The Golden State Warriors have succumbed to yet another game, this time at the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies. The Warriors are in dire need of wins, as they have lost 7 of their last ten games. This dismal run of form has resulted in the Warriors being relegated to the 12th spot in the Western Conference standings. However, Stephen Curry is drawing inspiration from the words of Martin Luther King Jr. to power through this tough period.
The NBA celebrated its 38th edition of MLK Day with 11 highly competitive games. On 15th January, the NBA always host games in Atlanta, where King was born, and Memphis, where King was assassinated in 1968. Yesterday, the Warriors paid homage to MLK on his birthday. Before the game against the Grizzlies, the Warriors wore a shirt with MLK’s words “The time is always right to do what is right.” Steph also posted a tribute to the legend through his Instagram. He wrote, “1-15-23 Keep the message alive!”
Even though the Warriors found inspiration from MLK, they suffered a setback in the game against the Grizzlies, losing by a scoreline of 116-107. The defeat was particularly disheartening as the Grizzlies were without key players such as Ja Morant, Marcus Smart, and Desmond Bane. It was GG Jackson’s breakout performance, as the youngest player in the NBA scored 23 points and grabbed 6 rebounds during 29 minutes of play.
The Warriors current slump in performances has completely demoralized a fanbase who had high expectations from their beloved team. Their lofty preseason expectations of a 5th NBA title in nine seasons looks like a far-fetched dream now. Barring a miraculous turnaround, the Warriors will miss the postseason for the first time in three seasons.
Can the Warriors still make it to the playoffs?
It would be an understatement to say that the Warriors have disappointed their fans this season. In the last decade, Warriors have become a franchise which is synonymous with winning and success. However, this season, the Warriors have looked disjointed. Moreover, players who played pivotal roles in securing the 2022 title, such as Klay and Wiggins, have experienced a notable decline in both their on-court performances and overall production.
The Warriors are in dire need of a roster reshuffle because the current composition of the roster isn’t good enough to even secure a playoff spot, let alone contend for an NBA title. A silver lining from this abysmal Warriors season is that Stephen Curry has continued to perform at an All-NBA level. As long as Curry maintains his remarkable performances, the Warriors remain contenders for an NBA title. Nevertheless, the team’s leadership must promptly assemble a competent roster around Curry to enhance his chances of securing his fifth NBA championship.
