The Golden State Warriors' win total continues to climb, but there's still a sense of uneasiness around the club due to a troublesome, much talked about injury. Here's our Warriors Weekly update.
The Week That Was
Golden State's current four-game winning streak hasn't been enough to assuage fans' fears when it comes to 2014-15 NBA MVP Stephen Curry's injured left shin. Curry made contact with Los Angeles Lakers center Roy Hibbert in the third quarter of Golden State's 109-88 win and was forced to come out for a spell after limping noticeably.
He was able to come back in, but left in the fourth quarter for the good while the Warriors finished off a blowout. Curry called the injury "frustrating and annoying" after the win, and there's plenty of a debate going right now about whether the Warriors should rest Curry lest that annoyance become a long-standing injury issue. While he doesn't plan to sit when the team visits the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday, it'll be interesting to see if the coaching/training staff tries to convince him otherwise.
What's Next?
Sitting at 33-2, Golden State currently has the best record through 35 games in NBA history. The 1995-96 Chicago Bulls (whose 72-10 overall mark is the season-single record the Warriors are chasing), the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers and 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers are tied for second place at 32-3.
For Golden State to keep the good times rolling and exit this next week at 38-2 or 37-3, they'll have to survive two back-to-backs while playing five games in seven days -- three of those contests being on the road. The Warriors visit Portland and Sacramento on Friday and Saturday before heading back home to face Miami on Monday.
They'll get a day off after that, before playing another back-to-back on Wednesday and Thursday (at Denver, Lakers). The team will be heavily favored in every game except the Heat tilt, but it remains to be seen if a) Curry will be healthy enough to play the majority of those games and b) the Warriors will have enough energy to push completely through a taxing week.
Injuries
Curry's leg injury is covered in depth up above, but it's worth noting that a recent MRI showed no structural damage to the leg -- a comforting fact that makes this whole situation a little more bearable if you're a Dubs fan.
Harrison Barnes played 23 minutes in his return from an ankle injury against the Lakers on Tuesday, scoring 10 points and posting eight rebounds. He was stellar all night long, hitting over 70% of his shots (5 of 7) while crashing the defensive boards for seven of his eight rebounds on the night.
Brandon Rush played 33 minutes in his return from a hamstring tweak Tuesday, scoring eight points with nine rebounds, two assists and a steal.
Both James Michael McAdoo and Festus Ezeli sat on Tuesday as they nurse toe injuries. Shaun Livingston sat as well, but that appears to be just to give him a little downtime.
What They're Saying About The Dubs
Curry isn't risking further injury, doctor says (SF Gate)
Kerr's return date unknown, says GM Bob Myers (San Jose Mercury News)
Is Draymond Green a product of Curry? (ESPN)
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