Report: Stephen Curry in Danger of Missing Beginning of Conf. Semis
What's the story?
The Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry could miss the beginning of Round 2 as he recovers from a knee injury.
In case you didn't know...
Steph Curry injured his left knee playing against the Atlanta Hawks as center JaVale McGee fell on his knee while landing while trying to block a shot.
The heart of the matter...
The Warriors are one road win away from sweeping their first round opponents, the San Antonio Spurs. With the New Orleans Pelicans being in a similar situation, a first-round matchup between the two teams could create a problem for the defending champions.
The 2 time MVP "is still not close to playing" as he recovers from a Grade 2 MCL sprain. He is due to be re-evaluated on Friday but still "isn't in the final stages of his rehabilitation", according to Marcus Thompson II of the Athletic.
With both the teams nearing their first-round win, the second round could start as early as April 28.
The Warriors have been playing top-notch basketball even without their point guard as they have been able to defeat the Spurs in all the three games by double digits. With a Kawhi-less Spurs squad, the Warriors definitely have much more talent with 3 All-Stars on their team. But things are bound to get tougher as they face a Pelicans team being lead by Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday who have surprised everybody with their stellar play on both ends of the floor.
As talented as this Warriors team is, they are unarguably a much more formidable with Curry as their floor general. The presence of the greatest shooter of all time on the floor spreads the defense of the opposition which allows open lanes for others and himself and takes double teams away from Durant.
What's next?
Curry was initially expected to miss between 4-6 weeks which would set him up for a return to 4th May. He is due to re-evaluated on Friday.
Author's take
Facing this Pelicans team as a second-round matchup without Steph Curry is going to be tough for this Warriors. Having said that, it will be better if they get a fully healthy Curry rather than a hobbled and vulnerable one.