Klay Thompson sat on the floor in the middle of his teammates and pointed to his ”2018 NBA FINALS” hat during a locker-room photo.

An important face was missing from the moment: Andre Iguodala.

In a postseason defined by uncertainty for the defending champions [url=http://www.thevikingsfootballauthentic.com/kendall-wright-jersey-authentic]Youth Kendall Wright Jersey[/url] , Golden State could be without one of its top defenders as the Warriors chase a repeat title – taking on LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in a fourth straight NBA Finals matchup.

Iguodala’s status for Game 1 on Thursday night is a question as he recovers from a bone bruise in his left knee, which caused him to miss the final four games of the Western Conference finals against Houston. Cleveland’s Kevin Love is in concussion protocol, so he might not be ready, either.

Coach Steve Kerr has said Iguodala, the 2015 Finals MVP, will return when he can run without pain. The Warriors sure could use his presence against King James, who is making an eighth straight Finals appearance.

”We’re still without Andre, which is a big blow for us,” Kerr said before Monday’s Game 7 at Houston. ”In a different way. He’s not a scorer for us as Chris (Paul) is for Houston, but a huge component. So you go through the playoffs and things happen, and you’ve got to be able to bounce back no matter what and keep going.”

Last month, Kerr became concerned his team’s defense wouldn’t return to its top form after Golden State struggled late in the regular season and even endured a particularly poor stretch in which the Warriors dropped seven of 10 games.

Yet here they are in a familiar spring spot as June approaches.

Once the buzzer sounded and the 101-92 Game 7 win over Houston was official, the Warriors could exhale. It hasn’t been pretty for much of these playoffs [url=http://www.officialblues.com/authentic-adidas-vladimir-tarasenko-jersey]Adidas Vladimir Tarasenko Jersey[/url] , a far cry from that remarkable, record-breaking 16-1 romp through last year’s postseason.

There is clearly some relief to be back where this All-Star group expected to be all along.

Stephen Curry kept the game ball tucked under his left arm long after Monday’s game, toddler daughter Ryan held in his right arm.

Kevin Durant hugged general manager Bob Myers, while always-animated Nick Young beamed wearing his Finals hat and ”Champions of the West” T-shirt, then enjoyed hoisting the shiny trophy.

Draymond Green smooched his 1-year-old son, Draymond Jr.

Back home, fireworks went off in the East Bay as everyone anticipates another battle with King James.

”There’s a lot of just built-up anxiety, I guess, about this moment. When you walk off the court with a win and get this fancy hat, it’s a good feeling,” Curry said. ”We had to work for it, and you’ve got to appreciate the moment. Somebody asked, `It’s four years in a row getting to The Finals [url=http://www.chiefscheapstore.com/armani-watts-jersey-cheap]Armani Watts Jersey Chiefs[/url] , do you appreciate it?’ Yes, because it’s really hard. So all the smiles and embraces you have with your teammates, your coaches, it’s well deserved.”

Golden State struggled to hit shots for stretches. The stars went through funks and the Warriors had to play catch up time and again – including from double-digit deficits in the final two games to beat James Harden and the 65-win Rockets on their home court after settling for the second seed in the West.

James has willed his Cavs this far, saying, ”I don’t know how I can compare it to other seasons because I can only think about this one in the present.”

”Definitely a different team but we know everything goes and stops with LeBron James with them,” Green said.

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Ozzie Newsome’s reign as the only general manager in Baltimore Ravens history will come to an end after the 2018 season.

Newsome signed a five-year extension in 2014 with the understanding that he surrenders the post to assistant GM Eric DeCosta at the end of the contract, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said Friday.

”Ozzie will step down as GM and has assured me that he’s not going anywhere,” Bisciotti said. ”He will work with me and work with Eric for a smooth transition and he’ll be the highest paid scout in America when Eric takes over next year.”

Newsome, 61, has been in charge of filling out the roster since the Ravens arrived in Baltimore in 1996. His first two draft picks were Jonathan Ogden – who became a Hall of Fame offensive lineman – and Ray Lewis, who is expected to enter the Hall this year.

Newsome is also a member of the Hall of Fame. Following his standout career as a tight end with the Cleveland Browns, Newsome made the transition to the front office under former Ravens owner Art Modell. With Newsome leading the way [url=http://www.clevelandindiansteamshops.com/authentic-roberto-perez-jersey]Roberto Perez Jersey[/url] , Baltimore won two Super Bowls and reached the postseason five straight years from 2008-12.

DeCosta, 46, joined the Ravens at an entry-level position in 1996 and was schooled by Newsome. Since becoming assistant general manager in 2012, DeCosta spurned numerous job offers from other teams with the assumption, then assurance, that he would inherit Newsome’s job.

”I think he has learned from Ozzie. I think he’s a great leader of the scouts,” Bisciotti said of DeCosta. ”It’s Ozzie’s department, but most of the interaction with all the scouts is with Eric. I’ve seen the way he goes about the business, I’ve seen the way he’s embraced technology and analytics, and I like working with him.”

Bisciotti said of the impending switch from Newsome to DeCosta: ”It’s time. There are people that are running other franchises that got the jobs because Eric wouldn’t take it. This year it was the Packers.”

Bisciotti spoke for nearly an hour in his annual postseason session with the media. He fielded questions on a wide variety of topics – beginning with his decision to retain coach John Harbaugh after Baltimore missed the playoffs for a third straight season.

Firing Harbaugh ”was certainly a consideration, but not one that I was inclined to make this year,” the owner said.

Asked if he would fire Harbaugh if the Ravens fail to reach the postseason in 2018, Bisciotti replied [url=http://www.oaklandraidersteamonline.com/ryan-switzer-jersey]Authentic Ryan Switzer Jersey[/url] , ”I’m not going to give a `playoff or bust’ edict to you all or my coach. He’s under (more) pressure probably than he’s ever been in in his life, and I expect him to … make the most of this season. I may as well replace him now if I’m going to tell him, `Make the playoffs or you’re out of town next year.’ That’s not the way to run a business.”

Though the Ravens have gone 5-11, 8-8 and 9-7 over the last three years, Bisciotti noted that things would have been different were it not for a last-minute loss in Pittsburgh in 2016 and a stunning defeat at home in the finale against Cincinnati this season.

He also cited quarterback Joe Flacco’s slow recovery from an ailing back as a determining factor in 2017.

”We’re literally looking at a few moments of time that went against us,” Bisciotti said. ”We’re not talking about 4-12 seasons here. We’re talking about a franchise quarterback that had a herniated disk and was not healthy for the first half of the year. There’s a couple games that we should have won, that if we did, we might have been resting our starters against Cincinnati. That’s our goal next year.”

Bisciotti hopes that an improved team will draw more fans to home games in 2018. The Ravens sold out every game, but often performed before thousands of empty seats.

”Am I disappointed in it? Yeah. Concerned? Yes,” he said. ”The no-shows are a way of telling us our fans aren’t pleased. We’ve got to win, and I hope that solves a majority of the problems.”

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