The reign of terror of the Golden State Warriors has yet to see its end anytime soon. The latest team to fall victim to the unflappable Stephen Curry and his crew is the San Antonio Spurs. While the two NBA squads are at the top ranks of the current season, the Klay Thompson squad smoked Tim Duncan's team with a blowout win. Ending the game at 120-90, the Draymond Green put to shame Tony Parker and his crew - with LaMarcus Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard looking like rookies in the hardwood court.
Although not completely accurate, the San Antonio Spurs' loss is attributed by some to the absence of Duncan. Minus one of the founding members of Gregg Popovich's Big Three, the Golden State Warriors had no problem ripping apart Manu Ginobili and Parker. However, a peculiar turn was witnessed in the devastating match: Leonard was inefficient in the hardwood court.
The NBA Defensive Player of the Year was sent in following the failed efforts of Parker, Aldridge, Jonathan Simmons and Patty Mills. Although Leonard was not expected to halt completely Curry's powerful performance, he was anticipated to at least put a dent to the NBA MVP's efficiency. Such was not the case, though. Leonard was seen failing to guard his mark multiple times, with Curry even taking shots right in front of the San Antonio Spurs star.
To analyze the situation, Ethan Sherwood, Strauss of ESPN noted that the Golden State Warriors only followed the example set by the San Antonio Spurs. That is, to stay away from the pressure points and pass the ball when opponents start closing in.
"[T]he Warriors adopted San Antonio's tactics, working efficiently, together, to create the best possible opportunities," shared Strauss. He added, "The old Warriors would just toss it to Curry and have him go to work. Now they move the ball side to side and take advantage of the openings Curry's presence scares out of opponents. If, "No moment's too big" for the Warriors, then perhaps it's because they've overcome pressures by evading it."
Meanwhile, Steve Kerr compared Curry to Duncan. The Golden State Warriors head coach noted that the two elite players are alike, with the reigning MVP working as a "short version" of the San Antonio Spurs veteran.
"I think Steph is the short version of Tim, in terms of what Steph means to our franchise - not just his play, but also the way he carries himself and his image," shared Kerr via San Francisco Gate. He added, "The fact that he's so pure in his intention: Steph just wants to win. Tim just wants to win. That's what I saw when I was his teammate." Kerr played alongside Duncan for the San Antonio Spurs from 1998 to 2001. The two once again became teammates in 2002.
