As I’ve mentioned to friends and tweeted several times, the Golden State Warriors faced very little adversity during the 2015/16 NBA season. Yes, their Coach, Steve Kerr, was out for an extended period because of his back, but that only seemed to make them stronger. With their swagger and dominance (and pursuit of 73 wins), I couldn’t help but wonder when adversity would hit them. I felt it was only a matter of time and thought it would probably be Curry.
Was anyone surprised when he hurt his ankle in Game 1 vs the
Houston Rockets? With his history of ankle sprains and the 2011 surgery for
torn ligaments, one would expect those issues to come back at some point. Did
they really need to play him at all in this series against an awful Rockets
team? The Warriors may regret that decision.
Were you surprised after Curry hurt his knee in Game 4? Maybe
it was a fluke (slipping on the court) but for it to happen so quickly after
his ankle injury makes me wonder about his durability.
My friend Manfred tweeted this:
“82 regular season
games of getting chased and pounded takes a toll on a small frame.”
Keep in mind that Curry didn’t even play in many 4th
quarters this season, so he should have a lot less ‘wear and tear’ on his body
than other superstars - most of them having played higher minutes per game.
I enjoy Curry’s game immensely and love the way he competes
and plays. He has made basketball more fun and inspired the art of shooting. As
a sharp shooter in my high school and Division 1 collegiate days, watching
Curry’s ball handling and insane shooting skills brings me great joy. In
addition, I suspect he’s brought many new fans to the NBA and basketball in
general.
But….whether it is past or present players, durability is
essential to success in the NBA.
Allen Iverson had a small frame as well, but was as durable
as they come. Magic, Wade, Bird, Jordan, Thomas, Nowitzki, Duncan, Kobe, Stockton,
Hakeem, Kareem, Big O, West, Frazier, Malone, Lebron, Ewing, Kidd, Pippin,
Shaq, Dr. J, Moses, Barkley, Wilt, Russell, Cousy and Dumars, just to name a
few, were all durable. They were out there for the majority of their ‘moment of
truth’ playoff moments. As I write, Steph isn’t on the court in arguably the
biggest playoff moment of his career.
As banged up as Dwayne Wade (3 Rings) has been in his
career, he was on the hardwood when it came time to compete for the
Championship. Isiah ‘Zeke’ Thomas (2 Rings) played on a bad ankle against my
Lakers in the 1988 NBA Finals and scored 25 points in one quarter. After he
returned from his baseball vacation, Jordan won 3 Titles and didn’t miss any
games from 1995 to 1998.
Most of the great players have been on the floor when it
mattered most. Some of them have been hurt or not been a factor during a
playoff run, but usually they were healthy enough to compete. Part of being
great is being durable. Even Bill Walton (Mr. Bad ankles) won two titles.
Imagine if he had been healthy.
Do I think Curry will return this season? No, I don’t.
I’m hopeful though, especially for all the fans of the game
who want to see the Warriors make a historic run after going 73-9 (a record) in
the regular season. He’s already out for two weeks, which mentally will be
tough on both the team and Curry. If Curry should return, his mind and body will
be thinking about the aforementioned injuries and that can’t be positive for
his psyche.
This could very well be the beginning of the end for Steph, as injuries may rear their ugly head and not give him the chance to compete at his highest level. With Curry’s contract (only $11 million per year and low for a superstar) up at the end of next season, the Warriors will be between a rock and a hard place. Do they really want to give him maximum money ($20 million+ per year) with the chance that he could become another Grant Hill?
This could very well be the beginning of the end for Steph, as injuries may rear their ugly head and not give him the chance to compete at his highest level. With Curry’s contract (only $11 million per year and low for a superstar) up at the end of next season, the Warriors will be between a rock and a hard place. Do they really want to give him maximum money ($20 million+ per year) with the chance that he could become another Grant Hill?
I feel bad for him, as he’s a class individual and the team
had a chance to do something special, by winning back to back NBA
Championships. With him healthy, I felt they would have closed the deal. In
addition, Curry’s status as a 2x Champion would have put him in that
‘Isiah Thomas’ category. Without that second ring, one can’t place him in that
rarified air.
Can the Warriors win a NBA Title without Curry? Slim to no
chance in my opinion. The Spurs and Cavaliers are too strong and currently
healthy. Even if Curry does return, a sprained knee isn’t the type of injury
one wants to come back from after being out 2-3 weeks.
With Curry expected to win his 2nd consecutive MVP Trophy
this season, I immediately thought of Steve Nash; who won two MVP’s as well,
but never got that Championship. If Curry stays healthy for the next 6-7 years,
he has a chance to become the best guard of all time.
Steph will go down as one of the best shooters in NBA history no matter what
his future holds, but getting more rings, having longevity like Nash and being
durable is a big question mark.
I will leave you with this timely message from Ben Golliver
on Twitter:
“Stephen Curry news reminds me of crazy Lebron James
factoid: He’s never missed a playoff game for any reason. 42.5 MPG/182 games in
playoffs.”
Happy Gswede Tuesday!
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| Nash and Curry in Action |
