Warriors season review: Steph Curry was somewhat doomed before injury

Share

Editor's note: Amid the current climate, it's looking increasingly likely we'll be away from basketball for the foreseeable future. In the meantime, NBC Sports Bay Area will take a look at each player on the Warriors' roster and examine how their performance will fit with the roster long term. Next up is guard Steph Curry.

Steph Curry missed the most games since ankle injuries threatened to derail his career before it started. Now, he'll try to bring the Warriors back to glory. 

Contract 

Two years/ 88,787,328 left

Curry entered last season expecting to carry an enormous offensive load with Kevin Durant's departure and Klay Thompson's season-ending injury. Four games into the season, his quest for a sixth straight NBA Finals appearance ended when Phoenix Suns center Aron Baynes fell on him, breaking the second metacarpal in his left hand. 

Before the injury, Curry posted career lows in field goal percentage and 3-point percentage while averaging 20.8 points per game, his lowest output since 2011. 

Following the injury, Curry sat for the most games since his injury-ravaged 2012 season, when he was shut down for the rest of the season following ankle surgery. He returned to the practice court in January, pushing for a March 1 return. Curry came back four days after his target date, scoring 23 points, six rebounds and seven assists in 27 minutes against the Toronto Raptors.

[RUNNIN' PLAYS PODCAST: Listen to the latest episode]

Days later, he was diagnosed with flu-like symptoms amid fears he'd contracted the coronavirus (which he didn't), ending his season. 

In some ways, Curry's eleventh season was doomed from the start. Of the eight players on the Opening Day roster, just three had postseason experience. It also marked the first time he hadn't played with Thompson since 2011, which continued the streak of three straight seasons missing the postseason without his backcourt mate. 

Outlook

Whenever next season starts, Curry is expected to be fully healthy alongside Thompson, Draymond Green and either a high draft pick or high-profile free agent. 

[RELATED: GOAT level: How Steph can join top-10 players of all time]

When healthy, Curry has the ability to lead the Warriors to another postseason run. At the moment, Golden State is at a crossroads. A year removed from Durant's departure, they can either follow the Chicago Bulls of the 1990s and build a second act, or they can bow out over the years and be remembered for one of the great runs in league history. 

If Curry gets his wish, next season will be the start of the former.

Contact Us