In what has suddenly become a wide-open Western Conference, all eyes are on Steph Curry's hamstring injury.
While it's encouraging that the Golden State Warriors were still able to take a 1-0 series lead against the Minnesota Timberwolves while playing the majority of Game 1 without Steph Curry, who suffered a hamstring injury, I'm not sure if this is a trend that can seemingly continue. If the Warriors are going to continue to make this deep postseason run, and possibly take it all the way to the NBA Finals, they're going to need a healthy Curry.
The Warriors may have gotten away with beating the Wolves in Game 1, who had their own offensive issues, but it's hard to imagine this team advancing any further in the postseason without Curry relatively healthy and in the lineup.
Curry left Game 1 after 13 minutes played and is considered "day-to-day" with the hamstring injury. However, he's expected to get an MRI on Wednesday to determine the extent of the injury. At least for now, it's all good news. Unfortunately, hamstring injuries are difficult to predict and could linger for quite a while.
A suddenly wide-open Western Conference
With the Denver Nuggets taking Game 1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the argument could be made that the Western Conference is wide open once again. It's up for the taking, and when healthy, the Warriors have the talent and experience to compete with any team in the league. Without Curry, that's not realistic.
If there's one thing we've learned from the Warriors over the last couple of months of the season, it's that they may not be as deep as perhaps they may seem on paper. Losing a player like Curry could end up derailing this team's season. In fact, even if Curry isn't at 100 percent, it's probably going to change the way the Warriors operate on the offensive end of the floor.
After beating the Houston Rockets in a grueling seven-game series, the Warriors proved that they are a huge threat in the West. However, if this team is going to hit its peak as a team in the postseason, it's going to need a healthy Curry. Not only is he the team's best player, but he completely changes the way opposing teams defend the Warriors.
If he misses any amount of time or doesn't look like himself for the rest of this series, that could spell the end for the Warriors.