With Stephen Curry watching from the bench, the Golden State Warriors noticed their season finish Wednesday evening in a 121-110 Game 5 loss to the surging Minnesota Timberwolves – a defeat that now forces the franchise to confront exhausting truths about its getting older core and fading championship window.
The tone of the sequence shifted dramatically after Game 1, when Curry strained his left hamstring in a win that might show to be Golden State’s final. From there, the Timberwolves – youthful, quicker and hungrier – rattled off 4 straight victories, exposing the Warriors’ waning depth and overreliance on their famous person.
After the loss, Warriors gamers and coaches gave full credit score to Minnesota, however the brutal actuality remained: Without Curry, Golden State merely lacked the firepower to maintain up – and the dynasty may lastly be operating on fumes.
“I don’t want to take anything away from what Minnesota just accomplished, so there’s no sense in even talking about Steph,” head coach Steve Kerr advised reporters after the sport.
Kerr, below whose management the Warriors turned an NBA dynasty with titles in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022, stated it was “a hell of a run” after the acquisition of Jimmy Butler on the commerce deadline revived their postseason hopes.
“Jimmy changed our season, flipped everything for us and gave us a chance,” Kerr stated.
“We became one of the best teams in the league.”
But that league – particularly the stacked Western Conference – continues to enhance, and the Warriors additionally must deal with Father Time.
Curry, who was prone to play in Game 6 had the Warriors prolonged the sequence, is 37. The staff’s emotional chief, Draymond Green, and Butler are each 35.
Figuring out who to encompass them with to maximise what’s left of their championship window shall be important.
Top of the listing is deciding what to do with Jonathan Kuminga.
The 22-year-old didn’t see a lot taking part in time late within the season or throughout the first-round sequence in opposition to the Houston Rockets however took benefit of his alternative when Curry went down, averaging 24.2 factors over the past 4 video games.
The Congolese ahead is a restricted free agent, and given his potential, the Warriors will both must match different groups’ gives – which might attain $30 million per season – or let him stroll.
If they determine Kuminga isn’t the suitable match, the Warriors might want to add both a big-name star or youthful function gamers who can share the scoring burden with Curry and Butler.
Kerr stated he was optimistic in regards to the staff’s future.
“I’m excited. We’ve got, obviously, Jimmy and Dray and Steph all coming back,” he stated.
“Our young players performed really well this year. There’s a lot to look forward to.”
Source: www.dailysabah.com