The NBA playoffs have taken a surprising turn with the injury to Steph Curry throwing a wrench into the Golden State Warriors storybook season, but does it change the ending?
This is the big question on every NBA observer. The Warriors were thought as invincible and they have had their share of injuries throughout the season, but losing their best player at the post season is the biggest test. ESPN Insider had their panel of experts weigh in.
Zach Lowe stated that it "warps the championship picture more than even the typical star-level injury" but he points out that it is part of the sport. Nevertheless, his pick for the West winner and league champion won't change.
"Golden State, and Golden State," Lowe said. "Until we know more about Curry, all we can do is assume he recovers well over the approximate timetable and go from there. If we learn in a week or two that things are worse, the ring is up for grabs."
Ethan Strauss has a similar take but there's a cloud of doubt that was not there before. "I'll stick with the Warriors, but it's not a confident choice at this point. Honestly, it's more just because there's little value in changing picks." Strauss wanted to name another team but he redacted.
The dissenting opinion came from JA Adande who maintained that the Spurs are the favorites.
"Right now the team to beat is the San Antonio Spurs. It took the otherworldliness of the Warriors and the drama of the Cleveland Cavaliers (and even Kobe's swan song) to overshadow their greatness in the regular season. And now we're supposed to act like they don't have a +22 points-per-game differential in the playoffs?"
His contention is that the Spurs were the best team all along even if the Warriors had the better record.
Injuries are a part of any professional sport and even the Warriors have had their share. There are some observers who note that the basketball gods seems to have favored them again with news from USA Today that both Chris Paul and Blake Griffin will miss the rest of the playoffs. The Clippers were projected as the possible opponents to the Warriors in the second round.
However, the series between the Blazers and Clippers is tied at 2-2. With Griffin and Paul out, Portland's team may find its way to the second round again.