Short-handed Warriors look for answers
Russell vows to step up to help rebuilding Golden State
SAN FRANCISCO — D’Angelo Russell has done this before, forced to take on a far bigger role just last season because of injuries in Brooklyn. And now the new Golden State guard must do it again with the absence of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in a suddenly short-handed backcourt.
Curry broke his left hand in a 121-110 loss to Phoenix on Wednesday night and it remained unclear a day later how long he might be sidelined, while Splash Brother Thompson could miss the entire season recovering from July 2 surgery for a torn ACL in his left knee that he hurt in a Game 6 loss in the NBA Finals that gave Toronto its first title. Curry underwent a CT scan Thursday but the team said it would have specialists evaluate the results before providing an update on his status.
However long he is out, it hurts for far more than what he brings on the court. Curry’s presence in the locker room provides an example for the young Warriors, and he is their longest-tenured player and their oldest at age 31. It will be up to players like Russell and Draymond Green to help keep things afloat for the time being.
Curry posted a smiling photo of himself, with the hand heavily wrapped, Thursday on his Instagram account with the message: “Appreciate all the love/ texts/support all that … Be back soon!”
The two-time MVP drove to his left defended by Kelly Oubre Jr. and with Aron Baynes standing solidly in the paint trying to draw a charge. Curry leapt with the ball then came down head first landing awkwardly on his hands to brace himself from the court, with Baynes crashing onto Curry’s left hand. Curry grimaced in pain grabbing his hand then walked to the locker room with 8:31 left in the third quarter.
Russell understands he faces a tall task.
“Definitely trying to take on that leadership role and continue to get better every year with being able to lead guys on what I see and what I’ve been through,” he said. “It’s definitely a similar situation, but it’s going to be tougher. We’ve got a lot of young guys that are going to be forced to mature and step up, so I’m looking forward to it as well. … It’s an opportunity. Go back to the drawing board with the team and the coaching staff, and see what we can do to prepare for each game day in and day out. The big thing I see is just opportunity for a lot of people.”
In fact, Warriors coach Steve Kerr planned to gather his staff Thursday — the player development coaches have already been working on overload — for a serious meeting of the minds to figure out how to push ahead and what combinations might work going forward with so many men down. Golden State already was missing key big man Kevon Looney, who is dealing with a hamstring injury and scheduled to see specialists next week because of an “on-going presence of a neuropathic condition in his body.”
Green tweaked his back Wednesday, too.
“It’s been a tough start for us on many levels, so we’re just trying to find our footing,” Kerr said. “This puts us in a tough spot, so we’ll assess it and go from there.”
The challenge of putting a winning team on the court now seems daunting. What so recently featured five AllStars in the same starting five is now a cast of mostly rookies thrown into action right away out of necessity — not the norm with these Warriors in recent years.
They are 1-3 with two ugly losses — the Suns led 43-14 after the first quarter — at home in new Chase Center, where they are winless and hardly have that overwhelming homecourt advantage that Oracle Arena provided night after night across the bay in Oakland.
Many already consider it a lost season, with playoff hopes in the powerful Western Conference grim at best.
“We just got to make up for it by playing hard and playing together, and making sure we’re together the time he’s out,” said rookie Eric Paschall.
Thursday games
HEAT 106, HAWKS 97: In Atlanta, Kendrick Nunn scored a career-high 28 points to add to his recordsetting start as Miami beat Atlanta to give the Heat two wins over the Hawks in three days.
Nunn’s 112 points are the highest total through the first five games for any undrafted player in NBA history. Connie Hawkins of the Phoenix Suns scored 105 points in his first five games of the 1969-70 season.
PELICANS 122, NUGGETS 107: In New Orleans, Jahlil Okafor scored 26 points and Brandon Ingram added 25 as New Orleans beat Denver for its first victory in five games this season.
Ingram has scored at least 22 points in each of his first five games for New Orleans.
CLIPPERS 103, SPURS 97: In Los Angeles, Kawhi Leonard scored 38 points to lead LA past San Antonio.