X-factor with strong impact on Warriors playoff run: Stephen Curry’s health
It seems likely that Stephen Curry is going to miss the rest of the regular season. Curry sprained his foot in a dangerous play from Celtics guard Marcus Smart. Everyone seems ready to defend Smart’s play, not calling it dirty.
Regardless, Curry is going to be getting back into action just in time for the playoffs, and the Warriors are not even close to better than the Mavericks or Nuggets without Curry on the court.
If there’s one single factor that’ll undoubtedly impact the Warriors postseason, it’s health, and it’ll be important for both Curry and Green to be at 100%.
That said, the Warriors are just 3-6 this season without Curry. They were 2-7 without Curry last season. Replacing Curry is more than just the scoring: it’s the spacing he brings on the offensive end among several other intangibles the two-time MVP offers Golden state.
The Warriors are not going to make it out of the first round if Curry can’t get back to full strength, and that’s certainly going to be something to monitor as the end of the regular season.