Steph Curry's ankle injury gets stranger by the day
The Golden State Warriors don't need Steph Curry to beat the Houston Rockets. Nobody can argue. Without Curry, they won Game 2 and dropped Game 3 on the road by a single point, with an opportunity to win before Draymond Green inexplicably dribbled the ball off his own leg.
But that's not what everyone should focus on. Until Curry plays—and plays well—his right ankle is the most important storyline in an otherwise mundane first round. The Warriors are saying they won't put him out there until he's 100 percent ready to go, but it sounds like Curry feels fine:
On the other hand, this is what he told reporters after practice on Wednesday (via SF Gate):
And then here's what head coach Steve Kerr said on Thursday (via ESPN):
So, what's the deal? Is Golden State using a bit of gamesmanship to make it a tiny bit harder for the Rockets to prepare from game to game? Do Kerr and general manager Bob Myers already know that the MVP won't take the floor until, say, the Rockets push them to the brink of elimination, if things could ever get that far?
It's all so strange. Would Curry play if his ankle felt the way it does, but Golden State's opponent actually exerted two-way effort for 48 minutes? Is he healthy enough for a hypothetical Game 1 against Chris Paul and the Los Angeles Clippers? Did Green turn the ball over in Game 3 on purpose so Curry could have more time to rest and heal in the stress-free first round? (Joking!)
The questions surrounding Curry's ankle are valid, as is the strategy to prioritize his health through a series the Warriors can win in their sleep. But benching him just to bench him isn't cool. The San Antonio Spurs aren't sitting Kawhi Leonard or LaMarcus Aldridge in their first round series against the Memphis Grizzlies, even though they could probably win each game by double digits with both those guys in a suit. (Related: Don't be surprised if Gregg Popovich sits Leonard or Aldridge at some point in this series.)
From the business side, it's a bad look for the NBA, and lessens the incentive for casual observers to tune in. Professional basketball is a vessel of entertainment. Things are 90 percent less entertaining when Curry isn't putting his transcendent skill-set on display.
Hopefully, he takes the court in Game 4. If not, the mystery and concern surrounding his once-brittle right ankle will rise a degree higher than it's been since Curry became the best player in the world.
