The Golden State Warriors managed a gritty win against the Toronto Raptors. Right before the fourth quarter, they lost Stephen Curry. A hard fall on his back which ‘everyone could hear’ ended his night early. But the Bay had an exhaustive task on their hands. They needed to hold a marginal lead without basketball’s most lethal weapon. How do you manage to do that when the Warriors have consistently won games with him for more than a decade?

It’s won by a community effort. All of the Warriors jumped in tonight, especially defensively to limit the Raptors’ comeback. Four defensive stops in the second half, one toward the end of the third quarter, and another three during the clutch period in the fourth quarter proved invaluable in this. Butler pulled off the vital clutch block in the penultimate moments of the game to seal the win for the Warriors.

Meanwhile, their offense suffered in the absence of Curry. During the first half, they logged 131.4 points per 100 possessions. But after losing Curry, there was a noticeable drop in that. They scored only 96.2 points per 100 possessions, while the Raptor marginally outscored them with 101.9 points. After the game, Draymond Green admitted that without Curry their “offense is never going to be as smooth”. But they now have Butler, a safeguard who can manifest ways to win games. This time, he notched up a triple-double once again (16 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists).

But Green’s target would be the younger Warriors players. Podziemski, Kuminga, and Post combined for 49 points tonight. Moses Moody and Buddy Hield contributed with 4 and 8 points respectively. While it assures that the Warriors have the depth that can still bring them win without Stephen Curry, Green also gave them a reality check. They can’t try and be like the Baby Face Assassin.

“Just expect them to play their game. None of those guys are going to be Steph Curry. Unfortunately, that’s just the way it goes. But they can be their best selves… So we just need them to be who they are. Be a master at your role and I think everybody is doing a great job of that. No one person in the NBA not just on our team, no one person in the NBA is going to be Stephen Curry. So we got to collectively try and give up the slack,” Green said in the post-game interview.

Which of the Warriors’ young up-comers could not agree with it? The Warriors is a ship built around the engine that Stephen Curry provides. He can run for hours, hit any shot, and most importantly force the defense to alter their coverage. If no one is on Steph, that is half the battle lost. Now potentially playing some games without him, the Warriors need to clean up their play far greater than before. Notably, Butler had spoken along the same line after the Warriors lost against the Nuggets.

“It’s OK to be tired. That’s on myself and that’s on us as a unit to pick up the slack for him. As much as everyone think he is a superhuman, he is not. He is our leader, we must protect him at all times,” Butler had said. Now Green’s words come as a reminder that without Curry, there is practically no margin for error. And the Bay successfully executed their plans tonight.

The Warriors need the next man to step up

After playing a majority of the third quarter, Curry needed to sit out. The Warriors had just sliced the Raptors lead in that quarter. But without Curry, the Bay couldn’t replicate their offense. Likewise, they tightened their defensive integrity, allowing the Raptors to score only 22 points in the final quarter.

Top Comment by jeffery rogers

I think it key that buddy heild step up . Buddy heild started off the year on fire we need...more

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However, going forward, one part of the game can’t be ignored. Setting the tempo and having a process is vital. Green’s instructions are clear. The Warriors don’t have to try and find a Curry replacement. Brandin Podziemski explained just what that means. “It’s going to have to be a next man up mentality if he is out Saturday. Going to have to deal with it. It is what it is like I said don’t want to see anyone go down like that,” Podz said about what the Warriors need to do.

After a challenging start, Brandin Podziemski has flourished for the Warriors which hasn’t changed since he too returned from a back injury. Maybe because he knows that the back is precisely the most important part of the body to perform on the court, he can foresee Stephen Curry missing games to fully heal.

However, in terms of the next man up, Steve Kerr has a few at his disposal. The obvious choice is Jimmy Butler who has proven he can be the center of an offense and bring everyone alone. Additionally, Jonathan Kuminga could get extensive play time if Curry does opt to rest after his scary fall tonight.

Regardless, the main priority for the Warriors is to find a way to win without Curry’s tricks. The plays won’t be as simplistic and their efforts will have to be spirited from the first quarter. So far, they have done well without Curry. It remains to be seen who stands up to make up for him in the upcoming Curry-less games.