As the Golden State Warriors gear up for a highly anticipated rematch of last year’s Western Conference Finals against the Houston Rockets, they could be missing some marquee names at the onset of the series.
Head coach Steve Kerr told NBC Sports’ Logan Murdock that starting guards Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry are both listed as questionable for Sunday’s Game 1 versus the Rockets. Kerr says while they both got some work in on Saturday, their status remains very much up in the air for the series’ opening game.
Steve Kerr said both Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are questionable for Game 1.
When asked about @ThompsonScribe’s report that Klay’s ankle was ‘pretty bad’ Kerr joked that reporters have better sources than he does. pic.twitter.com/ABDTgihtUD
— Logan Murdock (@loganmmurdock) April 27, 2019
Of the two superstar backcourt mates, it appears Klay Thompson is currently in more jeopardy of missing some time. According to a report from The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson II, Thompson’s ankle is in ‘pretty bad shape’ and there’s a genuine concern he won’t be ready for Game 1 Sunday and perhaps beyond.
Of course, not having one or both of their superstar guards for a matchup against a squad as loaded and motivated as the Houston Rockets this season is a devastating blow. The Clippers already left a mark on the defending champs with a hard-fought first-round series, and now they must quickly turn around and face the team who gave them nightmares in last season’s Conference Finals.
Curry is the one with a long history of ankle ailments and is perhaps the most important piece on Golden State’s roster. Losing him for the first game against Houston could set the tone in the Rockets’ favor.
Then, obviously not having a two-sided player such as Thompson available would also be a major loss. Thompson will likely be tasked with guarding MVP candidate and offensive juggernaut James Harden for most of the series so him being fully healthy is a must if the Warriors hope to advance.
Golden State is already without free agent acquisition DeMarcus Cousins who ruptured his quad in Game 2 against the Clips last round. Now with the statuses of Thompson and Curry looking murky at best for Game 1, the Warriors could be in serious trouble against the Rockets this time around.
