For a team that's faced as much adversity as the Golden State Warriors this season, more injuries seems almost unfair, doesn't it?
Yet that's exactly what the Warriors must reckon with after Al Horford and Seth Curry left their game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday due to injury. Second-year center Quinten Post also sprained his ankle in the loss.
With Stephen Curry out for at least four more games due to knee soreness, things are looking extremely dire for Golden State's rotation. As they try to fight through these injuries, it's the most they can do to even stay afloat in the race for the seventh or eighth seed in the West, which would place them in the upper half of the play-in standings.
This upcoming East Coast road trip, which kicks off today with a matchup against the New York Knicks, could define their season. But they will face a dismal injury reality from the offset. It's hard to imagine things getting any worse.
Warriors' injuries will make this next stretch of games unbelievably difficult
It's been written about ad nauseam to this point, but it's worth taking a look at Golden State's injury updates heading into this road trip. Both Curry and Jimmy Butler remain out. Draymond Green is set to miss his second straight game with lower back soreness. Al Horford will miss time with his calf injury, and Moses Moody remains out with the wrist injury he suffered last week. Seth Curry suffered an adductor strain which will sideline him for some time as well.
Against New York particularly, the Warriors will also be missing both De'Anthony Melton (knee) and Kristaps Porzingis (illness management). Post is questionable with the aforementioned ankle injury.
This would be tough no matter the context of the schedule. But Golden State have just 16 games to fight their way into the top half of the play-in, and their six-game road trip could effectively determine their season as a result.
Over the next ten days, they will face the Knicks, the Washington Wizards, the Boston Celtics, the Detroit Pistons, the Atlanta Hawks, and the Dallas Mavericks all on the road. The Wizards, Hawks, and Pistons don't represent formidable challenges. But the Knicks, Celtics, and Pistons are quite possibly the three best teams in the East.
If Golden State can exit this road trip with a 3-3 record, they'll be well-poised to capitalize on Curry's return and threaten the Phoenix Suns or Los Angeles Clippers for their place in the standings over the final 10 games of the season.
But with the injuries they're facing, it will be incredibly difficult to even get to that mark.