The Golden State Warriors are currently sitting in the ninth seed in the Western Conference. This gives them a chance to make a postseason run due to the playoffs Play-In Tournament for the 2020-21 season.
Before the season started, many thought the Warriors were one of the favorites to compete for a championship. This all changed when Klay Thompson got injured and now they are competing just to make the playoffs.
Without Thompson, Stephen Curry has had to do even more than what he does to make his side compete.
Without Thompson, defenses have been more focused on Curry. He is facing more double teams focused on him than he has in a long time but is still proving to be one of the greatest points guards ever.
Curry is averaging 29 points, the second-most he has ever averaged in a season. The most were in the 2015-16 season where he averaged 30.1 points per game and became the first-ever unanimous MVP.
This shows the level Curry is having to play at due to missing an All-Star caliber player. He is also averaging 6.2 assists.
One of the most significant stats is how much Curry is shooting. He is averaging 20.2 field goal attempts per game, the same he averaged in the 2015-16 season.
It's clear that Curry has been having to do even more than usual on offense and is playing at a very high level.
The Warriors' next best player offensively is Andrew Wiggins. After a slow start, Wiggins is stepping up. He is averaging 17.8 points per game whilst shooting 47% from the field.
He is also averaging a career-best 37.9% from the 3-point line and has been playing impressive defense.
Curry suffered a tailbone contusion after a hard fall during the Warriors' win over the Rockets. Wiggins led them to a win the next game after dropping 40 points over the Memphis Grizzlies.
When Thompson returns to the team next year, and the Warriors decide to keep Wiggins, they will have another good defender in the starting line-up that can give back a lot on offense.
Draymond Green has also been a significant part of the Warriors being in a Play-In spot this year. Green is a great leader on and off the court.
He is also a great playmaker, averaging a career-high 8.5 assists. It is also the first time in his career he is averaging more assists than points.
Making the Play-Ins Tournament is a realistic goal for the Warriors and it looks like they will be achieving it. They've shown throughout the season they can beat anyone on their day with a big part of that being because of Steph Curry.
They will be a tough matchup in Play-Ins, but more importantly, next year they will be a top team that's tough to go through. They utilized their draft pick well drafting James Wiseman as the third pick.
They addressed a problem they've had for a while at the center position. He is averaging 11.8 points, 1 block, and 6 rebounds a game. The 19-year-old will only get better as his career progresses.
This year the Warriors are doing what they can and Curry is playing at an elite level. Next year, the Warriors will be a dangerous team to run into.