The star player of the Golden State Warriors, Stephen Curry, remains injured and out of site, resulting in the stress of Warriors fans and sports analysts. An injury in the hamstring occurred during Game 1 of the second-round of the NBA playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves, resulted in Stephen Curry’s early departure. Uncertain of his return to the playoffs, the Warriors are placed in a difficult situation with their hard series against the Houston Rockets. How will the Warriors continue their game with Curry?
Curry’s recovery timeline and the injury
Evaluating Stephen Curry’s hamstring injury and matching it against similar past injuries of NBA players, respected sport medicine expert Dr. Nirav Pandya says that, varying of factors such as severity and age, the average recovery time can take up to six games. Giving hope to the possible return of Curry, Dr Pandya says “This doesn’t mean Curry can’t return sooner”.
Game 1 brings the basketball world to this moment where Stephen Curry misses a few games of the playoffs, possibly affecting the momentum of the Warriors. While there is hope of Curry returning sooner than six games, Coach Steve Kerr mentions an MRI, Curry will undergo, however saying, “With a hamstring, it’s hard to imagine he would play Thursday (Game 2).” there is much concern around his recovery.
Impact on the Warriors’ Playoff progress
With the possibility of missing multiple games in the second round of the playoffs, Stephen Curry’s injury will most likely impact the momentum of the Golden State Warriors, for the worse. Bringing in great shooting skills and leadership, Curry is positioned as a pillar in the franchise and his offense elevates his position.
Coach Steve Kerr is faced with the responsibility to minimise the rotations to promote energy saving, Kerr is also forced to lay bigger responsibility on less experienced players. Although playing a difficulty game in the first series of the players, the Warriors have found their rhythm that could have worked in the second series, however the absence of Curry sets them back to the drawing board.
While their key player, Stephen Curry is temporarily off court, Coach Kerr praises his team’s ability to continue their momentum after the injury of Curry saying their Game 1 win in the second series of the playoffs is “amazing”. Being the lower ranking players in the series, Curry’s unavailability gives them +126 odds at FanDuel.
The uncertainty around Curry’s return
Golden State Warriors fans fuel with anxiety at the unclear stance of the star player Stephen Curry. Hoping that the hamstring injury isn’t severe, there are no updates from the officials which feeds into the assumptions. As the “Dub Nation holds its breath”, there is a heightened intensity amongst the basketball world, with worry about the Warriors capability in the playoffs, and Stephen Curry himself.
Coach Steve Kerr says that “I talked to him at halftime. He’s obviously crushed.” While the announcement of Curry’s return is currently a ticking time bomb, it is important for the player to rest so that risks of aggravation are lessened. While Curry’s MRI results and official update from the Warriors is underway, the team is pressured to plan future games outside of Curry.
The shaky playoffs performance of the Golden State Warriors just tipped off balance with the hamstring injury of Stephen Curry resulting in further hope lost. Estimates of Curry’s game losses amount to a six-game recovery period, however factors such as age, the intensity placed in previous games and the severity of the injury may elongate the recovery period. Playing a very important role in the Warriors, the absence of Stephen Curry brings pressure on the team as they need to go back to the drawing board. There is lack of clarity about the player’s condition and many begin to speculate about what may become of the Warriors.
