(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
For nearly a decade, Stephen Curry has been one of the leading men in the NBA, and he has guided the Golden State Warriors to four world championships and six Finals appearances during that time.
In fact, since the 2014-15 season, the Warriors have lost just one playoff series to a Western Conference team — that came last spring when they fell in six games to LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round.
But this season has been unlike any the Warriors have experienced in their recent history, and NBA on ESPN personality Kendrick Perkins says the pressure is on Curry to keep them afloat, not just in terms of his play but also in terms of his leadership.
“The pressure is on [Steph Curry] to actually be a leader, be a franchise player, have a voice, have the courage, and go outside your comfort zone,” he said, via ClutchPoints.
“The pressure is on [Steph Curry] to actually be a leader, be a franchise player, have a voice, have the courage, and go outside your comfort zone… You can see that the [Warriors] dynasty is over, and it’s okay. “
— Kendrick Perkins
(via @ESPNNBA)pic.twitter.com/kYHu6jed9x
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 26, 2024
Just two seasons ago, Golden State won it all, but they were a tale of two teams last season when they played very well at home but struggled defensively and won just 11 regular-season games away from Chase Center.
This year, they’re just 19-23, and if the postseason started right now, they wouldn’t even take part in the play-in tournament.
The causes for their struggles have been many — Klay Thompson is a shell of his former self, Draymond Green has missed many games due to two separate suspensions, and former All-Star starter Andrew Wiggins is shooting poorly.
With a greater burden on him than he has had to deal with in a long time, Curry has flamed out, as he has shot just 42.2 percent from the field and a disappointing (for him) 37.8 percent from 3-point range since the start of December.
Unfortunately for the Warriors, it will take a lot more than Curry being Curry again for them to claw their way into the playoffs and make a run there.
The post Kendrick Perkins Says NBA Superstar Is Under Pressure This Season appeared first on The Cold Wire.