NBA: Curry out

By Ed Piper

I just read the news (Thurs., Oct. 31, AM) that Steph Curry broke his left hand. I'm not gloating, but I was one of the many who got sick of Golden State being the favorite to win the NBA title each of the past five years. I would substitute-teach and encounter "The City" T-shirts on middle school boys I had in class. That was irritating for a life-long Lakers fan whose team has been dreadful for most of the past decade.

One young boy sporting a Warriors shirt in class couldn't understand my opposition to his (newly) favorite team. "They win," he told me. "I know," I said gently. "That's why I hate them!"

I grew up a Lakers fan watching Jerry West (and for a short time before he retired, Elgin Baylor) in Long Beach and Camarillo, both located in Lakerland. I was licking my wounds a lot from the seven seasons (including last year's disaster) my favorite team had been horrid, failing to make the playoffs.

Let me say, I haven't been displeased as I watched snippets of some of Golden State's three blowout losses so far this young season. For years, they defined excellence. I acknowledge the Curry-Klay Thompson-Draymond Green teams were outstanding. The addition of Kevin Durant two years ago just didn't seem fair--the rich got richer. They even were able to add DeMarcus Cousins for a time, though he got injured.

The fall has been steep, and quick. As you knowledgeable fans know, Durant was injured for the playoffs last spring. Then Thompson, with Curry making up the phenomenal-shooting "Splash Brothers", went down in the Finals.

The Raptors, bless their hearts, carried all the hopes of us anti-Warrior fans. During the Finals, which they won behind Kawhi Leonard's leadership, I told my wife, "We're moving to Toronto." (I would never survive the snow there.)

Leonard left in free agency. Durant ditto (despite his injury keeping him out of the Nets' lineup alongside Kyrie Irving, who is no barrel of laughs to get along with, as demonstrated by his detonation of the Celtics last season, his whining to leave the Cavs before that because he didn't want to be in LeBron James' shadow, even though they won an NBA title together).

Thompson is out for much or all of this season. Kevon Looney, a forward from UCLA, has been injured, as well. So that left Curry to go it alone of the "Splash Brothers". Draymond Green is a fiery defensive player, but he is not going to fill it up on the offensive end.

Now Steph is out.

This is the first NBA season I have looked forward to as much as I have, DVR'ing some games and following the Lakers and other teams, in a long time. There are so many exciting prospects, like Anthony Davis joining LeBron on the Lakers, the Clippers with Kawhi and Paul George, Houston adding Russell Westbrooks to James Harden, Irving and K.D. on the Nets for next year. Giannis Antetokounmpo (I've never tried to spell that before) is incredible. Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid ditto on the 76'ers, with Al Horford a positive addition.

Did I miss anybody?