The Golden State Warriors will repeat as NBA champions. A popular sentiment for most of the year. 73 games and one Steph Curry injury later, the Warriors title chances seem to be in serious jeopardy.
Head Coach Steve Kerr ruled him out for the first round of the playoffs per Anthony Slater:
Steve Kerr’s full comment/update on Steph Curry, saying he won’t play in the first round pic.twitter.com/jtQ7aPdP25
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 25, 2018
Kerr’s comments come after Curry’s initial injury diagnosis:
Stephen Curry injury update: pic.twitter.com/Me2a0bARjk
— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) March 24, 2018
As a result, the once invulnerable juggernaut is once again vulnerable. While Curry may return prior to a finals return, he probably will not be 100 percent.
The last time he was not fully healthy the Warriors lost the title to the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was one of the worst series of his career by his standards.
This team is different than that 2016 team in many ways. Physically and mentally both stand alone. However, both teams need Curry at his best to perform at their peak.
Despite having three other All-stars on the roster, Curry’s absence hits hard.
The Warriors are 14.7 points per 100 possessions better than opponents this season with him per ESPN’s The Jump. They are only 2.6 points better with Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and no Curry.
The Warriors can still win a title without Curry, but their chances are much lower. The summary of this season could come down to whether or not Curry’s injury cost his team a title.
While every team in sports has a next man up mentality, there are a few players who the next man up just cannot replace. Curry is that kind of player.
Brendan Abban is the owner and creator of brendanabban.com and hosts the KBR Sports podcast. Follow him on Twitter @BAbban24 or email him via [email protected].
