The Golden State Warriors avoided the worst on Thursday night.
Had Steph Curry come down on his tailbone and something seriously bent, squished, or cracked, the Warriors season would have ended on a puzzling no-call.
Fortunately for the Dubs, Curry only has a pelvic contusion. (Easy for me to suggest that’s “fortunate.”) There’s optimism that he can be back with the team in days, not weeks. The Warriors announced Friday morning that Curry will be re-evaluated after the weekend.
But while the Warriors and fans breathe a sigh of relief, they should also take in a dose of reality.
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What the Dubs have done over the last six weeks with Jimmy Butler now in the fold is nothing short of outstanding. It’s worthy of celebration and a bit of extrapolation as well. Every other column I write seems to argue that it’s a good time to consider the Warriors a legitimate title contender.
That’s still the case.
But the Curry injury is a stark reminder of how fragile the Warriors’ newfound position is, both in the standings and on the court.
Looking at the Western Conference standings for most of the Warriors’ season wasn’t fun. But with the Dubs catapulting up to the No. 6 seed seemingly overnight, it’s become a fun little hobby to imagine how high this team could go before the end of the campaign.
As of Friday morning, the Dubs were 2.5 games out of the No. 4 seed — and home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The No. 2 seed is a stretch but hardly impossible — the Warriors are four games behind the Rockets. And with a 16-2 record with Butler in the lineup, it only seems fair to wonder how high the Warriors can fly before the regular season ends in three weeks.
The Warriors aren’t guaranteed anything, though. The Clippers and Timberwolves are both hot on the team’s tail for a real playoff spot — 1.5 games back as of Friday. The Warriors, surely like Curry, wish they had more insulation at the bottom.
Before the details of Curry’s injury were fully known, Butler suggested the Dubs would need to play “perfect” basketball without him. At least with Butler — a true alpha — in tow now, such an idea isn’t far-fetched, particularly if it’s only for a couple of games.
The absence of Curry will highlight just how disorganized and aimless this team was before Butler’s arrival.
The latter will step into the former’s role as the focal point of the team’s offense. But, once again, we’re asking the question that had defined the Warriors’ season before the trade deadline:
Who is the No. 2?
The Butler trade was so important at the time it was made (as if anyone would question it now) because it provided clarity to the entire roster. Instead of a crew of three or four players feeling out games, seeing if they should — or could — be Curry’s sidekick on any given evening, there was an established hierarchy at all times on the floor. It was all about Curry, and if Curry wasn’t playing, then Butler.
Is Jonathan Kuminga — who has been up-and-down since returning from injury (what’s new?) — going to fall back into old, unsavory habits now that the Dubs need someone to step up with Curry out of the lineup? Is Brandin Podziemski going to start doing too much? Is Butler capable of carrying the heavy offensive load night after night? After all, he’s spent the last month-plus searching for his shot and filling up the stat sheet everywhere else.
The answers to these questions could define the Dubs’ regular season, even if they’re only asked for three or four games. The stakes are high and the margin for error is slim.
And, of course, it all brings up a topic no one wants to discuss:
When the playoffs — or play-in tournament — begins, is this Warriors team spry enough to go two, three, or four rounds?
Experience is great, but it comes with wear and tear. Can old legs carry them where they want to go?
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Curry’s injury could have happened to anyone. But his being sidelined, immediately following a downturn in performance tied to back issues, is a potent reminder that he just turned 37 years old.
Now, Butler and Draymond Green, who are both 35 years old, will be asked to take on even more work to cover for Curry’s absence.
Would it be nice if the young and well-rested Kuminga, 22, could take on that role? Of course. But there’s a reason Butler is here. And thank goodness he is.
But it feels whimsical to recall the days when the Warriors used to win the playoff series without Curry.
The Warriors might as well be in the playoffs right now, though. With every game carrying heavy meaning, we’ll see what this load does to the Dubs’ other veterans before the real playoffs start.
