Many Warriors fans will walk away from the 2024-25 NBA season with one simple question in mind.
What if Steph Curry didn’t injure his hamstring in the playoffs?
After Golden State’s season-ending 121-110 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night at Target Center, coach Steve Kerr was asked if that same question will be on his mind in the coming days, too.
“Actually, I don’t even have to think. I know we had a shot,” Kerr told reporters. “I know we could have gone the distance. Maybe we wouldn’t have, but it doesn’t matter. Again, everything in the playoffs is about who stays healthy and who gets hot.
“Are you playing well at the right time? Do you have multiple guys step up in key games, make shots? And do you have good health? You see it every year, in every series. So there’s a little bit of luck involved, and we’ve been on both sides of that. It’s just part of it.”
Warriors star forward Jimmy Butler, who was forced to carry a much heavier load after Curry’s injury, came to a similar conclusion when asked if a healthy Golden State could contend for a title.
“I think we all know that. We all believe that,” Butler asserted. “The injuries are part of it. Nobody wants to be injured. It’s all about playing your basketball, the best basketball at the right time, and being healthy at the right time.
“Unfortunately, that wasn’t us, and we came up short.”
Now, the Warriors head into an important offseason with a chance to better position themselves to overcome any more potential injuries to their aging core next year and beyond.
