The Golden State Warriors have gone from first to worst in the blink of an eye, and it's not hard to understand why.
Kevin Durant left. Klay Thompson is recovering from a torn ACL. Glue guys like Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, and DeMarcus Cousins are all gone. Then, early this season, Stephen Curry broke his hand and has been sidelined ever since.
While Durant isn't walking through that door and Thompson is not returning at any point this season, Curry is expected to be back on the floor some time in March.
Curry didn't suffer the type of potentially career-altering injury that Durant and Thompson did, but he still had to undergo surgery, and bringing him back at this point is still risky.
I must ask: why?
Why would the Warriors, a team with the worst record in the NBA and with a great shot at landing the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft, as a result, want to let Curry get back on the court and risk re-injury?
Not only that, but why would you want to win any more games?
Golden State is not going to the playoffs. To be brutally honest, the Dubs stink right now. Draymond Green can't do it all on his own, as outside of Andrew Wiggins, the rest of the roster is full of names even dedicated NBA fans would struggle to recognize.
But getting Curry, arguably a top-five player in the NBA, back would certainly increase the Warriors' chances of being competitive and winning some games, which is exactly the opposite of what Golden State should be aiming for at this stage.
Again, I understand Curry did not have a very serious injury. It was just a broken hand, which shouldn't prevent Curry from continuing his fruitful NBA career.
But just imagine if Curry returns and suffers another injury, one more severe than the broken hand. Then what? How would Steve Kerr and Co. live that down?
What would become of the Dubs if Curry gets hurt and has to miss time next season as a result? Would it really have been worth bringing him back for the last month?
I get that Curry is a professional athlete and wants to play as soon as possible. He's a competitor. It's in his blood. But sometimes, you have to save athletes from themselves.
Remember when Curry slipped on a wet spot in the playoffs back in 2016 and just barely avoided an ACL tear? Think about it: that's how close Curry was to seeing his career trajectory change, and it was just because of some sweat on the court.
But that was the playoffs. Imagine if that occurs during a meaningless regular-season game, one in which a win would actually hurt the Warriors more than it would help?
Golden State should be worrying about two things right now: its draft positioning and getting its trio of Curry, Thompson, and Green on the floor together next season.
Bringing Stephen Curry back with just a few weeks left in the 2019-20 campaign should not even be under consideration, but apparently, the Warriors are going to do it. Hopefully, it doesn't end up being a huge mistake.
Follow Us
Subscribe