Golden State Warriors Christmas wish-list: Health

The Golden State Warriors will be asking for a lot of different wishes this Christmas, perhaps their most important one will be staying healthy.

If there is one word to sum up the Golden State Warriors season so far it would be injuries. Since the start of the season, the Warriors have seen some type of injury to eight different players. The most notable being injuries to Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and now Damian Jones.

These injuries have of course had a profound effect on the team and their trajectory this season. Before the year was plagued by injury, the team had a 10-1 record and were on fire. After Curry was sidelined, the Warriors took a drastic turn for the worse.

Since Curry’s injury, the Warriors have gone 5-7 including a four-game losing streak. Even when Curry returned to the lineup, the Dubs were defeated 111-102 by the Detroit Pistons.

Having Draymond Green be sidelined due to a suspension and toe injury has not helped the team in any way. Green is the heart and soul of the team and without him to fire up the engine at all times, the Dubs have struggled. They rely on his defensive presence and offensive playmaking to open up the floor for the rest of the team.

The only positive thing about the slew of injuries has been Kevin Durant‘s performances. In the wake of losing his All-Star teammates, Durant took matters into his own hands and attempted to lead the Warriors.

Over a four-game stretch in which Golden State went 3-1, Durant averaged 44.0 points, 9.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game. This stretch included a game in which Durant had 51 points and 11 rebounds versus the Toronto Raptors.

Moving forward, the Golden State Warriors will not be able to rely solely on Kevin Durant to lead the way. The team will not be successful if this is what they are forced to do. Keeping their core healthy as well as the little support off the bench that they have left is extremely important.