The Golden State Warriors are coming off a nightmarish 1-4 week after imploding following a 121-116 loss to the L.A. Clippers, and while the locker room drama between Kevin Durant and Draymond Green has taken the headlines, the franchise's biggest issue is what lies past the uniform — the prolonged absence of Stephen Curry.
Curry got off to a blistering start to the NBA season, leading the league in scoring with an average of 29.5 points per game, one that went under 30 points per outing for the first time this season after suffering a groin injury against the Milwaukee Bucks, which has kept him out the last six games.
The injury will keep him out an additional three games, as he's slated to be re-evaluated on Saturday and has already been ruled out for that game, leaving the Warriors once again Curry-less for this entire week.
So how much has the team suffered without their franchise star? The Warriors have gone a mere 2-4 during his absence and it just hasn't been pretty, as they've gone from being the top-scoring team with the best record in the league to a run-of-the-mill team in the West, clawing their way into the top-four of the Western Conference.
Golden State's points per game are down by nearly 18 points, while their 3-point percentage has dropped precipitously from a league-leading 42 percent to start out the year to a mere 32 percent in the six games without him.
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While Draymond Green being out in four of those last six games has factored into their losses, he's been a relative non-factor at the scoring end, putting up only 6.9 points on 44.4 percent shooting and shooting 22.2 percent from deep — the worst since his rookie year.
How important is Curry?
Yet it is Curry's presence that has completely shaken this team, something that has been largely swept under the rug in the midst of the more-provocative headlines.
Since the start of the Steve Kerr era, the Warriors are merely 23-22 without Curry, but what is perhaps the most mind-blowing omission is how much this team so desperately needs him.
The era of the Four Horsemen has drummed opponents to a tune of a plus-16.9 per 100 possessions, according to numbers guru Tom Haberstroh of NBC Sports Bay Area.
Removing Kevin Durant, which has become the greatest fear in the Bay Area since he signed a one-and-one deal, brings little difference, as the Warriors are a plus-14.8 per 100 possessions in 672 minutes with the original lineup of Curry, Green and Klay Thompson.
Taking Thompson away along with Durant results in a plus-13.9 per 100 efficiency in 526 minutes of playing time, still enough to blow opponents away.
Benching Green along with the other two All-Stars still doesn't make a dent, as Curry still registers a plus-14.3 in 216 minutes of solo action. Let your mind slowly explode.
To think the Warriors wouldn't struggle without Curry is more than just an aberration, but flat out blasphemy for anyone who has watched him ascend as the most transcendent player in today's game.
Curry's presence, for one, makes teams have to start guarding him several feet beyond the 3-point line, a respect that no other player in the NBA has yet to earn. That alone amplifies the space for his All-Star partners and role players to find spots on the floor, all benefitting from his bona fide ability to make defenses pay for leaving him open around the perimeter.
Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant throwing up more bricks than usual
It's no secret Klay Thompson has struggled to be that second star to keep the Warriors afloat. The marksman has shot only 5-of-27 (18.5 percent) from the 3-point line during the Dubs' recent three-game losing road trip. Dating back to Curry's absence doesn't get much better either, as he's shot 15-of-55 from deep (27.2 percent) during the two-time MVP's absence.
Thompson is still operating as a catch-and-shoot perimeter option, but the lack of a savvy backcourt partner has impacted him, as most of his looks have been well-contested and not as wide-open as he would've liked. Part of it is Curry's nifty bait-and-switch ability that makes him a nightmare to defend off the ball, often creating nooks for Thompson to slip through.
Durant, not as much of volume shooter from long-range as Curry or Thompson, has also struggled from distance, making only 1 of his last 17 attempts from downtown and shooting only 4-of-22 during Curry's absence. His affinity for the pull-up jumper is hit-or-miss and in the last four games, it's been way more misses than hits from beyond the arc.
When does this nightmare end?
The Warriors have a chance to prove themselves this week, as they will be home for the next four games before embarking on a five-game road trip. That test will start on Wednesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder, who just got Russell Westbrook back from injury. Yet Golden State will be forced to play without Curry and Green, leaving it all up for the duo of Durant and Thompson to figure out.
Curry will be out on Friday against the West-leading Portland Trail Blazers as well as Sunday against the Sacramento Kings, making his next potential date of return the last Monday of the month against the Orlando Magic.
The Warriors have listed him out ahead of time, hoping to be utmost careful with an injury he's never suffered before in his career. Curry moved well during Tuesday practice and is hopeful to rejoin the team — but until then, it'll be up to these injury-riddled Warriors to figure out a way to win games without their most vital member.
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