Steph Curry couldn't help but shed tears when he heard the news about Klay Thompson's season-ending torn Achilles. Quickly after, his sadness turned to motivation.
“We know we can compete with anyone in the league," Curry said to The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears. "It’s kind of crazy. We know how great Klay is. Don’t get me wrong. But we hear the chatter. ‘It’s the end of for us. This year is a wash. What are we going to do in the future?’ But we are in the moment right now.
"It’s kind of refreshing being in that category as guys that are chasing. We know [the Los Angeles Lakers] are the defending champs. We got to beat them. We’re ready for it.”
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The Warriors had the worst record in the NBA last season after reaching five straight Finals. What they put on the court last season, however, wasn't close to the talent this team still has. With a healthy Curry and Thompson, plus Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and a top draft pick, many expected Golden State to compete for a title once again.
Those thoughts changed in a major way, though, as the Warriors' championship odds took a tough hit after the news of Thompson's injury. Despite the bad news, Golden State's front office hasn't stopped making moves to improve its roster.
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Since Thompson's injury, the Warriors drafted James Wiseman with the No. 2 pick, traded for Kelly Oubre and signed free agents Brad Wanamaker and Kent Bazemore. It's clear Curry believes in these additions.
"It’s going to be hard at first, for sure," Curry said. "We’ve been waiting seven months to get back out there,” Curry said. “Not seeing [Thompson] on the court, at first, is going to be weird. But I think we’ve done a really good job in the offseason with James and our draft picks and in the free agency pool to put together a really solid roster.
"We’re going to have to learn a lot really quickly, and we will need a full commitment from everybody."
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There's no doubt the Warriors are a better team with Thompson on the floor. His injury cut the Warriors to their core in every way imaginable. At the same time, this isn't an organization that is going to lay down and feel sorry for themselves.
A motivated Steph Curry and Warriors squad should be a scary sight for the rest of the NBA.