If the Warriors found success immediately with Steve Kerr, starting in 2014, with three titles in four years, the previous years had been learning seasons.
The Stephen Curry – Klay Thompson duo did not make the playoffs for their first season, in 2011/12. The following year, Draymond Green arrived and the team lost in the second round of the playoffs against the Spurs, future finalists. Finally, in 2014, new disappointment in the first round against the Clippers.
This Californian formation, which sought to climb the summits of the West, was very talented and above all very young. Doesn’t it remind anyone or anything?
“They are fully in this experience: they have a young hard core trying to reach a level in the playoffs, to win series”notes Stephen Curry when he talks about the Grizzlies, for ESPN. “We had success at the time, but we were not at the end. »
The Grizzlies, for their part, stumbled on the “play-in” in the bubble in 2020 against Portland, before winning that of last season (against the Spurs then the Warriors) but losing in the first round, against Utah . Finally this season, the Memphis franchise has won a series and it continues to progress, always with its very, very young group (average weighted age of 23.98 years).
“They have built something in recent years, by improving players, with intelligent Drafts and they are very well coached”, salue Steve Kerr. “I really admire what Memphis has achieved. »
“We learned a lot about ourselves during those years and I’m sure it’s the same for the Grizzlies right now”
When the Warriors won their first title in 2015, the team’s executives were hardly older than those of the Grizzlies today: Stephen Curry (26), Draymond Green (24), Klay Thompson (24) and Harrison Barnes (22).
And on their way to the trophy, the 2015 and 2016 MVP and his band had crossed Memphis, which at the time was the experienced team par excellence with Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol, Tony Allen. “The roles are a bit reversed”remarks the Warriors coach for the Mercury News. “We were the young team, and they were the very experienced team. »
After a dream regular season (67 wins) and with Curry elected MVP, Golden State was down 2-1 in this series. Before finally reversing the situation, thanks in particular to their defense in Game 4.
“Everything was working perfectly at the right time”, remembers the playmaker. “Then we got punched in the face and we had to find a way to respond, after that Game 3. I have very fond memories of that and it was a springboard for a lot of good things afterwards. I hope it will bring back a good dynamic when we go to Memphis. We learned a lot about ourselves during those years and I’m sure it’s the same for the Grizzlies right now. We just don’t want them to learn too much from us. »
| Shots | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | Until | Pd | Bp | Int | Ct | Fte | Pts |
| Stephen Curry | 64 | 34.6 | 43.7 | 38.0 | 92.3 | 0.5 | 4.7 | 5.2 | 6.3 | 3.2 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 2.0 | 25.5 |
| Klay Thompson | 32 | 29.4 | 42.9 | 38.5 | 90.2 | 0.5 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 2.8 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 20.4 |
| Jordan Poole | 76 | 30.0 | 44.8 | 36.4 | 92.5 | 0.4 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 4.0 | 2.5 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 2.7 | 18.5 |
| Andrew Wiggins | 73 | 31.9 | 46.6 | 39.3 | 63.4 | 1.2 | 3.3 | 4.5 | 2.2 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 2.2 | 17.2 |
| Jonathan Kuminga | 70 | 16.9 | 51.3 | 33.6 | 68.4 | 0.8 | 2.6 | 3.3 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 2.1 | 9.3 |
| Otto Porter | 63 | 22.2 | 46.4 | 37.0 | 80.3 | 1.4 | 4.4 | 5.7 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 8.2 |
| Draymond Green | 46 | 28.9 | 52.5 | 29.6 | 65.9 | 1.0 | 6.3 | 7.3 | 7.0 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 3.0 | 7.5 |
| Damion Lee | 63 | 19.9 | 44.1 | 33.7 | 88.0 | 0.4 | 2.8 | 3.2 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 1.5 | 7.4 |
| Gary Payton Ii | 71 | 17.6 | 61.6 | 35.8 | 60.3 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 1.8 | 7.1 |
| Nemanja Bjelica | 71 | 16.1 | 46.8 | 36.2 | 72.8 | 0.9 | 3.3 | 4.1 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 1.8 | 6.1 |
| Kevon Looney | 82 | 21.1 | 57.1 | 0.0 | 60.0 | 2.5 | 4.7 | 7.3 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 2.6 | 6.0 |
| Moses Moody | 52 | 11.7 | 43.7 | 36.4 | 77.8 | 0.3 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 4.4 |
| Juan Toscano-anderson | 73 | 13.6 | 48.9 | 32.2 | 57.1 | 0.4 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 4.1 |
| Andre Iguodala | 31 | 19.4 | 38.0 | 23.0 | 75.0 | 0.7 | 2.5 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 4.0 |
| Quinndary Weatherspoon | 11 | 6.7 | 57.1 | 20.0 | 100.0 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.4 | 2.7 |
| Chris Chiozza | 34 | 10.9 | 29.6 | 32.1 | 66.7 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.9 | 2.0 |
| Jeff Dowtin | 4 | 6.9 | 50.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.5 |
