Steph Curry out 3-6 weeks after suffering Grade 2 MCL injury in first game back (Update)
By Riley Butler
Do you hear that? That’s the sound of every Golden State Warriors fan holding their breath after Steph Curry left his first game back with another injury.
Update:
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news that the MRI revealed Curry suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee and he will be-revaluated in three weeks, potentially returning near the start of the playoffs.
Original:
If you’re the Golden State Warriors, then this season as a whole should be seen as a test of your true capacity as a dynasty. And with an absolutely jammed Western Conference and James Harden and the Rockets continuing to thrive atop the west, another injury to Steph Curry is not what Steve Kerr and the crew needed at all.
In his return from a six-game hiatus with an injury to his right ankle, the All-Star point guard was forced to leave Friday night’s game vs. the Atlanta Hawks in the third quarter. Despite initial concern that he re-aggravated his ankle, the Warriors classified the injury as an MCL strain to the left knee.
The unfortunate reality behind the whole situation is that this really was nothing more than a freak accident. The two-time NBA MVP was in the paint as teammate JaVale McGee contested Hawks center Mike Muscala’s shot and proceeded to fall into Curry’s left leg. This produced an immediate reaction from Curry as he proceeded to limp around the floor before being taken out promptly.
This is a substantial injury to take for the already injury-depleted Warriors. Steve Kerr and the Warriors were already without Draymond Green (pelvic contusion), Klay Thompson (hand fracture), and Kevin Durant (rib contusion).
The Warriors currently sit second in the West (54-18) behind the Rockets (58-14), but they sit quite comfortably ahead of the third place Trailblazers (44-28). So this injury shouldn’t have massive seeding implications for the fast approaching NBA playoffs.
The biggest thing for the Warriors will be the results of Saturday’s MRI on Curry’s knee. This MRI will dictate the length of recovery for the All-Star. The length of his recovery will be based around three different diagnoses. Shoutout to reddit user u/La2philly for this recovery breakdown:
- Grade 1 tear (<25% tear)
- Up to three weeks
- Grade 2 tear (25% to 75% tear)
- Up to six weeks
- Grade 3 tear (>75% tear)
- Up to six months if surgery is needed
Next: 30 best shots in NBA playoffs history
This injury doesn’t look to be too severe but will more than likely see the Warriors without Curry for somewhere around three to four weeks. Warriors fans will remember that last season Kevin Durant suffered an MCL strain and was out for just about a month, but was back in time for playoffs and that ended all right for them. Still, the NBA is just better when Curry is healthy.