Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors are on their way to history with their impressive 33-2 start, making it evident that they’re chasing the NBA record of 72-10 season by the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls.
However, one thing could derail that record and that is the lingering shin injury of reigning 2014-15 NBA MVP Steph Curry. The Warriors have already missed their head coach Steve Kerr for the first 35 games, with interim head coach Luke Walton filling in admirably. But now comes the question on what do with Curry’s shin injury.
Curry spoke with ESPN’s Ethan Sherwood Strauss via CBSSports.com on his frustrating injury.
“It’s just frustrating and annoying and any other adjective you want to throw in there,” Curry told reporters, via ESPN’s Ethan Sherwood Strauss. “Long-term, it’s not something that I’ll have to worry about. It’s just playing through an injury that’s there. It doesn’t get worse if I play on it, unless I get kicked, and that’s happened three times since I did it, so hopefully it won’t keep happening again.”
Trainers told Curry he’d be fully healed in “a while, like four weeks,” Curry said. “I’m not going to sit out four weeks, so just got to figure out how to protect it while I’m out on the floor and keep playing. We’ve done a good amount and just had a couple unlucky plays, and we’ll keep addressing it.”
It’s commendable to see Curry tough it out, and want to help his team win and chase history, but one has to wonder why the Warriors don’t rest their franchise player and let him heal.
Curry leads the league in scoring at 29.3 points per game, tied for 3rd with 2.2 steals and 13th with 6.3 assists, but his impact goes beyond stats.
Curry’s playmaking, leadership, and presence to keep teams honest on a nightly basis is something teams key on and scout every night. If Curry continues to play on a wounded shin, and god-forbid has to miss significant time is the almighty 73-9 record worth it?
The 1995-96 Chicago Bulls did reach and mark their place in history going 72-10, but more importantly won the NBA championship defeating the Seattle Supersonics in 6 games.
73-9 is great, terrific, but having Steph Curry limping going into the playoffs with the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder waiting is risky.
Injuries are part of the game, and last year lady luck was on their side while other Western Conference foes didn’t have that same fortune. Curry led the Warriors to their first championship in 40 years over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Clearly with this start to the regular season going back to back is on their minds.
Though injuries have become an issue early on. Harrison Barnes missed a couple weeks with an ankle sprain, but rejoined the team this past Monday. Curry has made it known he will play through it instead of sit and let the month that it would take for the shin to be at full strength.
The Warriors have a dilemma, are they chasing 73-9, a repeat, or both?
Better yet can they have both? One thing is for certain Curry’s health will tell us that answer.
