The Dynasty That Never Was? NBA Rivals See Cracks in Warriors’ Armor

Remember when the Golden State Warriors were destined to rule the NBA for the foreseeable future and win, to borrow a phrase, “not five, not six, not seven…” championships?

Ahh, such good times.nike nfl jerseys cheap china

Forgive the past tense on that, uh, golden visage, but the injury machete that has lopped off the Warriors’ four All-Stars—Steph Curry (sprained knee), Kevin Durant (cracked ribs), Klay Thompson (fractured thumb) and Draymond Green (sore shoulder, china nike nfl jerseys cheap contused pelvis)—has opposing coaches and executives revising their projections for just how long the franchise’s current run of three NBA Finals’ appearances will go. While the majority still consider them the favorite to repeat as champions and win their third title in four years this year, they all included a big if—as in if they’re healthy, including their two-time league MVP, Curry. hi-res-d21a62f6fb7a4198fdadbe78cbcc52a1_crop_north

“This may be the edge Houston needs,” one Western Conference scout said. “If [Curry] is not 100 percent, I mean.”cheap nfl nike jerseys from china

While Durant and Green returned Thursday night, and Thompson is expected back sometime in the next week or so, the length of Curry’s absence has yet to be determined—and considering how he wasn’t quite the same two years ago when he resumed playing after a less severely sprained knee ligament, it’s fair to question if he can come anywhere close to that 100 percent mark this spring.

“I would still favor Golden State, but their depth will be challenged,”cheap nike nfl jerseys free shipping said an Eastern Conference executive with a championship on his resume. “I don’t care what era you’re talking about, it requires a certain amount of luck when it comes to health. They’ve had that over the last few years. The law of averages has reared its head a little right now.”

As for how long they will remain the team to beat moving forward, the same executive believes what we’ve seen this season—stretches of indifferent effort along with the injuries—indicates they are beginning their inexorable slide, at least as presently constituted.nfl cheap jerseys nike If they manage to snare another championship this season, he sees them capturing, at most, one more beyond that.

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