When Golden State Warriors guard Patrick McCaw went down with a scary injury nearly two months ago, many didn’t think about the implications it would have on the postseason.
However, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has been forced to play guards Nick Young and Quinn Cook in crucial situations throughout the first five games of the Western Conference Finals. With NBA Finals experience under his belt, those minutes would likely have gone to McCaw, a player Kerr has plenty of trust in. According to The Vertical’s Shams Charania, the Warriors will activate McCaw for Game 6.
The Golden State Warriors are planning to activate Pat McCaw for Game 6 tonight against Houston, league sources tell Yahoo. McCaw is expected to be in uniform for first time since scary injury on March 31.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 26, 2018
McCaw took a terrifying fall when going up for a finish against the Sacramento Kings late in the third quarter during a game in late March. Veteran wing Vince Carter undercut McCaw while he was locked in the air, resulting in a hard impact to McCaw’s tailbone area.
#Warriors wingman Patrick McCaw goes down hard after being fouled by Vince Carter…
(via @clippittv) pic.twitter.com/6jKNd8hDD8
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) April 1, 2018
Thankfully, the injury ended up being nothing more than a bone bruise but it still took Patrick McCaw nearly two months to recover fully. His activation after his extended absence has to be a sight for sore eyes for the struggling Warriors.
Golden State finds themselves in an unfamiliar hole against a hungry Rockets team, down 3-2 with Game 6 on their home floor at Oracle Arena. Perhaps McCaw’s return can provide the team with a much-needed jolt, though it’s likely he’s used sparingly, if at all, during Game 6.