How the warriors can survive the absence of Steph Curry's injury

The disaster hit the Golden State Warriors in game 1 of their Western Conference semi -final against the Minnesota Timberwolves. In the second quarter, Curry lame after a slow start from both sides and limp into the changing room. He was quickly explained for the game, which is never a good sign. After the Dubs achieved a huge win of 99: 88 to bring a 1-0 series in the lead despite Curry's absence, coach Steve Kerr revealed that the superstar Point Guard suffered a knee tendon load and that his future status was unknown.

Wednesday brought the news that the Warriors were afraid: their franchise player would miss several games. The team announced that Curry has suffered a strenuous armpit stroke and failed at least one week before the reassessment of the reassessment. Based on the NBA Playoff time plan, this means that curry is missing at least Game 2, game 3 and game 4, with a possible game 5 that is planned for May 14th. So if he heals like Wolverine, Curry will miss three games. If he heals more like a normal NBA player, it seems very unlikely that he would play 5 in a necessary game, and the next realistic chance he has will come on May 17th in another if 6.

Of course, this is required that game 6 actually happens. And that will be difficult against a Timberwolves team that smells blood against a curry-free roster.

Your victory 1 should hope and be careful. Earning victory is huge for the morale of the squad and gives the team a pillow that is always so lightly light without survival. However, it will be difficult to replicate The in particular win. The Warriors shot remarkable 42.5% of three, including a 4-von 10 exhibition from Draymond Green and its unsightly but functional jumper. Conversely, the Timberwolves beat a terrible 17.2% of their three-point attempts and overall no stone could throw in the ocean and end the game with a shootout of 39.5%. There are strategies that the game can take on that can be applied to future matchups, but the Warriors cannot rely on the fact that Minnesota lacks many Jumpers every evening and their own offensive edition is below average (despite the electrical shooting number from beyond the ARC).

The defense of the warriors is still very good to be clear. As long as Green is out there and runs the traffic from the backline and Butler leads the schedule, Golden State will make life difficult for his opponents. Obviously, Curry's absence will be felt at the most offensive end. How can the warriors survive their leader?

He is not a heliocentric player in the same way as Luka Doncic or Nikola Jokic, but don't make a mistake: Curry Is The warrior's crime. The entire system is constructed in such a way that you use the defensive weaknesses that occur when several defenders have to be zero while he is rid of the ball on the screens or examines the defense. His gravity is the start and end point of Kerr's entire strategy, the “Keep the Ball Hoping and find the best shot” that revolutionized the NBA. It does not work without a curry at the court to force the Anthony Edwards and Rudy Goberts from the world out of position and to open gaps that can use Golden State. Buddy Hield is a dangerous shooter that he can reproduce the effect somewhat, but curry is just how clear he only warps the soil on a certain point in time.

So it is best to throw this whole idea out of the window and instead to guide the offensive through Butler. It is part of the reason why Golden State gave up several rotary players to land his talents – but it can find its own shots and open its teammates. In game 1 we saw a look at where the striker ended with eight templates, and his time with the Miami heat is littered with cases of Butler, which increases a less talented roster through a superior opponent through mere willpower. The dubs must unleash this version of Butler.

The question then arises how it is best. It was a small fight for the former heat star to find his rhythm in the Golden State. He ended the season with an average of 17.9 points per game, while he only made 11.1 shots per competition after being the Warriors on February 8th. In the first round against the Houston Rockets, Butler looked a touch in the system, but its in the entire series was not an easy defense, against and Butler only led 18.3 points per game.

Even in his preferred methods, he did not get his places. Butler was one of the better insulation players in the league for a long time, but in this off -season he only achieved 18 points with 22 attempts to insulate. This has 0.82 points per property, which is bound among the qualification players in these playoffs 28. To compare, he achieved 1.07 points per property on Isos in Miami in Miami in Miami in his last year. This will not mean that the warriors have to do one-to-one against the squad of the wolves of excellent defenders, but instead shows how much more the striker can give this crimeF He can find a river.

Butler spent his short time in the Bay Area and learn how to play curry. Now he has to return what he knows best. If the warriors can put him in a position to be successful and unlock the sleeping goal scorer who terrorized the Eastern Conference in the past five years, the rest of the crime should follow.

Even the offense from Butler will not solve all the suffering of the team. He is quite able to achieve large numbers, but always has to earn. With curry, effortless points will appear for the rest of the team. You have to find simple options somewhere. And that is the transition somewhere.

Running is always the best way for a team to compensate for a lack of firepower. Therefore, opposing defenses are always stimulated in order to prevent such opportunities from being played after the season. The wolves will surely do what they can do to prevent the Warriors from scoring simple points in the open ground and, as one of the top defenses in the league, to prevent the transitional game.

Here the rock fight of Golden State with Houston will be useful in the first round. In eight post -season games, the Warriors are second place in the entire transition points, with the Breakneck Indiana Pacers being attributed by one point and capturing the first Pacers with 1.30 points per possession in transitional options. Minnesota has so far approved the fourth-class points in the transition between all playoff teams so that it is not easy, but Golden State can find an additional bump for the offensive there (the Kerr and his employees already intended in this second round, it seems to be). In game 1 there were numerous cases in which the Warriors clearly wanted to drive the transition when the Timberwolves tried to overthrow the offensive glass to use their size advantage.

It is impressive that you managed to adapt in this way. Golden State was on average when he ran out of running during the regular season, and took the 17th place in the 17th place and in transition points per game. It must continue to be an area of ​​the focus, or the warriors will have difficulties to get points to the board against this high -quality defense.

This will perhaps be the real determining factor in this series. The main actors are known quantities. Butler has more offensive, but the NBA world knows what its blanket looks like. Hield had a great excursion in game 1 to pursue an amazing performance in game 7, but consistency was always his fatal mistake. It is dangerous to expect the sniper to set more than 20 points every night. Gary Payton II will always be defensively a pest and is good for a timely shot here and there. Not much more than that.

What the warriors needIt is more than anything else that one of their less talented talents have a large route. Regardless of whether it is Brandin Podziemski, Moses atmospheric or even the often by T-Banked Jonathan Kuminga. Heck, even a big fifth post or Pat Spencer game would be welcome. It is unlikely that the known quantities of this series will be sufficient. This has always been the disadvantage of trade with the depth of the squad for Butler-a three-member monster by Curry, Butler and Green only works when all three are on the pitch. Even with a few classic butler playoff appearances or one of the unexpectedly large offensive nights of Green, the Timberwolves are both talented and physically enough to overwhelm the golden state. Without the superstar who moves the drink, the warriors, as we currently know they have problems, will keep up.

To win games and do without a curry, Golden State has to find an unexpected participant. Podziemski seems to be the most likely candidate. The 22-year-old guard set up some outstanding numbers towards the end of the regular season and then played so badly to start this post-season (including a 1-from 7 shooting performance in game 1 against Minnesota) that you almost have to expect that he will play better in the future. But maybe Curry's absence leaves enough space for Kuminga to distribute his wings. Or moody. It just has to be someone.

The dubs don't need these players to be amazing. The goal is to kick water until Curry returns. However, you have to prove more than just space on the court, which was largely the case in this off -season. It was simply not important because curry is so good. The speed cooker of the playoffs in combination with sudden occasion can lead to amazing results. About a year ago, Andrew Nembhard gave the later champion Boston Celtics the business because Tyrese -Heliburton was injured and his team needed someone else to improve. He did it and gave Boston his most difficult challenge in the entire after -season.

The Warriors need a similarly inspired performance by someone – or Curry's absence could prove to be fatal in their season.

More NBA on Sports Illustrated