Steph Curry has been ruled out indefinitely after a collision with Marcus Smart when playing the Celtics on Wednesday. Physicians said the point guard had sprained his left foot a few days after the game.
Although the two-time MVP could make a return sometime before the playoffs, it’s too early to know when exactly. This news has led Vegas oddsmakers to lengthen the Golden State Warriors’ NBA Championship odds from +450 to +650.
Poorly Judged or Malicious?
Warrior coach Steve Kerr didn’t hold back when voicing his frustration about the injury. He was visibly angry when speaking to Smart during the game when later asked about the incident, he called it “dangerous”. But not everyone had the same opinion, teammate Juan Toscano-Anderson said he didn’t think the play was dirty, but he “could’ve probably been a bit more cautious.”
Curry’s injury is reminiscent of the injury that LeBron James suffered.
NBA analyst and senior NBA insider for The Athletic Shams Charania reported that Curry would be out indefinitely. However, basketball insider for Yahoo Sports Jordan Schultz claimed that it could be a three-week absence. The Warriors are reportedly still waiting on MRI results before they can look at an official timeframe for Curry’s return.
Many are hoping that the star player will be back before the beginning of the post-season. Specialists have said that some foot sprains can take as long as six weeks to recover from, which is a tight deadline with the playoffs starting on April 16.
Some good news for Golden State is that James Wiseman should be game fit shortly. This will be a significant boost, as Wiseman has not yet featured this season. Still, critical cogs of the team – Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, and Curry have played just five quarters with one another since the 2019 Finals, so saying the Warriors have been unlucky this season is an understatement.
Warriors’ Title Chances
The Golden State team is currently sitting in third place in the Western Conference, but they are just a few losses away from a drastic fall. With Curry out, they could easily slip from rivaling the Phoenix Suns for the top spot to sitting in the bottom half of the Conference playoffs.
The biggest concern isn’t whether they face the Mavericks or Jazz as first-round opponents, but is how the key players that have been injured can gel together on the court to progress.
Another take on this seemingly bad situation is that it could serve as some much-needed rest time for Curry – it could be a blessing in disguise if it helps him find his groove in the playoffs.
NBA Championship Favorites
Golden State Warriors were once close second favorites to win this season’s championship. However, the recent news has led to their odds lengthening. View the latest NBA Championship odds below.
View the latest betting lines for NBA futures.
Based in California, James William writes about golf, tennis, UFC and the (sometimes complicated) world of betting on sports. A big lover of live poker, James also takes care of casino reviews for Vegas-Odds.com.
