The Golden State Warriors weren’t expected to advance past the first round after losing Games 5 and 6 to the Houston Rockets. However, the Warriors are now up 1 game-to-0 against the Minnesota Timberwolves despite not having star Stephen Curry in the second half of Tuesday’s contest. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Curry won’t be available for the Warriors for the foreseeable future.
“Golden State’s Stephen Curry has sustained a Grade 1 left hamstring strain and will be ruled out for Game 2 against Minnesota on Thursday, sources tell ESPN,” Charania said on X. “It’s the first strained muscle of Curry’s career, so exact return timetable is unclear due to first rehab like this.”
How Will Stephen Curry’s Injury Affect Steve Kerr’s Rotation Decisions?
Curry left the second quarter of last night’s game with a hamstring injury and didn’t return. The Warriors opened the second period with a 15-0 run and outscored the Timberwolves 26-11 in the frame to take a 44-31 halftime lead. The Warriors never looked back, extending their advantage to as many as 22 late in the third.
While Curry didn’t see much action in the Warriors 99-88 victory, he was still a vital part of the win. Curry finished with 13 points on 5 of 9 shooting, including 3 of 6 from deep, and one assist in 13 minutes of action. He also posted a +10 plus/minus rating.
There were a lot of things to like from the Warriors’ perspective. Golden State didn’t shoot the ball particularly well, making 39% of their shots. But the Warriors were fantastic from beyond the arc, knocking down 18 of 42 3-point shots and outrebounded the Timberwolves by 10. More importantly, the Warriors were terrific defensively, holding the Wolves to 39% shooting from the field, five triples, and 16 turnovers.
However, Minnesota outscored Golden State 55-53. Buddy Hield and Jimmy Butler were each on the floor for 20+ minutes in the second half. Hield and Butler were among nine Warriors who saw at least two minutes of action over the last 24.
Hield picked up right where he left off in Game 7 against Houston. The 32-year-old tallied 24 points on 7 of 19 shooting, including 5 of 8 from deep, while grabbing eight boards and doling out three assists on Monday. Butler registered his first double-double of the postseason with 20 points, 11 boards, and eight assists. Draymond Green added 18 points, draining 4 of 10 from deep, eight rebounds and six assists.
When Will Stephen Curry Return?
So, when will Curry return to the floor? That is a tough question because hamstring injuries are difficult to treat. Plus, this is the first time Curry has dealt with a hamstring injury.
As Charania pointed out, Grade I injuries are the mildest. On Tuesday, the Warriors said that Curry would be re-evaluated in a week, meaning that Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals next Wednesday will be the earlier Curry will return.
A hamstring could be extremely problematic for Curry, who runs around the floor more than anyone in the league. So, the 37-year-old may be affected more by a hamstring injury than most others.
“This is new, and from all that I’m learning about how quickly you can get back, there has to be a healing process,” Curry told reporters at Thursday’s shootaround. “You can’t accelerate it more than what it’s telling you. So it’ll be one of those, after a week, really reevaluating every day to understand when it’s safe to even think about playing, let alone how much can you push it.”
“There will eventually be conversations like that,” Curry continued. “I’m not even anywhere close to that right now, so I’m not rushing it because there has to be a natural healing process that happens, and the body will tell you even if you’re able to do normal basketball movements, pain-free, and all that stuff.
“And I know how tricky hamstrings can be where they can fool you and think that it’s healed even if you don’t feel anything. And so that gray area is a little, will be confusing I’m sure, but I’ll do everything in my power to get back as soon as possible.”
How Will Steve Kerr Manage His Rotation Without Curry?
According to Steve Aschburner of NBA.com, Golden State is 104-51 in the playoffs with Curry in the lineup since 2013. During this stretch, Curry has missed 12 previous postseason contests, with the Warriors posting a 9-3 record. So, the Dubs have been pretty successful doing this dance.
Curry played 70 regular-season games this year, marking his second straight season in at least 70 contests. He hasn’t appeared in that many games in consecutive years since 2015-17. The Warriors went 7-5 without him this year. However, only three of the games have occurred since the Warriors acquired Butler, and the Dubs have won just one of those contests.
Curry’s three most recent absences saw Butler and Green join Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody in the starting lineup. Quenten Post filled in as the fifth starter twice, while Gary Payton II started one game.
Butler, Green, Podziemski, and Hield appear to be entrenched in Steve Kerr‘s playoff starting lineup. Payton is projected to replace Curry with the first unit going forward. However, Kerr has options.
Curry’s Rotation Options
Payton, who started in place for Podziemski in Game 6 of the first round, was excellent against the Timberwolves on Tuesday night. The 32-year-old tallied eight points, five rebounds, and four assists in a personal playoff-high 26 minutes. Known as a defensive ace, Payton averages 6.7 points along with 2.7 and 2.0 assists in seven postseason games. He averages 1.1 threes this playoff with shooting splits of 52.8/44.4/–.
Even if Payton doesn’t start, he will get plenty of minutes off the bench. Moody, who could start in the backcourt if Kerr elects not to go with Payton, is also in line to see increased playing time over the next three games.
If Kerr decides to go with a bigger starting lineup, Jonathan Kuminga, Kevon Looney, or Post could get the call. Post is firmly part of Kerr’s rotation. Kuminga picked up the start in Butler’s absence in the first round and saw 13 minutes of court time on Tuesday. Looney has appeared in all eight playoff games, but his minutes have been sporadic.
Second-year point guard Pat Spencer is also an option after his stellar performance against the Rockets. Spencer has only played 39 minutes in the playoffs in five appearances. He has reached double-figures twice and tallied 31 overall with shooting splits of 71.4/50/1.000.
“Pat is a damn good basketball player,” Green told The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson II and Shakeia Taylor. “And I know he don’t look like it. He don’t just jump off the page at you when you see him in a basketball jersey. I don’t think the No. 61 helps him. But he is one of the toughest guys on this team, including myself.
Photo Credit: © Bruce Kluckhohn, Imagn Images
The post Steph Curry Speaks On When He May Return In Playoffs & How Will The Warriors Navigate His Absence? appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.