Will the Warriors road woes keep them from defending their title?
This season, the Warriors have been one of the most perplexing teams in the NBA. From trying to move on from the Green-Poole incident to dealing with Curry's injuries the Warriors have struggled to find consistency. Most glaringly, their lack of consistency has shown up most in the discrepancy in how they perform at home versus the road. The Warriors currently have one of the worst road records by a defending champion in NBA history and it is unlikely their road struggles will improve anytime soon. Their recent road loss to the Ja-less Memphis Grizzlies marks the 8th straight road loss for Golden state putting their road record to 7-26. At home they have managed to win 7 straight home games which shows their potential if they are able to at some point get the same results on the road.
As we move closer to the playoffs, the currently 6th seeded Golden State Warriors will likely have to start their title defense on the road which could put them at a major disadvantage. Although due to the Warriors talent and proven greatness over the years many still believe they can flip a switch and be a major threat regardless which court they step on. To be fair, they still have their core in Curry, Klay and Green but unless the Warriors are able to fix their road struggles it could be a short postseason run for the defending champs.
Next week, the Warriors will take on the Phoenix Suns before having a chance to break their road losing streak as they head to Los Angeles to take on the Clippers followed by the Hawks and Grizzlies.
What is the on court impact of the Ja Morant incident?
The incident that has indefinitely taken Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant away from the team is an issue bigger than basketball but the on court effect for the Grizzlies could have a positive impact on their season. So far, the Grizzlies have played 4 games without Ja winning back to back games after losing to both LA teams on the road. Players like Tyus Jones, Jaren Jackson Jr, and Desmond Bane have stepped up offensively with Ja out the lineup and are a major reason why are still a threat. Though the events surrounding Ja was unfortunate the main reason I see the on court impact of it being a positive in the long run is how I expect the Grizzlies to step up in his absence. With the Grizzlies being such a confident tight knit group they are team full of players that appear galvanized by the challenge of keeping the Grizzlies afloat no matter how long Ja is away.
Another reason I see the Grizzlies on court impact being positive for them is the fact that they will hopefully get Ja back soon as an even better player and more importantly a better man. Ja is one of the most electrifying players in the league and will at some point come back focused to lead his team how he is capable of. The aftermath of the incident will hopefully allow Ja to mature as a leader and help this young team reach their full potential.
Next week, The Grizzlies will take on the Mavericks, Heat, Spurs, and Warriors
How big of a threat are the Clippers?
The Clippers have seemingly figured something out after starting their post All-Star break schedule 0-5 they are now on a 3 game win streak. With great production from their two superstars in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George the Clippers are slowly starting to look like the team they were expected to be. Still, they have arguably underachieved this season given the talent on their roster although they are a 5th seed in the west and just 2 games behind the Phoenix Suns.
Talentwise, they should be one of the biggest threats in the western conference but due to the lack of consistency they've had due to players being in and out the lineup it's hard to believe those issues won't show up again in the playoffs. Along with the fact that though they are a 5th seed all the teams ahead of them have better conference records which shows some of the challenges they've faced against the west. This is in part why despite their talent, their are multiple teams in the west I believe are more likely to make a deep runs in the playoffs.
Next week, the Clippers have matchups with the Golden State Warriors, Orlando Magic and Portland Trailblazers.
Game of the week- Embiid drops a game high 39 points and hits a fadeaway jumpshot with 1.1 seconds left to give the 76ers the 120-119 win following a 20 point comeback.
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