Reminiscing Over Steph Curry’s 2020 Injury, Draymond Green Predicts Doom And Gloom For Pacers Without Tyrese Haliburton

Tyrese Haliburton’s injury in Game 7 of the NBA Finals was heartbreaking for hoop fans. The All-Star guard had started the game red hot, drilling three triples in just seven minutes. But then, without any contact, he collapsed. Later, it was confirmed to be an Achilles tear. Draymond Green watched it all unfold and got flashbacks of a familiar pain.

The Golden State Warriors went through a terrible phase with injuries from 2019-2020. While discussing Haliburton’s injury on The Draymond Green Show, the Warriors veteran reflected on what his teammates had to endure.

In Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals, Klay Thompson tore his ACL. In that same series, Kevin Durant suffered a strained calf, then returned in the Finals, only to rupture his Achilles. Then, in the following season, Stephen Curry broke his wrist. The Warriors’ dynasty collapsed under the weight of injuries. “As soon as it happened, I was like, man, that looked too familiar,” Green compared Haliburton’s injury to Durant’s.

Green said that it’s almost impossible to win a title without your best player. Teams can scrap together wins, maybe even a playoff berth, but championship hopes disappear. He believes that’s exactly what’s going to happen with the Pacers now. With Haliburton expected to be out for at least a year, the path forward is grim.

Haliburton had been the heart of Indiana’s resurgence, an All-NBA level player who guided them all the way to the Finals. And just like that, he’s out indefinitely. For Draymond, the memory is raw. He’s seen what it does to a locker room, to a franchise, to championship dreams. And now, the Pacers are staring at the same grim reality.

Adam Silver talked about the frequent Achilles injuries

As entertaining as the 2024-25 season was, it was also devastating for several athletes. Seven athletes have had Achilles injuries this season. James Wiseman, Isaiah Jackson, Dejounte Murray, Dru Smith, Jayson Tatum, Damian Lillard, and Tyrese Haliburton. The last three were injured during the playoffs.

Amid the unfortunate growing trend of Achilles injuries, NBA commissioner Adam Silver shared his thoughts on the same during a conversation with ESPN’s Malika Andrews. Silver noted that this year there have been seven such injuries, while last year there were none. “We had already convened a panel of experts before Tyrese’s most recent Achilles rupture,” Silver said.

The commissioner believes that a long NBA season has very little to do with these injuries, as under the same setup, no one suffered such an injury last year. He outlined that most Achilles injuries over the last 10 years have happened before the All-Star break.

Another major point he mentioned during the conversation was about the players’ offseason workout routine. He said that the players aren’t getting enough rest, working out three times a day, when they’re supposed to be taking care of their bodies. Regardless, Silver assured that the NBA is looking into this matter very seriously.