.
Minor altercations aren't going to win games for the Warriors. But playing with a constant edge and intensity, even when there's a gap in talent with Curry out, will keep them competitive on a nightly basis. To go toe-to-toe with a team like the Rockets without your superstar and come out of it with your pride intact is a commendable feat.
And Bassey has exemplified that intensity for the Warriors so far this season. Even if he plays just 8-10 minutes in a night, he's going to make an impact in that time—crashing the glass and finding a way to get to the interior even when the Warriors are outmatched defensively. That's the mindset this whole team has taken on: find a way to make an impact no matter what your role or workload is.
Golden State doesn't have anyone in the rotation who can replace Curry, obviously. And the longer he's out, the greater the cause for concern will be when it comes to this team's standings in the Western Conference.
But any path they have to maintaining viability while he's out rests on their capacity to maintain this intensity on a nightly basis, dragging superior teams down into physical, defensive battles and finding a way to come out on top. Even if Bassey is merely a backup center, he's been one of the best examples of that mindset on Golden State's roster.
Add us as a preferred source on Google