Although he is just one person, Kevin Durant’s arrival in Golden State means things will be different for the Warriors next season and the foreseeable future. More than likely it will be for the good because Durant is one of the best players in league. But there will be an adjustment period and star players like Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Stephen Curry will have to alter their games to some extent.
Thompson has been pretty transparent about the changes he will make now that Durant is in the mix. Which frankly is none. Thompson sees himself playing a Manu Ginobili-esque role in Golden State but overall, he believes he won’t be making a lot of sacrifices. Durant agrees with Thompson and so does Curry, who told ESPN’s Darren Rovell that he doesn’t envision his own individual game changing.
After Durant signed with the Warriors, Thompson insisted that he wasn’t changing his game to accommodate the team’s newest addition. Curry says he won’t either, which won’t be a surprise to Durant.
“It won’t change at all,” Curry said. “That’s the reason KD joined — knowing we weren’t going to sacrifice anything, that we all have to be ourselves to make things work. There will be some adjustments when it comes to the in-game flow and how we work together, but for us to be who we’re supposed to be, we all have to kind of elevate ourselves.”
Curry is being optimistic, which is what he should to be doing. However it hard to see the Warriors not having to make even the smallest of adjustments now that Durant is on their roster.
That’s not to say that Durant will be a ball hog. He just needs the ball in his hands to score, which is what he excels at. Overall though, Curry will still be Curry and Thompson will still be Thompson but the number of shots they normally take and the amount of time they touch the ball will likely decrease. It is simply a reality Curry and Thompson will realize once the season starts. And of course if it leads to another championship, Curry, Thompson and the Warriors will likely be more than fine with.
Courtesy: CBS Sports
