The Golden State Warriors have suffered some horrible luck in their Western Conference semifinals series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
While the Warriors managed to win Game 1 after Stephen Curry went down with his hamstring injury, they simply aren't the same team when he's not on the floor.
Now, you take a Hall-of-Fame caliber player off of any of these teams in the NBA Playoffs, and they would look much different. But if the Warriors want to hang around until a possible return, they'll have to dig deep in Game 5.
Draymond Green Warriors
Golden State Warriors veteran Draymond Green.
© Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
Draymond Green struggling for this reason
Immediately following Game 1, Draymond Green struggled the next two games, combining for 11 points on 4-for-14 shooting. Green has always had the ability to facilitate, but his other quality was that he stretched the floor as a shooting threat.
According to Anthony Slater, this is why Green has been struggling in Curry's absence.
"Draymond Green is tied to Steph Curry. They built this roster to prop up and maximize Steph Curry, and have a lot of players that play well with him," Slater said. "But when he's out, they can't necessarily toggle up their offensive production to a degree."
Even in games where Green has been out and Curry has played, Curry hasn't looked the same at times, as Green brings that toughness and that edge to do the dirty work and get in the opponent's faces, allowing Curry to serve as the baby-faced assassin of sorts.
Curry has been cleared for light on-court workouts, but if he plays again in this series, the Warriors must win Game 5.