The Cleveland Cavaliers’ upset of the Golden State Warriors was not expected in the least. The Warriors were fresh off a record-setting 73-win season and had the reigning back-to-back MVP. But alas, they wound up blowing a 3-1 lead in the Finals in the most shocking of circumstances.
There are plenty of factors that played into the Warriors’ loss. One that has been especially talked about is Stephen Curry’s health.
The Warriors point guard hurt his MCL in the team’s first-round matchup with the Rockets. He ultimately only missed four games to the injury before a shoulder injury surfaced during the Finals.
To many, this is seen as an excuse for Curry’s disappointing performance in June. But according to his personal trainer, Brandon Payne, Curry was significantly injured in the postseason.
Following via Sam Amick of USA TODAY Sports:
“As bad as I wanted it to be him (in the Finals), it wasn’t him,” said Payne, who has worked with Curry since 2011 and spent much of the late summer leading two-a-day workouts with Curry six times a week while living in the Bay Area. “We don’t like to make excuses, and we’re not going to make excuses because all that matters is what happens in the 48 minutes when you’re on the floor. (But) I wish it was the other version of him, the version that we saw for 82 games.”
I don’t doubt that what Payne is saying is true. That said, by the time the playoffs come around, nearly every player is injured in some way. Even if Stephen Curry’s injuries were more significant (and to an extent they were) they should not really excuse his performance. Curry was the team’s detriment at times (along with many more factors) and that didn’t really have anything to do with his injuries.
