Steph Curry : Pivot Point in NBA Playoffs 4/26
Verdict from up on high came down abut Steph Curry and his knee. Two weeks minimum will he be out of the playoffs. His knee has suffered from the mildest form of a sprain. Good news in that the ligaments are stretched but not snapped. Good Tuesday Morning and welcome to HRWager. So how does the handicapper read this injury report? What are the wagering ramifications for the rest of the playoffs? Read on right now for the answers to these questions here at the HRW.
Steph Curry : No Blood in the Water
This is game changing for the Western Conference but probably not until the conference finals. Media types were pondering how Houston would react to blood in the water. Rockets could not muster enough chemistry to overcome a Utah let alone the talent still on the floor minus Steph Curry. Projecting into the future, tongues were starting to wag about the Clippers. Guess what? They might not even make it to face them because Chris Paul broke his hand on Monday. Portland probably would be the tougher of the matchups even with a healthy CPIII. It will come down to home court and LAC advances but then finds a way to falter against a franchise with a winning attitude.
Missing the Key Phrase
The two week proclamation came with the words that the situation will be revisited. Even if here were to return, his game would be seriously off. Real problem is the ankle. It needs time to heal and because he wore that brace, the stress from that slip traveled up to his knee. He will get little push off or be able to change direction well until next year. It is not a matter of desire but simple biology. Teams should glean that if he returns to the playoffs that a defender can just ghost him on the three point line to cover that dimension. This is the game breaker for their title defense.
Only silver lining is that the playoffs are so long that he could come back to be perhaps 70 percent. This is not good enough for the Spurs or Oklahoma City. Both are better bets to get to the final than them. Hate to see this historic team get derailed like this but there is a time for sentiment. That time is in the offseason. Start by fading the Warriors in the next round. Good fortune today and we will see you tomorrow here at the HRW.