WARRIORS PRACTICE FACILITY, OAKLAND, CA — In the wake of the MRI results for Stephen Curry, announced by the Golden State Warriors yesterday at about 12:30PM as a Grade 1 MCL sprain, general manager Bob Myers held a small press conference a few hours later to answer questions from the media.
[CLICK THE VIDEO ABOVE TO PLAY IT]While drawing a sigh of relief that the report could have been much worse, such as a Grade 2 or Grade 3 tear of the MCL, much of the speculation shared by #DubNation now shifted attention to chances the Warriors could still repeat as champions.
Beatwriters such as Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group and John Dickinson of 95.7 The Game analyzed probable NBA Playoff schedules and concluded that Curry would probably return by Game 4, 5 or 6 of the next round.
Myers told reporters yesterday:
I believe in our team. I believe in our coaching staff. I wouldn’t count them out, but I’m not great at making predictions. I didn’t think we’d set the (73-win) record. I think I had said it was going to be impossible. It’s important what the players think. And they believe in themselves. I believe in them. The coaches do. We’re lucky to have the group that we have. It’s one of the best groups of players I’ve ever seen, as far as people. They’ll come together and they’ll do whatever they can to meet that goal.”
Yes, Myers’ is hypocritical when his reply is read literally; he said he believes in the team, but didn’t believe that 73 wins was possible.
Obviously, Myers does believe in the team, because the team believes in itself, and he marvels at the group that he assembled and, of course, thinks a repeat championship is possible, as his team has already accomplished things that were once deemed otherwise.
On paper, the road to the title seemed bleak, but the Warriors caught a break last night after the Myers presser when Chris Paul went down with a broken hand while the Portland Trail Blazers evened their first-round series with the Los Angeles Clippers, 2-2.
As the Warriors’ opening series with the Houston Rockets shifts to tomorrow at Oracle Arena with Golden State, up 3-1, having the opportunity to eliminate the Rockets, the Blazers head to Staples Arena then are guaranteed at least a Game 6 back in Portland.
Warriors fans will be rooting for seven-game series there, as that would delay the next round to two days. But to get there, the team will have to close out Houston without Curry, that’s for sure.
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