warriors injury report

warriors injury report

The Impact of Injuries on the Golden State Warriors

1. Introduction

The content includes introduction, method and results, discussion, and references. In the introduction section, the author argues the importance of injuries in basketball being underrated and also applies to American sports. Basketball is a high impact, fast-paced sport that often leads to injuries. The author states, “Despite increasing participation in professional and amateur sports, musculoskeletal injuries have decreased the hypothetical health of athletes and thereby the ‘ability to practice and participate in sport’.” This can have a major effect on winning percentage in sports and is the main focus of this study. Injuries can happen at any time during the season. They are a non-discriminatory force that never come at a convenient time. They are even more devastating when it happens to a star player or to a team competing for a championship. To further prove his point regarding the effects of injuries on team performance, he uses American football and European soccer as examples. In American football, there are 32 teams in the NFL, it has a grueling 16-game schedule, and there are hundreds of injuries each season. Injuries can have a major effect on a football team, but the author’s decision to compare professional basketball to the English Premier League takes us a step closer to understanding how injuries can damage a team.

2. Key Players’ Injuries

“This section represents the bulk of the analytics of the paper, as it specifically defines the Warriors’ success pre/post injury, the type of injury, and how it has affected the players’ performance and impact on the court. It significantly evaluated the injuries of Kevin Durant and Steph Curry, while still brushing on the injuries of other key players during the postseason. The injuries of Andre Iguodala, Klay Thompson, and DeMarcus Cousins during the playoffs were also taken into consideration as they could have been the determining factor in the Warriors losing the finals. Unfortunately, the minor injury of Andre Iguodala to his lower extremity truly hindered his ability to play his best, as the results and analytics show a true decrease in performance coming off the 2018 playoffs compared to the 2019 playoffs. Klay Thompson injuring his left ACL in game 2 of the finals was one of the most pivotal injuries to occur and certainly had a profound impact on the result of the finals. He has now been removed from USA Basketball’s training camp for the FIBA World Cup. Recovery time can vary, depending on whether it’s a grade 1, 2, or 3 injury. Grade 1 is mild and needs 1-3 weeks rest. Grade 2 is a partial tear and needs 4-6 weeks, while grade 3 is a complete tear and needs surgical reconstruction. This explains the GSW’s most recent decision to extend his contract to a 5-year, $190 million max deal to ensure he will stay with the team and have plenty of time to fully recover. Although Klay insists he wants to play for the World Cup, it was clear he had no chance of doing so without risking a more serious or long-term injury. This, however, would have been more detrimental to his career. Steph Curry is the leader and heart of the Warriors, and his injury during the playoffs certainly hit the team hard, being very fresh into his first NBA Finals MVP. During game 6 of the Finals, Curry landed on a court over the sideline of the Oracle Arena after attempting a reverse layup and fell into a cameraman and the metal and wood border of the court. Although appearing to be a minor injury, the damage was more than expected as it was later discovered that Curry had broken his hand. In the years Curry has been with the team, the results of every injury have truly changed the outcome and dynamic of the Warriors, and this instance is no different. The injury to his non-shooting hand won’t likely affect his game coming back, but a non-displaced break in the second metacarpal is typically a 6 to 8-week injury, depending on the athlete’s position and sport. With proper treatment, it should not cause any further problems in the future. This is quite recent, so unfortunately, I was unable to find a sufficient amount of data to provide a complete evaluation. All things considered, each injury has a specific effect on each individual player as well as the team’s overall performance, and this can all be measured through different means of comparison.”

3. Consequences on Team Performance

The Warriors had one of the best seasons in the history of the NBA last year when they went 73-9 in the regular season. Many people were expecting another fantastic performance from the Warriors this year with the addition of professional scorer, Kevin Durant. However, the beginning of the season would tell a very different story for the Warriors. In the very first game of the season against the Houston Rockets, the Warriors had an early scare when Draymond Green got into a minor fender bender after the game. Then in their 4th game of the season, newly acquired center Damian Jones would injure his pectoral muscle in practice, an injury that would keep him sidelined the entire season. A great deal of criticism would come to the Warriors concerning their injuries. Durant would have various injuries that would keep him out of multiple games. In fact, on March 1st, the Warriors would lose Durant to a knee sprain that would keep him out the entire month of March. When the Warriors were finally close to being healthy, they would suffer a key injury to someone else. In his first game back from nursing his various injuries, Durant on April 8th would suffer a rib injury. While this injury was not serious, the Warriors would hold him out for the rest of the regular season. Steph’s ankle and knee injuries would also take him out of multiple games. In fact, from March 11 to April 10, the Warriors would be without any of their 4 all-stars for more than a week. This would continue to raise more questions over the team’s health and their capabilities heading into the playoffs.

4. Strategies to Overcome Challenges

Additionally, the Warriors need to make some adjustments to their team from last season and analyze the rules of play in the NBA. They can consider using Small-Ball, where Steve should start thinking about how to close games with a guard/wing/wing/wing/flex type forward. They should also be open to the idea of using Leandro or even playing a post player as a late substitute to spread the floor more. According to two pages on Small Ball in the NBA, there is an increasing trend, and as coaches, our role is to prepare our teams to defend against various small ball lineups with small players. By implementing small ball, the Warriors can adapt to the current situation of having an injured center and adjust to the new rules of play in the NBA today and in the future.

The Warriors should also work on minimizing injuries in the next season by collaborating with technicians, doctors/physiotherapists, and analyzing the rules of play in the NBA. Erin mentioned that the Warriors need skilled technicians, healthcare professionals, and team physicians at the forefront of their organizational structure, along with physical therapists who understand how to bridge the gap. Having a good understanding of the injury problems that arise today and having a team of doctors will greatly help the Warriors anticipate and resolve injury problems.

The first strategy is to change the mindset of the Warriors and acknowledge that they cannot continue the achievements of previous seasons. They need to focus on the process and set aside the targets achieved in recent years. “I think our goal is really to evaluate next year as a gap year in some ways and build tactical strategies, where we can use the trade exception, the MLE, and the draft to fortify the roster around these guys.” By saying this, it is possible for the Warriors to achieve better results with minimal injuries in the next season and acquire good players in the NBA draft to help with their current situation.

Based on their situation and condition, strategies should be implemented by the Golden State Warriors to rebuild and improve their team from injuries. As a result, Kevin O’Brien has been appointed as the general manager of the Golden State Warriors. A strong and hardworking leader with experience in the basketball league will help the Warriors become better.

5. Conclusion

The NBA season 2019-20 was opened with high hopes. The Warriors have qualified for the NBA finals for 5 consecutive years. With the loss of Kevin Durant who moved to the Brooklyn Nets, the Golden State Warriors have replaced him with D’Angelo Russell. Later, a trade was made with the Minnesota Timberwolves which involves trading D’Angelo Russell with Andrew Wiggins. Although Curry was injured during the season, this trade could change the performance of the team in the next season. Wiggins has shown good performance throughout the injury of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. With this trade, Wiggins will bring youth and some quick scoring punch over to the Bay Area. He would definitely be a future key player for the team.

Golden State Warriors have been hit with severe injuries during the 2019-20 NBA season. The injuries started from preseason until the end of the season. The injuries that occurred throughout the season have a significant impact on the performance of the team. At the end of the season, the Golden State Warriors finished at the bottom of the table with 15 wins and 50 losses. This is a huge downfall for the Golden State Warriors as before this they were 5-time NBA Championship winners.