Note: This article is a translation of The Ringer reporter Dan Devine, does not represent the views of translators and platforms, and the relevant data statistics are cut off on March 17, 2022
Introduction: The Warriors have just confidently ushered in Green's return, but Curry's uncertain return has brought an even more brutal blow. For three years, the Warriors' Big Three has always had someone injured and has never been together. After Curry's absence, how will the Warriors deal with the next game?
After waiting for 1,005 days (nearly 3 years), the Warriors finally ushered in the reunion of Curry, Green and Clay on the court, and the three of them can be said to be the golden generation of the Warriors. It was the first time they had played together since the 2019 Finals. But unfortunately, this state of affairs lasted only three days. Now, they're going to start waiting again.
The Warriors played the Celtics at home on Wednesday (U.S. time), and at 4:30 in the second quarter, Klay destroyed the Celtics' pass to Tatum. Curry and Celtics guard Smart then rushed toward the ball on the floor at the same time. When Curry bent down to pick up the ball, Smart also pounced on the floor to chase the ball, and in the process, Smart pressed Curry's left leg.
Curry stood up and limped and got off the field when the ball was stopped. Curry then missed the rest of the game due to sore left foot. In the end, the Warriors lost to the Celtics 88-110 and missed the game. While not every Warriors member thinks Smart is intentional, what happened during the game made Warriors coach Kerr very angry, insisting that Smart's play was "very dangerous" and that he couldn't do that. Regardless of how things go, our biggest concern is Curry's injury, anxiously awaiting the results of the two-time MVP's left foot examination.
According to the name, it is gratifying that Curry's left foot is not structurally damaged, which means that the degree of his injury is not very serious. But at the same time, there's bad news: Curry's return date is uncertain because of a sprained ligament in his left foot. It was undoubtedly a devastating blow for the Warriors, who were convinced they could win their first championship in four years this season. But the premise of winning the championship is that they have enough competitiveness, and with Curry injured, their competitiveness will be greatly reduced.
According to ESPN, Curry is "on track" to return before the playoffs begin on April 16. Even if that's true, and he's 100 percent healthy (which isn't guaranteed), the Warriors will still have trouble with the rest of the regular season. This month, the Golden State Warriors will play eight of their final 12 games on the road. That included a very brutal game week, first to Memphis to challenge the Grizzlies, then the Jazz, then the leading Suns in the West.
The return of Clay and Green could help the Warriors mitigate the adverse effects of Curry's injury, especially as Klay was able to maintain his career-high assist rate and improve his three-point shooting percentage. It's not impossible to do that to help the Warriors through this: In 2015-16, Klay and Green were more efficient than average when they were on the floor without Curry or Durant on the floor. The Warriors' existing roster can get chances by strengthening the defense, but this will only solve the urgent need. In Curry's long absence, winning by keeping their opponents' points within a point per round would be a tough thing to do (the upcoming returning ace finisher Peyton II may help in this regard).
The Warriors need more offense, which could mean Jordan Poole taking on more responsibility. This season, he has also played well when the team encounters similar situations. According to official statistics, the 22-year-old averaged 26.4 points and 4.5 assists in the 36 minutes when Curry wasn't on the floor. In all offensive rounds for the Warriors, he made up 29.5 percent of the offense and scored a 62.3 percent true shooting percentage. Although this shooting rate is not at Curry's level, it is not much different from Curry, and the team does not have to pay such a high salary.
However, no matter how well Jordan Pooler performed, he could not replace Curry. The attention Curry has generated, the vacant opportunities created, the spark of genius burning at the fingertips, and the tacit understanding established with Clay and Green in countless "blood battles" are all things that no one can easily replace.
For the Warriors, not having Curry is like losing the engine that goes forward. According to Cleaning the Glass' statistics, the Golden State Warriors' scoring drop per hundred possessions this season is down 7.4 points per hundred possessions, a gap between the top five and the bottom five teams in the league offensive. Given the adverse impact curry's absence on the team's offense, Klay's precarious state after injury, Green's limited playing time from injury, and injuries to other players in the rotation lineup, the Warriors' prospects for this season look even more uncertain than at the beginning of the season.
After heading into January, the Warriors look like the best team in the league, and they're the favourites to compete for the championship. But now, multiple prediction sites are putting their season rankings behind the Memphis Grizzlies — and the final ranking could be third in the West (they're currently 1.5 wins behind the Grizzlies). Needless to say, the Warriors' first round must have been brutal, whether it was the Nuggets of jokic in the last MVP, or the Lone Rangers in Doncic, or the Jazz in Mitchell, or the Timberwolves under Downs (they have won nine of the last 10 games), they all have the potential to be a stumbling block on the Warriors' road to winning the championship. Of these duels, the most anticipated is a fully fledged Warriors team. But if any of Curry, Clay or Green miss the game, the outcome could be very different.
The situation is really ever-changing, with dramatic changes between electric light and flint, from Smart's save, to Curry limping out of the court, to Thursday's inspection report. It's all about trying to make us understand that the situation in the league is so fickle and that change can come so quickly. Of course, Warriors' followers have become accustomed to these, and they clearly remember how the sweat that Moteyunas left on the floor (Game 4 of the first round of the 2015-16 playoffs, Motai stayed on the floor and suffered a sprained wound to Curry's right knee), Pachulia's foot, and Klay's two injuries (6th game of the 2018-19 Finals, a torn A Cruciate ligament in his left knee, and a torn Achilles tendon in training in November 2020) have changed the history of basketball over the past six years. Three days ago, Green's return gave Curry and Klay a sigh of relief that the Warriors from three years ago seemed to be returning and they could return to the championship race. But now, once again, they're back to where they were 1,005 days ago — hopeful, worried, and waiting.
By Dan Devine
Compiler: Ah Shuai