Relax. The warriors of the golden empire are strong despite their apparent demise, was claimed by a particular section of the NBA community. A slow start to the season, along with Steph Curry is injured causing him to miss 11 games, is part of the reason some fans and media personalities have written all but eliminated the defending champion in just half the season.
According to ESPN’s Kendra Andrews, Curry will return Tuesday night at home to the Phoenix Suns. Golden State has been a home phenomenon whether Curry plays or not, with a 17-4 record at home. away Chase Center is where the Warriors need a lot of improvement, with a 3-16 record.
Despite their struggles, Golden State is 20-20 and has climbed to sixth in the West in Curry’s absence. They go into tonight’s game against Phoenix in the same position, but with a lot of optimism seeing their leader return. The Warriors won 6-5 in Steph’s absence, and they are only 2.5 games behind fourth-placed Dallas.
What does Steph’s return mean for Golden State?
This Warriors team will be good and sure to fit in the second half of the season, minus anything dire. Last season, they struggled between January and March when Draymond Green sidelined. Now they are soon going through a difficult period. The NBA season is long and you can’t count on a team with a championship tradition like the Warriors, no matter how bad that is.
If you count all the Warriors, you’ve probably been waiting for them depressed like Charles Barkley. Either you cheer for a rival team (Phoenix Suns) fan, or you’re just willing to hate the Golden State whenever there is a chance. Either way, you’re about to be disappointed. They will again be in the Western Conference Race, led by Curry, Green and Klay Thompson.
Curry’s minutes will likely be closely watched in the first few games back, but his impact on the team will certainly be felt. Even when he falls short, Curry is such a powerful goalscorer that teams have to count on him whenever he’s on the pitch. His mere presence on the pitch opened up too much for opponents to handle. The Warriors are barely mediocre in 40 games and they are a 0.500 team. When they put it all together again, the association is in trouble.
