Stephen Curry injured his right thumb in the second-to-last game of the Warriors’ regular season. In the playoffs, Curry became the center of the media narratives after Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr openly criticized the NBA for allowing Dillon Brooks to target his injury in their series vs. the Houston Rockets. Following their Game 7 win in Houston, Curry gives a rather reassuring update on his right thumb injury.
When the Warriors’ media asked Curry about his injury before the Timberwolves game, Curry said, “It’s in a great place right now to keep playing, I don’t know what’s gonna happen on the road.” After the reporter’s follow-up question on the pain he is suffering with, Curry added, “Yeah, and it’s almost impossible for it not to. But I’m good.”
Warriors Injury Update: Gary Payton II Returns After Missing Game 7 Due To Illness
In other news for the Warriors, Gary Payton II will be available to play in Game 1 of the Timberwolves vs. Warriors game. Payton missed Game 7 of the Rockets-Warriors series due to an illness that kept him bedridden. In the pre-game press conference, Steve Kerr confirmed that Payton will be fully available to play as a defensive option on Anthony Edwards.
Payton had a defensive rating of 109.7 in the season, which made him eighth-best on defense among all Warriors players and third among regular rotation players (50 games or more), only behind Kevon Looney (107.6) and Draymond Green (108.6). Easily the best defensive guard on the team, Payton will be critical in the Warriors’ having any chance to stop Anthony Edwards from going off on them.
Steve Kerr, Stephen Curry, And The Dillon Brooks Controversy
After their Game 5 loss to the Rockets, Steve Kerr openly criticized the NBA for allowing Dillon Brooks to target Stephen Curry’s injured right thumb. He spoke to the media and called the rule that allows Brooks to target Curry’s hand after his shot has been released as “the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”
Brooks openly admitted that he was indeed targeting Curry’s thumb. This did not stop Curry from averaging exceptional numbers and facilitating his team’s win in the series. He averaged 24.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 5.7 assists in the seven games so far in the Playoffs.
While Kerr was right to be concerned about the injuries of his players, the physicality of the Playoffs combined with team strategies does not make it conducive for the league to disallow such contact. If the league revisits the rule like Kerr pleaded with them to, then they will likely come under further scrutiny for being soft on the players.
Targeting your opponent’s weakness without a hostile intent to cause further injury should be allowed to keep the game physically intense and entertaining, especially during the Playoffs.
