The Golden State Warriors are dragging themselves through this final stretch of the regular season before they embark on their journey to try to reclaim the NBA championship. Golden State started off their 2021-22 campaign atop the NBA, going 18-2 through their first 20 games. But they have dropped to third in the Western Conference and have gone 9-14 since February, including Monday's brutal 123-95 loss to the no. 2 seed Memphis Grizzlies.
The Warriors have been dealing with injuries throughout the season. This will remain their biggest roadblock to winning the 2022 NBA Finals in June.
Warriors' Biggest Roadblock: Injuries
Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala have proven that they can lead a team to a championship. However, that core is currently hobbling to the finished line as we speak.
To start, the Warriors were never truly healthy to begin the season. James Wiseman and Klay Thompson were already projected to begin the year on the sidelines. Wiseman just came off knee surgery in mid-April 2021. Meanwhile, Thompson was still recovering from his torn Achilles to start the 2021-22 campaign and only returned to the lineup on January 9.
Unfortunately, that is when Golden State's string of bad luck began. The same game Thompson returned was also when Green began to feel discomfort in his left calf. The injury was apparently related to a disc in his lower back. What was initially believed as a minor issue turned into a two-month absence for the four-time All-Star.
The Warriors initially held their ground without Green, even going on a nine-game winning streak at one point. But not having their defensive anchor and primary distributor proved to be unsustainable. After the streak, Golden State went on to lose nine of their next 11 outings.
Green returned a couple of weeks ago, on March 14, against the Washington Wizards. This marked the first game the Warriors' golden trio of Steph, Klay and Dray played together in 1,005 days. The Dubs also seemed poised to gain momentum through this final stretch of the season.
The honeymoon phase, however, did not last long. In Golden State's very next outing against the Boston Celtics, it was Stephen Curry's turn on the sidelines. The two-time NBA MVP injured his foot after Celtics guard Marcus Smart fell on his leg while scrambling for a loose ball.
After the Curry injury, the Warriors confirmed sophomore center James Wiseman would be done for the season due to a setback in his recovery. Meanwhile, Andre Iguodala dealt with back issues for two months. He has only appeared in 27 games this season. Though he returned on Monday versus Memphis, you have to think that at 37, does he still have enough left for a grueling playoff run?
The Warriors remain optimistic that Curry can still return for the playoffs. But it's not as if he'll magically save all of Golden State's problems right now.
Green hasn't looked like himself since returning from his back injury. While Thompson has had some explosive nights, he is still regaining his form for the most part, especially after coming off two of the most grueling injuries in basketball (torn ACL and torn Achilles).
Things are certainly not looking good for the Warriors at this point. All the core four is heading into the postseason having some kind of ailing limb. And if Golden State is not able to overcome this, it will be due to the injuries they have dealt with all season long.
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