Warriors keep calm despite rash of injuries
Team encouraged Curry MRI reveals only mild to moderate groin strain
OAKLAND >> The Warriors seemed at ease, even if they suddenly have two injured All-Stars and lost by 23 points to the Bucks. The reason? The Warriors keep things in perspective.
The Warriors (10-2) ruled out star Stephen Curry for today’s game against the Brooklyn Nets (5-6) at Oracle Arena after an MRI on Friday revealed a mild to moderate left groin strain. Yet, Warriors coach Steve Kerr considered the results “basically good news.”
“This doesn’t look like it’s going to be a long-term injury,” Kerr said. “He’s disappointed. But it could’ve been a lot worse.”
The Warriors will also sit AllStar forward Draymond Green for a second consecutive game because of a sprained right toe and foot. But he squeezed in a postpractice workout with trainer Travis Walton. Kerr added that Green could return for Monday’s game against the Clippers in Los Angeles.
“He’s feeling better. He was trying to talk us into letting him play,” Kerr said. “But we’re so early in the season. The smart thing to do is shoot for Monday.”
Warriors veteran reserve Shaun Livingston will miss his seventh consecutive game because of a sore right foot, but he participated in a game of 3-on-3 on Friday that makes his return imminent. Kerr cautioned that both Curry and Livingston will need practice time before returning, making it possible both will remain out for Monday’s game against the Clippers.
How the Warriors plan to adjust without Curry
Even if Kerr reported Curry feeling “bummed out” for the obvious news, the Warriors touted the benefits of not relying on a star who usually can make 30foot jumpers almost anytime.
The Warriors plan to start Quinn Cook in Curry’s place after fielding either healthy scratches (two) or diminished playing time (12.2 minutes per game). Though
Kerr left it open-ended on who will start in Green’s place, options include second-year forward Jordan Bell, fourth-year forward Kevon Looney, veteran forward Jonas Jerebko or emerging wing Alfonzo McKinnie.
“Learning how to play without Steph and Draymond, it always puts more of a burden on everybody’s shoulders. That’s a good thing,” Kerr said. “You want everybody to have to understand over the course of 82 (games), there’s going to be weird stuff that happens. Players have to play different roles and step into a void here and there.”
The Warriors have become accustomed to doing that.
With Curry nursing overlapping ankle and knee injuries, Cook averaging 14.6 points on 49.3 percent shooting and 3.9 assists in a combined 18 games as a starter. Cook noted that “did a lot for his confidence.” It also did a lot for his future. After splitting his time in Santa Cruz and the Warriors, they signed him to the team’s playoff roster and for this season.
“I’ll just play my game,” Cook said. “At first, I was trying to get guys the ball and I was so adamant on not messing up and getting guys the ball. When I’m out there being aggressive and playing my game, it takes a lot of pressure off of those guys.”
Still there’s a difference between Curry and Cook playing their respective games. Cook often asks Kerr during a free throw or dead-ball situation what play he should run. Curry usually just improvises.
“He’s a guy who understands that without Steph on the floor, we’re not going
to be in nearly as many random offensive possessions. We have to have more play guys,” Kerr said. “That is much more important when Steph is not on the floor. With Steph, we sort of like to create the chaos and just go. But we need more organization when Steph is out. Quinn provides it.”
The Warriors are not as sure as what they can provide in Green’s position. When Bell started against the Bucks, posted as many points as fouls (four) and collected two fouls in the first quarter. Although Kerr conceded he feels more comfortable playing the 6-foot-9, 224-pound Bell at the center spot than at power forward, he did not
rule granting him another chance.
“Jordan is the obvious (fall) guy since he’s starting for Draymond,” Kerr said. “It’s easy to look at Jordan and say he didn’t do well. But when we don’t do well, individual players suffer. For Jordan to play the 4, everybody else has to be executing. It can still work. It’s easier for him to play the 5 because there’s more spacing.”
That partly explains why Green told his younger teammates at practice the need to rely on their energy to offset the talent and experience they lose both without Curry, Green and Livingston.
“We have some veteran guys who go about the game in a relaxed way,” Iguodala said. “We can work our way into the game with a slowness. But for them, it’s got to be energy and energy from the jump.”
Who could provide that energy? Perhaps Looney, whom Iguodala considered “one of the smartest players” because of his defensive versatility and preparation. Maybe McKinnie, whom Iguodala called “fearless” after morphing from a training camp invitee to rotation player with hustle, outside shooting and defensive versatility.
Besides, the Warriors still can lean on All-Stars Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson to score as well as Igudoala. Therefore, Iguodala mused that “NBA fans are the greatest” about any concern about how the Warriors manage their latest setbacks.
“We’ve spoiled a lot of people,” Iguodala, referring to the Warriors’ three NBA titles in the past four years. “We don’t lose often. So when we lose, it’s like what’s going to happen? It happens in the NBA from time to time. You fix it. Sometimes it brings the hunger back. So it can be good for you.”
The Warriors’ lack of appetite contributed to the end of an eight-game winning steak. The Bucks scored 84 points in the paint and forced 18 turnovers. Kerr also criticized his coaching. Still, he did not change anything dramatically in Friday’s to account for fewer All-Stars and a 23-point loss.
“If this were 1956, they would’ve been running sprints all day,” Kerr quipped. “But it’s 2018 so we watched film and we walked through some things. It was a very short day.”
The wait might be just as short for the Warriors to win again and for Curry, Green and Livingston to play again.