The Golden State Warriors have been barrelling towards the depths of despair all season long but their free fall may have hit a sudden stop.
The 2019-20 NBA season has been far from kind to the Golden State Warriors. Already facing seemingly insurmountable odds with the loss of Kevin Durant and a sidelined Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry‘s fractured left hand put the nail in the coffin for their playoff hopes.
In the absence of three of their key players, the Warriors stumbled out the gates. They have plummetted from the top of the Western Conference and will finish the season with 50+ losses for the first time since 2010.
It seems the end of the season may come sooner than expected. With 17 games remaining in the schedule, the NBA has suspended play as they attempt to contain the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
This sudden stoppage of play is going to have huge ramifications across the entire league. Depending on how long this suspension lasts, it’s possible the association will skip straight to the playoffs, effectively ending the Warriors season.
If this is the end, how will the Dubs remember this year? There are only a few pleasant takeaways, most of which were nothing more than moral victories. The team displayed a championship culture even when losing and never abandoned their ‘Strength in Numbers’ motto, ranking among the league leaders in passes per game.
This extra time off could serve the team well. This releases some pressure off of Curry who was desperately trying to return to the lineup. Now, he can rest easy and prepare for a potential trip to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (assuming the games go as planned).
The Warriors will benefit from extra time to recuperate before hitting next season hard. Hopefully, the league will be back in action soon.
For more information about COVID-19, visit the CDC’s website or the website for your state’s Department of Health.