Warriors’ #SplashBrothers Steph and Klay Trying to Outperform Expectations Again in 2014 NBA Playoffs

Mar 11, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala (9) high fives guard Klay Thompson (11) and guard Stephen Curry (30) after a play against the Dallas Mavericks during the second quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

“Splash Brothers” has become a true superhero term in the Bay Area for the Golden State Warriors’ fan base, you can’t even talk about Superman, Batman or Spiderman. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson have become bonafide Legends of Oakland in a very short period of time.

Steph was always known around the league as one of the most dangerous point guards, but not until the 2013 NBA Playoffs did former Washington State Cougar shooting guard Klay truly join him as a #SplashBrother in the national eye. Now the addition of Andre Iguodala’s defensive abilities and intensity has the city of Oakland buzzing about a potential championship, but it will be far from easy.

The rest of the NBA Playoff field already knows what awaits them if the Warriors show up on the bracket, which means they will not be caught off guard. But are they ready to deal with it?

Garnering the sixth seed in the NBA Playoffs generally means you didn’t just sneak in, that’s mostly reserved for the seventh and eighth seeds. It also doesn’t generally mean you by any means powered your way in and although Golden State just secured a playoff spot within the last week or so of the regular season, they still stand somewhere in between.

After all, a team with their style of play will never bother coming close to winning enough games in a year to take a one or even a two seed, maybe not even a three. But if they can get in, because of the short bursts of pure firepower available the Warriors are one of the scariest teams in the field. ‘Brothers W’ have splashed down 483 combined 3’s in the 2013/2014 season, yet another ridiculous mark.

Not many other NBA teams come strapped like the Warriors (maybe the OKC Thunder and of course Miami) and even less come equipped to holster all of the guns that GS possesses, so if GS can contain itself into short, high-emotion-type series’ where they can get in, get out and rest while the rest of the league beats itself up, they could eventually win it all.

Those are not the expectations.

A team like the Clippers is maybe not set up on a player-by-player matchup very well, but their physicality and style of play could end up beating the Warriors down over a six or seven game series. Neither team is fully healthy, the Warriors especially thin on the front lines, so that could loom large as the series progresses. This is what is being expected right now by the general public of America.

We saw Golden State outperform those expectations last year though. Not in the Denver series, they were just a nightmare matchup for the Nuggets and everybody knew it, but in the San Antonio series they battled hard. One has to know that these kids are ready to give the NBA an even bigger show in 2014. In a season where it doesn’t look like the Warriors dropped off at all (a healthy and active David Lee and as we mentioned the addition of Iggy), I guess the question is; are this year’s Los Angeles Clippers as good as last year’s San Antonio Spurs?

We’ll find out, but I’m not sure it matters that much if Steph and Klay are really on their games in round one. It’s #SplashBrothers time at ACU.

Golden State Warriors Screen Grab