Injuries continue to pile up for the Golden State Warriors.
Stephen Curry is already out through at least the first round of the playoffs. Andre Iguodala has been dealing with left knee soreness. Omri Casspi is recovering from a sprained right ankle. Draymond Green is laboring through a left ankle issue. And now Patrick McCaw may be done for the season with a back injury, including the playoffs, per a Thursday team announcement:
Patrick McCaw Update: pic.twitter.com/7KRBq1SRoa
— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) April 5, 2018
Anyone who saw this play live knows that even a few months on the shelf can be considered a lucky break for McCaw. Vince Carter essentially undercut him during the Warriors’ Saturday night tilt against the Sacramento Kings, and he needed to be carted off the floor in a stretcher. The NBA world delivered an outpouring of well-wishes and general support, suggesting the prognosis wouldn’t be great.
That it doesn’t appear, at least for now, McCaw has suffered any long-term damage is great news. Still, the prospect of him missing the entire postseason stings.
Yes, McCaw has the lowest net rating of anyone on the Warriors (minus-0.7), according to NBA.com. (Actually, Chris Boucher has the lowest mark, but he’s only made one appearance.) Nevertheless, Golden State could use an extra ball-handler with Curry on the sidelines, and McCaw spent a good deal of this season cutting into Shaun Livingston’s playing time.
At the very least, the Warriors would love to have another cross-position defender on the floor. McCaw has struggled at times defensively, but he’s 6’7″ and can switch from point guards and shooting guards onto some small forwards.
It’s also worth noting that he’ll be an Early Bird restricted free agent this summer. The Warriors will have matching rights on him, but with their tax bill set to explode into outer space, they likely won’t be willing to pay much to keep him around. Of course, given the season he’s had, combined with this latest injury, it’s not entirely clear whether there will be a strong market for his services in July. They might be able to re-sign him on the cheap.
