ULTIMATELY, the loss of manpower was just too much to overcome for the defending champions Golden State Warriors. Klay Thompson missed Game 3 and left Game 6 in what was later on diagnosed as an ACL injury. Kevin Durant, as we all know, played only about 11 minutes in the entire series. There were other injuries to some of their key players.
I predicted GSW to win in seven games, but I also predicted that with no KD, there’s no title. The Warriors though went down fighting tooth and nail and gave all the credit to their conquerors, the Toronto Raptors and did not use the series of unfortunate events as an excuse.
Which is just as well. Injuries are part of the ballgame. Basically, that’s the reason why you have a 12- man roster for a game that only needs five players on the court. Tough luck, but that’s the way the ball rolls.
PROGNOSIS. Both Durant and Thompson will be free agents next season. The first order of things for the Warriors would be to re-sign both of them, but that’s a tall order. For me, Klay might be an easy discussion, but who knows what the mercurial Durant will do?
By coming back in Game 5 to help his team only to inflict a more fatal injury on himself, Durant came out smelling like roses. Unfairly perceived by some as a mercenary who was recruited precisely to make this team a champion again, he turned himself into a hero, earning praise, admiration and even sympathy from both fans and critics alike.
Yet, that probably won’t be enough to make him wear that Warriors uniform again.
Had they won, the challenge to accomplish that rare four-peat might have been enough motivation for him. But as things stand now, he might find more inspiration elsewhere.
Poor Draymond Green, though, who might have unwittingly turned himself into a villain in the Durant injury fiasco. He was the one who called out Durant, calling him a “b___ch” and telling him they don’t need him as they won without him before.
Guess what? They can’t win without him and if they can’t re-sign him, the future looks dim for this dynasty.
And assuming that they do, Durant and Klay are projected to miss out the next season, so I guess Steph Curry will just have to sit tight and wait till he can make another championship run again.
VERBATIM. “Just a two-minute rest, I’ll be ready,”--Klay Thompson to Coach Steve Kerr, unaware that he had a torn ACL. He would later leave the arena on crutches—www.foxsports.com
LAST ROUNDS. Are on my cousins, Kevin and Bambeth Tiu and Andy and Abigail Sincero. Welcome to Siargao. Cheers!