Stephen Curry laughed off the Warriors' troubles in an Instagram comment. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry isn’t letting his team’s early season woes get the best of him. In fact, the three-time champion had the perfect response to the haters who are enjoying every moment of their possible downfall.
The 31-year-old literally laughed off the criticism about his iconic towel look with plenty of emojis featuring the “cry-laughing” expression. Head coach Steve Kerr’s side, who fell to the Toronto Raptors 4-2 in this year’s NBA Finals, are currently 2-9 on the season and last in the Western Conference standings.
Not the Best Start for Golden State
The Warriors, who have arguably dominated the NBA for the last five years, are going through what some would call a humbling experience in the wake of key players exiting the starting lineup by injury or free agency.
After winning two rings with the team, forward Kevin Durant left during free agency in June and signed a four-year, $164 million max contract with the Brooklyn Nets. To make up for his exit, Golden State inked a four-year $117 million contract for D’Angelo Russell’s talents.
Armed with (presumably) an ideal replacement, the new-look Warriors already look even different just weeks into the new NBA campaign. While driving to the rim, Curry suffered a broken left hand when he collided with Aron Baynes of the Phoenix Suns on October 30.
Steph Curry heads to the locker room with an apparent wrist injury after taking a scary fall.
After undergoing surgery, it was expected that the two-time league MVP would return by the All-Star break. However, recent reports suggest the sprain is a “lot worse” than expected and believe Curry may sit out for the remainder of the season.
Forward Draymond Green missed five games himself after suffering a torn ligament in his left index finger. He made his triumphant return against the Utah Jazz on Monday, but his night was cut short after being ejected early in the fourth quarter.
Steve Kerr Sounds off on Warriors’ Troubles
The Dubs’ dismal start even has coach Steve Kerr speaking to the media about where they go from here. The boss admitted he isn’t quite pleased with where his team is at right now, adding that injuries shouldn’t be an excuse for poor performance.
“We are a young team that is learning, but I’m not happy with where we are,” ESPN reports Kerr said after the team’s 118-104 loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder Saturday night. “We should not just accept our fate. We shouldn’t feel sorry for ourselves and say well we have all these injuries and you know we are playing two-way guys or whatever and going for the lottery and all this crap. We should win some games.”
With so many injury spells and a timetable for Klay Thompson’s return yet to be determined, no one truly expected the Warriors to be as strong as they’ve been the last several seasons. However, this complete turnaround is concerning, and does’t bode well for their chances at even making the playoffs.