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The Golden State Warriors are thriving once again. They are currently 47-23, and while the first part was better than the second part of the season, they are still an amazing team.
Unfortunately, Golden State will be without Stephen Curry for at least two weeks as he nurses a sprained left foot. Many have already started adjusting their championship favorites as a result, slotting the Dubs a rung below top-tier title contention. Yet, we should not be so rash and recognize that the Warriors are still a great team.
Here are three reasons why Golden State should not worry about Stephen Curry’s absence.
Reasons why Warriors should not worry about Curry’s injury
He is the Warriors’ best player, but not their only threat
Let’s be honest for a moment: The only reason why any team would miss Curry is his offense. Curry has never been much of a defender, regularly bailed out from defending primary ball handlers by Klay Thompson and other wings during his tenure in Golden State. His offense, however, is beyond fantastic and is the primary reason why he’s won two MVPs.
Since that is the case, the Warriors really should not worry too much. They have assembled an incredible roster chock-full of players who can fill it up. While the focus will be on guys like Thompson and Andrew Wiggins, there are other potent threats playing for Golden State.
Both Thompson and Wiggins can score at will. Granted, Thompson has been rusty since coming back from his two-year absence, scoring just 17.8 points on 35% shooting from three. Still, he’s improved over the last five games, most memorably with a 38-point outing in a win against the Milwaukee Bucks. Wiggins is finding his footing again after struggling since the All-Star break, but certainly has the talent to resume his career-best performance from early in the season.
Don’t forget about Jordan Poole, either. He has seen a drop in his role as Thompson’s been worked back into the starting lineup, but has a chance once again to showcase his talent with Curry sidelined.
They are still an elite defensive team
One of the most repeated mantras in the NBA community is that defense wins championships. The Warriors are well aware of this, as two out of three of their title-winning teams were top-two in the league in defensive rating. The outlier is their 2017-18 roster, which ended 11th in the defensive rating but that team had Curry, Thompson and Kevin Durant, so they did not need too much defense.
Golden State is second in the league in defensive rating this season, and losing Curry is not going to impact that standing one bit. With Green back in the fold and a bevy of like-sized wings available, losing a minus defender like Curry could actually benefit the Warriors on that side of the ball.
Curry’s injury is not serious
When you have a player who has a history of injuries and is 33 years old, even a chipped tooth seems like a serious injury. Yet, there are other factors to consider with regard to Curry’s foot sprain.
First, the Warriors star mostly suffered from ankle problems in the past. He infamously played just 26 games in the 2011-12 season due to a right ankle injury. In the 2019-20 season, he played just five games, but that was due to a hand injury. Thus, this sprained ligament in his left foot does not seem as serious and isn’t linked to other issues that have plagued him in the past.