Warriors star Stephen Curry knew something was wrong. Head coach Steve Kerr knew something was wrong. And center JaVale McGee, who knew something was wrong, desperately hoped nothing was wrong.
During the third quarter of Friday night's game between the Warriors and Hawks, McGee flew into the air attempting to block a shot and tumbled into Curry's left knee. In his first game back since returning from an ankle injury, Curry was forced to hobble back to the bench.
MORE: Curry's absence will force these three Warriors to step up
Here’s the Steph ankle injury. JaVale fell into him. pic.twitter.com/0uehTBWqUZ
— Dieter Kurtenbach (@dkurtenbach) March 24, 2018
Curry will be out at least three weeks with a sprained left MCL, an injury that made Kerr declare there's "no way" Curry will play in the first round of the playoffs. While Curry would like to prove Kerr wrong and return as soon as possible, it's more likely the Warriors will refuse to rush Curry back into action — and that presents the team with a challenge, one it has encountered before.
-Curry had a Grade 1 MCL sprain in right knee in 2016 playoffs, missed 15 days
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 24, 2018
-Durant had a Grade 2 MCL sprain last season, missed six weeks
-Playoffs start three weeks from tomorrowhttps://t.co/n0wMVzZYF0
Last year's Warriors survived — and even thrived, at times — with Durant out and Curry reaching back to use his MVP powers. However, no Curry for several weeks is an entirely different problem, as we saw in 2016.
The Warriors' culture under Kerr has been one with an emphasis on playing the game with a sense of joy. No one embodies that culture quite like Curry, who is the engine of the NBA's most terrifying winning machine.
That's not an insult to Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson or Draymond Green, all terrific players capable of changing the complexion of a game in minutes. But this team was built based on what Curry can do.
Golden State's net rating drops from 14.7 when Curry is on the floor to 4.3 when Curry sits on the bench, per NBA.com. While the Durant-Thompson-Green trio can dominate an opponent without Curry, that combination sees a similar dip with Curry out. A healthy version of Curry simply takes this team to another level no opponent can reach.
The difference becomes even more noticeable when breaking those numbers down into potential playoff matchups (via ESPN's "SportsCenter").
| Warriors vs. possible first-round opponents | With Curry | Without Curry |
| Record | 14-5 | 2-6 |
| Points per game | 117.7 | 100.1 |
| Points per game differential | plus-7.5 | minus-7.3 |
And it's not just the numbers. The spontaneity of a Curry pull-up 3-pointer in transition or dazzling dribbling display through the lane can captivate the crowd at Oracle Arena and force Curry's teammates to leap out of their seats. They had to feel for the guy who was just returning from a nagging ankle injury only to get drilled in the knee this time around.
General mood from the Warriors locker room was disappointment for Curry, after coming back from the ankle injuries, and hope that he'll be back around the first round of the playoffs. Maybe not the start of it.
— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) March 24, 2018
Curry isn't the only one on the mend, as the Warriors have dealt with an unusual number of injuries to their stars. (McGee said it was "like a juju or something on us.") Curry's combination of ankle and knee injuries has been the most troubling, though, and we saw what happened when a limited Curry met Kevin Love in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals. He just wasn't the same guy.
So, what now? There will certainly be additional pressure on Durant to lead the offense while playing All-NBA defense. Quinn Cook must remain aggressive in Curry's absence, and Thompson and Green need to turn up their intensity for the playoff run. Golden State can focus on performance rather than wins with the No. 2 seed essentially locked up, so Kerr has the luxury of being judicious when it comes to rest.
"I think we'll be able to put something together and really build some momentum," Kerr said Monday (via The Athletic's Anthony Slater). "Then the plan would be, at some point, to get Steph back and we'll really get a boost. Then now we're rolling."
But the biggest problem might be maintaining the fun factor after three consecutive years of NBA Finals appearances. It's been a slow grind for these Warriors with more bumps and bruises than usual this season. Curry has felt that as much as anyone.
The upcoming stretch without Curry will test the culture instilled by Kerr back in 2014. With challengers lurking and waiting to attack a weakened champion, we will soon find out if the Warriors can still find joy with a difficult road ahead.
