Shannon Sharpe sounds concerned after rusty-looking night for Steph Curry: “The fear factor the Warriors used to possess is no longer there”

Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors have been on an absolute roller-coaster ride since winning their fourth NBA championship. After the team dispatched of the Boston Celtics in last year's NBA Finals, the team set their sights on winning back to back championships. With Klay Thompson back healthy and playing like his old self, it seemed as though the stars were aligning.

During the offseason, the team lost several key roleplayers off the bench, leading many to question how the team would look after the tip-off for the regular season. Before those questions could be answered, Draymond Green punched Jordan Poole at practice, sparking a media firestorm that put the team's future in jeopardy.

With Poole set to receive an extension and Green's contract giving him a player-option at the end of the season, there was plenty of uncertainty in Golden State. Although the two men put the situation behind them, once the season started, the team couldn't seem to get things going on the floor.

With Steph Curry recently returning from injury and eager to play through his lingering non-shooting shoulder problems, the team sits below .500. During a recent episode of Undisputed, Shannon Sharpe spoke about the state of the team, saying:

"I'm not surprised that he was a little bit rusty, but it's not a good look when you come back with that lineup and the Suns without D-Book, Ayton, without CP3, and without Cameron Johnson, and without Cam Payne and they still beat you by 12. That's not a good look now Skip.

"We talked earlier that there's no mythological team in the west the teams are really evenly matched. On any given Sunday, any given night, you can get beat. But the feat factor that the warriors used to possess is no longer there now. Who knows if they can get it back."

You can see the comments from Sharpe in the video above beginning shortly after the start of the video.

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Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors hope for another title

With Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors currently sitting in eighth place in the Western Conference the team is still very much 'in the mix'.

As the old saying goes, once you get into the playoffs, the only thing that matters is winning. Should Steph Curry remain healthy, the team could move up in the standings enough to clinch a playoff spot.

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Steph Curry (Atlanta Hawks v Golden State Warriors)

With the Western Conference standings so close, with a few wins the team could move up in the standigs. Without the play-in tournament looming overhead, the franchise could very well find success come playoff time under the bright lights.

However, the Warriors are currently in the midst of a three-game skid that most recently saw them drop a key loss to the Phoenix Suns. Although Steph Curry has returned to the floor sooner than expected, if the team has any hope of making a playoff push, he'll have to be at his best.

The team will be back in action on Friday against the San Antonio Spurs, where they'll hope to pick up a win and tie themselves with the Suns in seventh place.

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