BOSTON — When the Memphis Grizzlies blew out the Golden State Warriors on March 28, as Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green managed mounting injuries, 22-year-old Jaren Jackson Jr. tweeted, "Strength in numbers," mocking the original slogan of a dynasty once built with veteran depth.
"It pissed me off so much," Thompson said, months after logging it into his "elephant" memory. "Going to mock us? Like, you ain't ever been there before, bro. We been there. We know what it takes. Hold that."
The Warriors knew they still had the weapons, as long as the remaining members of their first three title teams could get healthy enough to play their best basketball in the playoffs, even if Jackson spoke for the many who came to doubt them in the three years since their last trip to the NBA Finals.