The Golden State Warriors will be without their franchise player for the next three games. After sustaining a hamstring strain in the first game against the Timberwolves, Steph Curry will sit out a week to heal. But this will not be the first time the Golden State Warriors have had to overcome playoff injuries. They have had their former MVP miss games before, and other star players on the roster. Let’s take a look and see how the Warriors have competed without their star players in the last 10 years. We are taking a look only at the Curry era.
5 Times the Warriors Overcame Injuries in the Playoffs
2016 Playoffs
The Golden State Warriors won 73 games during the 2015-16 season, and many expected them to steamroll on the way to a championship. But things didn’t start all too well for the Warriors. In their first round against the Houston Rockets, they had to manage without Curry for three of the five games. He also missed three games against the Portland Trail Blazers in the second round. The good news is the Warriors managed to close both series in five games, giving him plenty of rest for the last two series.
During that playoff run, he missed games due to a sprained ankle and a knee sprain. Curry continued to play injured all the way to a seven-game NBA Finals. The Warriors lost to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Yet, in the first two rounds, they were able to overcome Curry missing games thanks to a team effort, and Klay Thompson played amazingly. In the first series against the Rockets, Thompson was the leading scorer with 23.4 points per game, and four other players averaged 10+ points. Against the Blazers, Curry led the team with 34.5 points per game, but Klay averaged 31 and Draymond Green had 22.2 per game.
2017 First Round vs. the Blazers
It might seem like the Warriors have always had an injured player against the Blazers. In the 2017 first round, Kevin Durant sat out two of the four games. Even without him, they swept Portland. KD injured his calf during Game 1 and then sat out the next two games. Guard Shaun Livingston also missed three games during that series. Steph Curry was sensational, averaging 29.8 points on 42% from behind the arc.
2018 First Round vs. the Spurs
This time, Steph suffered an injury late in the season. The sad part was that the former MVP suffered a grade-2 MCL sprain in a friendly fire contact with JaVale McGee. He was sidelined for a few weeks and missed the entire first round 4-1 win against the San Antonio Spurs.
With Curry sidelined, KD picked up the slack, averaging 28.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists. Thompson also chipped in, averaging 22.6 points on 51.6% shooting from behind the arc.
2019 Western Conference Finals vs. the Blazers
The Golden State Warriors suffered plenty of playoff injuries during the 2019 run. They eventually made it to the Finals, but they couldn’t overcome all of their injuries. Durant injured his calf during Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Houston Rockets. He missed the entire Western Conference Finals against the Blazers.
Before that, he was their leading scorer, averaging 34 points through the first two series. Steph averaged 24 points in the first two series, but against the Blazers, he went off. With Durant sidelined, Curry scored 36.5 points per game on 42.6% shooting from three-point range.
Who Will Step Up This Time?
As you can see, the Golden State Warriors are no strangers to overcoming playoff injuries. Steph has missed time several times during their championship years. Of course, they had Klay or KD to lean on. This time around, it will be up to Jimmy Butler and Buddy Hield to pick up the slack. Those two can score 20+ points and keep the boat afloat while Steph heals his hamstring.
Featured image: © Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
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