The Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry awkwardly fell onto E’Twaun Moore’s foot while trying to block a pass during a fiery comeback against the New Orleans Pelicans on December 4, 2017. Curry shot 31 points prior to falling and spraining his ankle, and currently averages 26.3 points, 6.6 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game. His ankle injury has kept him off the court for the past two weeks, and it is estimated that he won’t be back until the new year begins.

According to Steve Kerr, coach of the Golden State Warriors,“In a weird way, it’s a good thing for our team.” As bizarre as Kerr’s positive outlook on the injury of his MVP sounds, the stats support his philosophy. Jaclyn Chen ’21 agrees with Kerr: “The Warriors are still able to excel on the court without Curry, and I think that once he recovers and rejoins the team, the Warriors will be stronger than ever.”

In any other regular team, Curry’s loss would have been devastating, but the Golden State Warriors are no average team. The Warriors have managed to stay second in the Western Conference, with 24 wins and 6 losses. As their roster is jam-packed with superstars, including Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson, the Warriors have been able to compensate for Curry’s injury, and maintain their winning streak of 9 games. Kevin Durant, small forward, averages 26.5 points and has substantially stepped up since Curry’s injury. Durant averaged 34.2 points in the past 5 games without Curry. Additionally, the Warriors’ shooting guard, Klay Thompson, averages 20.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. Without Curry in the past 5 games, Thompson averaged 21.4 points and 5.2 rebounds. Curry’s injury has left his teammates in a position to grow.

Patrick Feng ’20, shares his input on Curry’s injury: “At first, I thought it was crazy- how is it possible that losing your MVP will benefit you? But really, Curry’s injury has begun paving the way for the Warriors win the 2018 Championship, and I’m stoked to see the Warriors play in the rest of the season.”

Though it may seem unimaginable, Curry’s injury has been beneficial to the team by forcing his teammates to improve. The Warriors have already confirmed that Curry’s fall did not impact his bone structure, and that he is rapidly recovering. It’s surely going to be one heck of a season watching the Warriors dominate on a new level when Stephen Curry is back.