LOS ANGELES -- Suddenly, the Golden State Warriors are light years behind the rest of the NBA.
After winning three NBA titles in the past five years, the Warriors’ championship armor has absorbed various dents in recent months. On Wednesday evening, the Warriors suffered a significant crack that could completely destroy that armor.
Stephen Curry broke his left hand after falling to the floor following a hard collision with Aron Baynes in the third quarter of the Warriors’ eventual loss to the Phoenix Suns at Chase Center. Curry landed hard on his left wrist and Baynes fell on top of him.
Curry plans to receive an MRI and CT scan to determine if he needs surgery. Though that result will give the Warriors clarity on the severity of their latest nightmare, even the best-case scenario will likely lead to bad dreams.
Instead of holding out hope they can remain a playoff contender in the super stacked Western Conference, the Warriors may already begin a rebuilding season just 4 ½ months after losing to the Toronto Raptors in the NBA Finals. Since then, the Warriors’ identity has changed drastically.
Two-time NBA Finals MVP Kevin Durant bolted to Brooklyn as a free agent. In hopes of offsetting his departure, the Warriors completed a sign-and-trade with Brooklyn to acquire D’Angelo Russell. With that move leaving the Warriors hard-capped, they dealt veteran Andre Iguodala to Memphis in a salary dump. Shaun Livingston retired without much pushback. And Klay Thompson will remain sidelined until at least NBA All-Star weekend in mid-February, if not longer, after tearing the ACL in his right knee in a decisive Game 6 loss to Toronto.
The Warriors did not envision this when they opened Chase Center, a privately financed arena that cost $1.5 billion, in San Francisco after spending the previous 47 seasons at Oracle Arena in Oakland.
Even after losing Durant, Iguodala and Livingston, the Warriors firmly believed they could pivot from mimicking the Chicago Bulls’ dynastic run in the 1990s to emulating the San Antonio Spurs’ long-term success through the past two decades. The reason? The Warriors still had two All-Stars (Curry, Draymond Green), a trusted coach (Steve Kerr), a respected general manager (Bob Myers) and a deep-pocketed owner (Joe Lacob).
Instead, the Warriors have labored through a 1-3 start. Without Curry, the Warriors no longer have the person most responsible for their revolutionized offense and team-oriented culture. And unlike past seasons when Curry became hobbled with ankle and groin injuries, the Warriors no longer have the infrastructure to absorb his absences.
Green can master all five positions on defense, but he lacks consistent scoring punch. Russell has the opposite issues. And the Warriors have the NBA’s third-youngest team largely because of nine new players.
With their playoff chances strongly in question, the Warriors cannot exactly shift toward hoping they cash in big in the NBA Draft lottery. When the Warriors acquired Russell, they dealt their 2020 first-round pick that is protected. Therefore, the Warriors may only be able to spend the rest of the season developing their young roster.
This much we do know: The Warriors’ fortunes for a successful season seem as likely as making a 40-foot shot.
Only Curry can do that.
Follow USA TODAY NBA columnist Mark Medina on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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