Warriors, lalarga sa target na NBA ‘three-peat’Alaska

OAKLAND, California (AP) – Personal na ipagkakaloob ni NBA Commissioner Adam Silver -- sa ikatlong pagkakataon sa nakalipas na apat na season -- ang championship ring sa Golden State Warriors sa Oracle Arena nitong Martes (Miyerkules sa Manila).

Dadagundong ang Arena. Ilaladlad ang mga banner. At matapos ang seremonya, balik ang Warriors sa digmaan – target ang makasaysayang ‘three-peat’. Sisimulan ng Warriors ang kampanya sa 73rd season ng NBA laban sa Oklahoma City Thunder.

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Lalarga rin sa iba pang venues ang laro ng Los Angeles Lakers, sa pangunguna ni LeBron James, habang target ni Carmelo Anthony na mas mapalakas ang Houston Rockets at lalaruin ni Dwyane Wade ang ika-16 career season sa kampo ng Miami Heat.

“None of us are ready for this run to come to an end,” pahayag ni Golden State’s forward Draymond Green, bahagi ng tatlong kampeonato ng Warriors sa nakalipas na apat na season. “So we’ve got to continue to approach it like we’ve got zero. And that’s cliche and impossible to do, but you want to try to get as close to that as you possibly can. And that’s my mindset always entering the season.”

Hindi sinasadya, ang Warriors ang nananatiling liyamado ngayong season.

Sa panig pa rin ng Warriors sina two-time MVP Stephen Curry, one-time MVP at two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson at Green, at dagdag na lakas na si All-Star big man DeMarcus Cousins.

Nakuha ng Golden States ang nagpapagaling sa injury na si Cousins sa murang kontrata na US$5.3 milyon. At nananatili sa bench si coach Steve Kerr, five-time NBA champion bilang players at ngayo’y kumakakot sa kasaysayang bilang coach.

“If they don’t win, it’s a failure,” pahayag ni Memphis guard Mike Conley Jr.

“I know that’s how they feel as well. For us, for the other 29 teams, we’re the underdog. We’re trying to take what they have. It’s a lot easier playing from the underdog perspective than coming in with a lot of expectation.”

Ngunit, sa NBA, tunay na ang bawat isa ay underdog.

Isang patotoo ang Houston — nagwagi ng 65 games sa nakalipas na season, nakamit ang MVP ni James Harden, lider ang elite point guard na si Chris Paul matapos lumagda ng bagong kontrata na US$160 milyon, Tangan ng Rockets ang 3-2 bentahe sa Warriors sa nakalipas na conference Finals, ngunit nauwi rin sa wala.

“We’ve all got one goal, man,” sambit ni Harden. “You’ll keep hearing the same story over and over until I’m not here no more. We’ve got to win a ‘chip. We’ve all got the same goal. We kind of, a little bit, we kind of know what it takes to almost get there. But we haven’t gotten there yet.”

Ang Warriors ang pinakamahusay na koponan, habang ang Rockets ang may natatanging marka. Ngunit, ang pinakamahusay na player sa kasalukuyan ay nasa kampo ng Los Angeles.

Matapos ang 15 seasons na paglalaro sa Eastern Conference, lumipat na kampo si James sa pagtatangkang madugtungan ang marka na walong sunod na NBA Final appearance.

“I’m a basketball player,” sambit ni James. “I play ball. That’s what I do and that’s what I live by. And when I do it at the level I do it at, everything else takes care of itself,” aniya.

Bawat isa ay may natatanging hangarin, subalit tulad sa mga nakalipas na season asam nila na matagpuan ang matagal nang hinahanapan ng paraan – ang magapi ang Warriors.

“I’ll get back to you when somebody cracks that code,” pahayag ni Wade. “In this game, the most important thing is health. If they stay healthy, it’s tough to beat them. There’s teams that can, but you’ve got to do it, and you’re going to have to do it four times.”