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Sports commentator Colin Cowherd believes the Steph Curry-Kevin Durant partnership is what the Golden State Warriors need to win the 2022 championship.
The Warriors have not been able to match up with the physical Boston Celtics team, and are more often than not getting bullied. While their defense can be stifling, they do not match the Celtics' physicality.
Much of the blame has gone to Draymond Green as he has had two terrible games so far. In their 116-100 Game 3 loss on Wednesday night, Green registered two points, four rebounds and three assists and fouled out after 34 minutes. Stephen A. Smith believes Green is on the verge of costing the Warriors another title.
Reacting to the loss, Cowherd said that Klay Thompson has not been impactful. He is also convinced that Steph misses KD, saying:
"I thought it was crazy for KD to leave the Warriors, and Brooklyn's been a mess. But you know what Steph Curry misses in this series? He misses Kevin Durant. Klay's been good, but you're watching the series. Great Steph plus good Klay, not enough."
After pointing out some of Thompson's lows, highlighting his defensive struggles and lack of midrange scoring, Cowherd said:
"The Splash Brothers have become more of a drizzle. He's just not the same. He's not as a good a defender. There's two reasons why the Warriors really really need Kevin Durant in this series. One, which is obvious, he's a get-a-bucket guy. He can create his own shot.
"The second thing is Kevin Durant is a willing defender, and he's long. Look how small the Warriors look in this series. They just need his length. How many offensive rebounds last night did the Celtics have?"
Replacing a player of Durant's caliber is nearly impossible. But the Warriors have done a decent job getting this far. They are still in the series despite trailing 2-1. It is a seven-game series, and the Warriors have not lost back-to-back games this postseason.
Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors are looking for their first title since Kevin Durant's departure
Since KD left the Warriors in 2019, this is the first time they have made the playoffs. Although KD has reached the playoffs twice with the Brooklyn Nets, he has not gone past the conference finals.
After Durant joined the Warriors in the 2016 offseason, he led them to two titles over the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017 and 2018. They were on their way to a three-peat, but injuries to KD and Thompson in the finals derailed their run.
Meanwhile, the Warriors have had an impressive season so far. Even though they are not as lethal offensively, they finished the season as the top-ranked defensive team.
Reaching the NBA Finals for the sixth time in eight years with or without Durant is a testament to their greatness. In the two seasons they did not play in the finals, they missed the playoffs entirely.
