The Miami Heat were defeated by the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors on Thursday night. Warriors star Stephen Curry was his usual incredible self and finished the game with 33 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.
He also flashed some impressive athleticism and handles when he crossed up Heat guard Tyler Herro on his way to a 3-point attempt.
Following the game, Curry’s longtime teammate Draymond Green reflected on the move as well as Curry’s incredible ability to keep getting better.
While there is no doubt that Curry is an incredible athlete and one of the few players that will define the current era of NBA basketball, it is also worth mentioning that Green has some added incentive to effuse praise for his teammates at the moment.
As NBA fans know quite well, Green is trying to get back in the good graces of his teammates after he physically attacked young guard Jordan Poole during a team practice just before the start of the 2022-23 regular season.
Warriors players have been frank about the fact that Green will have to regain the trust that he has fostered during his NBA career.
Perhaps, this incredible level of praise is his attempt at trying to do just that.
As for the Heat, things have not really gone according to plan in the first stretch of regular season games. The good news is that the Heat have some really favorable matchups coming down the pike.
In the next seven games, the Heat have some very winnable contests. Though they will face the Warriors next Tuesday as well as the Portland Trail Blazers, who have surprisingly started out 4-1, on Nov. 7, they’ll also face the Sacramento Kings twice, Charlotte Hornets twice and Indiana Pacers once.
Still, a stretch of winnable games isn’t going to solve all the issues for the Heat. They are struggling in several areas of the court right now, and they seem to know it.
A number of reports have recently developed, linking the Heat to a number of veteran forwards and guards. Only time will tell if Pat Riley and the rest of the team’s front office finds a way to make a move prior to the trade deadline later this season.