Golden State Warriors First To Clinch NBA Cup Knockout Round Berth
The Golden State Warriors are fun again. For years, this team wowed fans with their relentless offense and elite defense. In past years, injuries and an aging core have caused this team to fizzle. They decided to move on from Klay Thompson and signed a bunch of quality role players. So far, it is working out well. Head coach Steve Kerr has been running a 12-man lineup, and it has worked!
They are ready to show the NBA they have what it takes to make a deep playoff run. The NBA Cup is a great opportunity to get some playoff-type experience. However, getting out of the group stage can be difficult. Golden State took care of business and is the first team to clinch a berth in the knockout rounds.
Golden State Warriors To The Knockout Rounds
The Golden State Warriors are a perfect 3-0 in the group stage. They started out with a huge win against the Dallas Mavericks. This game had an extra spotlight on it as it was Thompson’s first game against his old team. Steph Curry was the one who stole the show. He scored 37 points and hit some clutch shots down the stretch in a 120-117 victory. The Warriors had a quick turnaround and played their second NBA Cup game on Friday against the Grizzlies. This game showcased the balanced attack Golden State has.
Buddy Hield was the leading scorer with 18, but six players scored in double figures. Kerr made use of all 12 players in his rotation, and they took down Memphis 123-118. On Tuesday, they had a shot to go 3-0 and clinch a spot thanks to the head-to-head tiebreak they have against Dallas. The shorthanded Pelicans put up a fight, but the Golden State Warriors were able to win 112-108 behind 30 points from Andrew Wiggins. They do have one game remaining in the group stage next Tuesday against the Nuggets. While it won’t matter for the NBA Cup, it does still matter for the regular season.
Swiss Army Knife Team
The NBA Cup games have shown how dangerous the Golden State Warriors can be. On any given night, a certain player can be the focal point of the offense. Each of the three games was won in a different way. The first was a vintage Steph Curry game where he scored the team’s last 12 points. He can still take over a game when he needs to. In the second game, everyone got involved. Curry only had 13 points, and the team was still able to win.
Wiggins has had a quiet season so far but exploded in the third game. Game planning for this team has to be a nightmare. For most teams, there needs to be a game plan around seven to eight players. The Warriors have twelve players, all of whom could be the night’s leading scorer. Furthermore, this helps the Golden State Warriors when injuries do happen throughout the season. They are able to weather someone being out for a few weeks because of their depth.
NBA Cup Chances
At this moment, it is unclear who will be joining the Golden State Warriors in the knockout round. They are only one of two teams (the other being Dallas) in the West to have played three NBA Cup games. The Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers are both 2-0 in their respective groups, but anything can happen in the final week. The wild card team will likely come down to a point differential. For the Warriors, it doesn’t matter. They have shown they are one of the best teams in the NBA and can hang with anyone.
From a fan’s perspective, it’s awesome that the Warriors are in. This summer, we got to see Steph Curry play in big games at the Olympics. It was a ton of fun. While he won’t be on the same team as LeBron James and Kevin Durant, this team is still fun to watch. Ultimately, the NBA Cup is supposed to give fans a different type of game during the regular season.
While Cinderella stories are nice, seeing the best players and the best teams make the knockout rounds is what fans want. Can Curry and the Golden State Warriors add an NBA Cup to their stacked trophy room?
