3 ways Stephen Curry-less Warriors can win against Anthony Edwards and Wolves

Once Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors booked their tickets to the second round of the playoffs, basketball fans rubbed their hands in glee, expecting an entertaining battle against Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

There were some concerns about the Warriors’ endurance as their top four players are 32 years old and above, and they were coming off just one day’s rest after their seven-game first-round series against the Houston Rockets.

In contrast, the Wolves had five days of rest and were more athletically and physically gifted than the Warriors. That additional rest, though, did not help them, as they looked rusty with Edwards scoring just one miserable point in the first half.

The veteran-laden Warriors took advantage of it to jump into a lead and keep it to win Game 1 on the road. The only downside is that they lost Stephen Curry to a hamstring injury in the second quarter. That will impact the series as it takes anywhere between 7-10 days to recover completely from a Grade 1 strain.

The Warriors do hope it is not a Grade 2 strain, as that will take longer. With games spaced out a day between each other, the Bay Area franchise does not have the luxury of keeping Curry away for long. However, there are ways they can allow him to rest and win games at the same time.

Set the tone defensively with Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler

In the first few minutes of Game 1, Stephen Curry led the Golden State Warriors with 13 points. That helped them extend a lead they would hold till the end of the game. But Curry was not around to hold that lead. Instead, it was down to Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler who set the tone on defense.

Butler scored to his usual standards, but the way he clamped Anthony Edwards and other Minnesota Timberwolves perimeter players helped the Warriors keep them from scoring. The same can be said about Green. There is a reason why he once won the Defensive Player of the Year award.

He managed to control the Warriors defense through constant communication and shifting over to help his teammates. Green might not be big enough to block some of the Wolves’ shot attempts. But he is intelligent and gritty enough to deny them clear lanes on every possession.

There were times when the home team had to rethink their approach, all because Green kept them from getting open looks. That sort of defense does not show up on stat sheets, but can alter the course of the game. The other Warriors players followed Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green’s leadership and stayed in front of the Timberwolves all game long.

Buddy Hield and others have to step up without Stephen Curry

When Stephen Curry is on the floor, he is usually the Golden State Warriors’ first point of attack. Jimmy Butler is second, and then come the rest of the players. Now that he is questionable for Game 2 and possibly Game 3, the franchise has to allow other players more freedom to score.

Buddy Hield has been coming off the bench all season. Today, he used that to greater effect when he kept receiving the ball. That does not always happen with Curry on the floor. This could be a sign that Steve Kerr is pushing Hield to freely shoot.

The other players, Brandon Podziemski, Draymond Green, and Gary Payton II, can chime in when in scoring positions. Collectively, they have to score to keep pace with the Timberwolves. But Steve Kerr needs one player to step up aggressively.

Warriors need to unleash Jonathan Kuminga

After Game 3 of the series against the Houston Rockets, Steve Kerr did not send Jonathan Kuminga into any game until Game 7. His absence from their rotation has been a constant topic amongst basketball fans.

Some believe his time is up in San Francisco, while others believe Kerr is keeping him healthy to unleash later in the playoffs. Whatever his reasons are, there is no better time than now to bring Kuminga back into the rotation.

He has the length to keep the Timberwolves in check, and the athleticism to drive past them to score. If he can attack the interior, his teammates can exploit their perimeter offense. All those factors can help him contribute to wins.

All the Warriors have to do is to encourage him to bring his A game. Hold the fort down until Stephen Curry returns, and the Warriors should be in a good position to win the series. They would rather have their most important player healthy than risk it all to deter their championship goals.

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