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It is, in the words of Stephen Curry, “the great ‘what-if.'”
The Golden State Warriors’ 121-110 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday sealed a 4-1 series loss to the Timberwolves, bouncing Golden State out of the playoffs. But the loss came with a clear footnote: The Warriors had been playing without Curry, who went down with a hamstring strain in Game 1 of the series and did not play in the next four games.
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In a postseason press conference on Thursday, Curry said that he would have likely returned to the court if Golden State had been able to hold on and force a Game 6.
“Everything was kind of aligned for Game 6. I had some testing to do, who knows how that would’ve went,” Curry said. “Dealing with this injury, I was optimistic, but there were a couple more checkpoints to get through. But it’s the great ‘what-if.'”
Prior to Curry’s injury, the Warriors looked like a real contender, fueled by the addition of Jimmy Butler. After moving past the play-in tournament, Golden State handled the Houston Rockets with a decisive Game 7 victory to advance to the conference semifinals. But after Curry, the Warriors’ primary points-getter, went down, the team’s offensive production went down with him.
Now, with Golden State’s season over, Curry said that he plans to spend the summer “getting rest” and “rebuilding.” After a busy year, with the 2024 Paris Olympics sandwiched in between two NBA seasons, Curry said that he’s looking forward to taking a step back.
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“I will take full advantage of the offseason, though. Been playing a lot of basketball for the last year, and a lot left in the tank to prepare for, so, I’m excited about it,” Curry said.
Curry, 37, acknowledged on Thursday that injuries and other unpredictable factors can have an outsized impact on success in the NBA, no matter how well the team might be built or coached.
“As this league reminds you, you see teams that are still alive and you see the injuries that have happened,” Curry said. “Unfortunately, nothing is guaranteed in terms of you being competitive or being a contender.”
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Curry has two seasons remaining on his contract — as does Butler, and Draymond Green. Golden State head coach Steve Kerr’s deal runs through the end of next season. With the end of these contracts in sight, there are questions on whether this might’ve been one of the Warriors’ last chances at a Curry and Green-led championship run.
But the veteran guard seemed focused on next season, on building a team that can not only make another playoff run but can play strong throughout the regular season as well.
“We want this ride to last as long as possible, but it’s just about, what does this team need for next year? Answering those questions over the summer, everybody preparing themselves individually … that’s all we’re really focused on right now,” Curry said. “And I’m excited about ’cause there’s clarity, although there are a lot of decisions that need to be made.”
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