The Warriors aren’t the same team without Stephen Curry. They simply cannot replicate his shooting and gravity, and their offensive ceiling is greatly lowered.
But the Warriors are still a very good team, and have elite defensive potential. But due to more injuries and a lack of focus, we didn’t see much of it in the regular season.
In Game 1, Steve Kerr decided to start Andre Iguodala instead of Quinn Cook, hoping to start the game with defensive intensity. In first quarters all year long, the Warriors have been lackadaisical at that end, and Kerr desperately needed the “switch” to be turned on.