There’s no debate—the NBA season is gruelling and demanding. At times, our heroes look like machines. And that’s not ’cause they are—just that they need to be for our sake. But it takes a heavy toll on their body. Just take the Philadelphia 76ers as the perfect example. But as long as we’re naming names—Stephen Curry aged 37 has been dealt severe blows over the past two months. To highlight this, Warriors coach Steve Kerr has a message for Adam Silver—82 games is way too much.
There is a recurring theme for the Chef—he hasn’t cooked in New Orleans for a good while. And this dates all the way back to 2022, when he missed 4 consecutive appearances at the Smoothie King Center. That’s not what the fans want. And Steve Kerr apologized for this before their game on November 4th, 2022.
“I’m concerned about the product because I think we are asking way too much of our players,” Kerr said in November before the game. “The game has never been more difficult to play at a high level night after night after night. We should account for that. We all need to be thinking about that, for sure.” What’s not to forget is that these games are just in the regular season. Each matchup in the post-season is settled with a whole 7-game series. So the demand is such that championship aspirants require about 100 games from their players.
Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
There’s only one man who can do something about this—NBA commissioner Adam Silver. He did try to aid it somehow—by adding a new Player Participation Policy that came into effect from the 2023-24 season. And apparently that’s done the trick. Well, that’s what Silver thinks. “I can tell you that the number of games that players have participated in is up this season, and interestingly enough, injuries are down,” Silver said during the February 2024 All-Star break. “Whether that’s meaningful data yet, I don’t know.”
But what’s for certain is this—this debate will go on long enough. And none of it will change come playoffs that are set to begin this week. For that, the Warriors face a young, hungry Grizzlies side. Regardless of their veteran experience, they should be cautious. Any show of sheepishness and they could get caught with their hand in the cookie jar.
Stephen Curry’s Warriors should be wary of Grizzlies
The Grizz might’ve thrown their playoffs bids in the bin with an end-of-season meltdown. But their quality has been on display on more occasions than one. It’s true that the Warriors have won 3 of their 4 meetings this season. But you’d be a fool to bet against a young team in a 7-game series. And former forward Marcus Morris talks about this vividly while on ESPN.
“I think it will be a really tough game. I really like the Grizzlies, like the YNs, they really come into play, right? Like, they’re gonna be excited, they’re gonna be ready to go. But listen, Steph Curry, Jimmy Buckets, Draymond Green, I think they understand the importance of winning this game, getting more rest,” said Morris.
Jan 4, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward/center Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) drives to the basket against Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) in the third quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images
Stephen Curry got himself injured in their last game of the season. There were concerns of his sprained right thumb being a problem heading into the first game. But it’s Anthony Slater to the rescue! He’s reported that the full 15-man squad will be ready to roll tonight.
Now it’s onto the most important part of the season. April’s antics begin with this clash of the titans. All the 82 gruelling games are all of the past now, and there’s only one thing left to say. To quote the great Michael Buffer—Let’s Get Ready To Rumble!
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