The Golden State Warriors made pretty easy work of the Houston Rockets in their first round playoff series despite the fact that Stephen Curry was barely able to play at all. Shaun Livingston has done a great job of filling in for Curry, and the rest of the team has also stepped up.
Curry is expected to miss at least some of the Warriors' second-round series against either the Clippers or the Trail Blazers, too, so Livingston knows that he needs to step up. The 6-foot-7 point guard realizes that he has big shoes to fill while Curry is out, and he plans to become even more aggressive in the next round.
"I have to be more aggressive just because of the production that's out," Livingston said. "I don't expect to make all of that up this guy leads the league in scoring. But it's really important we all remain aggressive and confident. It's really about remaining confident in your game, understanding what you bring to the table and being assertive."
The Warriors having Livingston as their backup point guard is a huge luxury because he could easily be starting on several teams in the NBA. Livingston has been great in Curry's absence, and that is shown by his performance in the close out game against Houston, when he made seven of his eight field goal attempts for 16 points.
Despite the fact that he has played well, Livingston still thinks that he can do more. The 30-year-old point guard is a very different player than Curry, as he only attempted 12 threes all season, but he still brings a lot to the table. Livingston plays great perimeter defense while also being able to take smaller guys in the post. Without their best offensive weapon available to them, Livingston may need to do more of that, and he knows it and is willing to.
One thing is clear for the Warriors, and that is that even without Curry, they are a confident bunch. Draymond Green said as much when he claimed that the team's confidence went from "through the roof" to "still at the roof" after Curry's injury.
It is unclear how many games Curry might miss in the Warriors second round series, but he is expected to test the knee out at some point next week as he is already feeling better. The Warriors need Curry if they are going to win back-to-back championships, but until he is back, they have a very capable fill-in who now plans to be even more aggressive.
