The injuries continue to pile up, but the Warriors still sit in great position.
For the week of Monday, Mar. 26 – Sunday, Apr. 1
Record: 1-2
A lot has gone right for the Warriors over the last several years, but lately, that just hasn't been the case.
Imagine, the first team in NBA history to have four All-Stars in consecutive seasons loses not one, not two, not three...but all four star players to injury in a span of six games. That stretch doesn't even include the game in which Stephen Curry hurt his ankle, and right in line with the Warriors' luck lately, the two-time MVP suffered a sprained MCL in his first game back. Draymond Green, who suffered a pelvic injury in the loss to the Spurs to begin last week, was slated to return on Sunday, but came down with flu-like symptoms.
You can't make this stuff up.
The fact of the matter is, the Warriors have not played a game in which Curry, Green, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson all participated in almost three full weeks, dating back to a 110-107 victory over the Spurs on March 8, the very same game in which Curry hurt his ankle. Now, one could make the argument that these injuries could be a blessing in disguise, as they afford the Warriors' most critical players - three of which have gone to back-to-back-to-back NBA Finals – some time late in the regular season to recharge their batteries and get ready for what they hope to be a long playoff campaign. That said, you'd always prefer to be healthy going into the postseason, and the hope now is that Golden State can get as close to that idea as possible.
We know 'healthy' will have to exclude Curry, who is slated to be re-evaluated in three weeks, right as the playoffs begin. While nobody knows how Curry's body will respond over that time, at this point, the Warriors must assume that whoever they face in the first round of the playoffs, they will have to do so without one of the best players in the world.
"Oh there's no way he's playing in the first round, there's no way," said Steve Kerr of Curry ahead of Sunday's loss to the Jazz. "He's being re-evaluated in three weeks. We have to be ready to play without him and see how he's coming along. The good thing is that we have been through this. We went through it last year with KD, he missed five weeks or so. It wasn't exactly the same timeline, but it was a similar injury and similar circumstance where we had to play without one of our best players. We felt that appropriate fear and turned it up and got it going. When KD came back, Finals MVP after missing six weeks."
"There are a lot of similarities here," Kerr added, "and I think we should feel good about our ability to play through this stuff.”
Alright, now that we've delved into the negative, how about some good news?
By defeating the Hawks on Friday on the same night the Trail Blazers lost to the Celtics, the Warriors' magic number to clinch a top-two seed in the West is down to one. That means a single Golden State victory, or a single Portland defeat throughout the remainder of the regular season will ensure the Warriors finish no worse than second in the conference.
That's kind of a big deal, given Golden State's current injury situation. Obviously they'd prefer to have a completely healthy roster, but there is some comfort in knowing that while they're this depleted, it won't have a drastic impact on the team's regular season finish and playoff seeding.
Moving forward, the number of games remaining on the Warriors' regular season slate is down to single digits (nine). The playoffs are definitely in sight. Now it's just a matter of getting healthy before they begin.
Standout Spotlight: Andre Iguodala
There are two other holdovers from the Warriors' back-to-back-to-back Finals trips, and one of them in particular is getting hot at the right time.
Andre Iguodala's value to Golden State has never been limited to the points he scores. He does so many other things, and his versatility has been critical to the Dubs' success over the last several years.
However, it certainly doesn't hurt when opposing defenses have to account for Iguodala, in addition to the bevy of deadly scorers the Warriors already possess. Early in the season, Iguodala was struggling from three-point range, but ever since the All-Star break, he's been a totally different three-point marksman.
Entering Sunday's game against Utah, Iguodala had made a three-pointer in five-straight games, a season-best streak. Prior to that game, he hadn't made more than two treys in a game all season, but he doubled that against the Jazz, converting four of his five attempts from beyond the arc.
For the week, Iguodala shot 55.6 percent from the field, 60.0 percent from three-point range and led the team in total plus-minus (plus-16). And, with last week now in the rearview mirror, Iguodala has made precisely 50.0 percent of his three-point attempts since returning from the All-Star break.
With the regular season nearing its end, Iguodala's timing couldn't be better:
"Andre looks great," said Steve Kerr following Sunday's loss. "The last month his body, his athleticism, his bounce – it's all coming together. I think that's a great sign for us. You always know you can count on him to know what is happening on the floor and make the right plays, but when he's looking this spry and athletic, that's when we are really tough to beat."
As things come together for Iguodala, they tend to do the same for the team in general.
The Week Ahead:
Halfway through their four-game homestand, the Warriors will finish that off in the week ahead. Golden State will open the week with home games against the Pacers and Bucks on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively, representing the last time the Dubs will play consecutive home games until the playoffs begin. Once the homestand concludes, the Warriors will head out on the road for their final game of the week, making the short trip up to Sacramento for their final matchup with the Kings this season on Saturday. The Kings have already defeated the Warriors twice this year, and both the Bucks and Pacers are likely headed to the postseason, with Indiana having already clinched a playoff spot. As such, Golden State's slate in the week ahead is no small task, but with each day that passes, the Dubs' injured players get that much closer to returning.
Till next week.