Kendrick Perkins: 'Warriors' title hopes are done for this season' / News - Basketnews.com

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NBA analyst and former player, Kendrick Perkins, says that the Golden State Warriors' title chances are over following Stephen Curry's ankle injury against the Boston Celtics.

Draymond Green

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GSW have not been this far away from being called championship contenders until the current standpoint.

"Hell yeah, they are over. And look, it's not the lack of playing time that Steph, Klay, and Draymond have had this season. These guys have played together their entire career. They know how to find their chemistry.

It's about the others and when you saw Steve Kerr getting mad with Marcus Smart, yes it was about protecting Stephen Curry but it was about him having twelve games in the season and him trying to find his rotations, continuity, and chemistry," Perkins spoke.

"Remember, Klay got back, and I said, 'It is going to be guys, who will have to play different roles'. Now, you have to find out where you are going to play Jordan Poole, how are you going to play Jonathan Kuminga, how Kuminga and Green will play one another.

If you are a head coach and you get to this period of time, which matters the most, you want to have guys knowing their roles and place. That's why I say, with Steph Curry being injured and not coming back until the playoffs, I strongly believe that the Warriors' title hopes are done for this season," the NBA champion (2008) admitted.

The Warriors staff are hopeful on Steph's return for the playoffs but as of now, he will remain out indefinitely. GSW star will sit out two weeks before being re-evaluated for a sprained ligament in his left foot.

A two-week timetable could mean Curry will be ready for the start of the playoffs in April. The Warriors, who at 47-23 are third place in the Western Conference and battling the Memphis Grizzlies (48-23) for a second, have 12 games left in the regular season.

Curry's injury occurred when Boston's Marcus Smart landed on the back of Curry's leg while diving for possession of the ball.

The two-time NBA MVP and eight-time All-Star had his foot twist awkwardly in the incident, and shortly thereafter had to be removed from the game. He headed straight to the locker room, walking under his own power.

"I thought it was a dangerous play," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said post-game. "I thought Marcus dove into Steph, and that's what I was upset about. A lot of respect for Marcus. He's a hell of a player, a gamer, a competitor. I coached him in the World Cup a few summers ago. We talked after the game and we're good. But I thought it was a dangerous play."

Curry, 34, holds team-leading averages in points (25.5) and assists (6.3) to go along with 5.2 rebounds in 64 games this season.

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