Stephen Curry’s brief scare on Sunday was enough to jolt the entire Golden State operation, and for good reason. When Curry limped out of open practice just days before the season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers, the first thought was the worst one: another injury to the player the Warriors can least afford to lose.
That fear did not last long. Steve Kerr quickly said the issue was an ankle, not a knee problem, and later confirmed on Monday that the 2x MVP finished practice and is set to play against the Lakers. For Golden State, that is a welcome reset after a tense moment.
But the episode also laid bare how little margin for error this team has. Curry is 38, and the Warriors are already walking into the season without Jimmy Butler, Kristaps Porzingis and Moses Moody. If Curry were to miss any meaningful stretch, Golden State would be staring at a very different kind of season - one with little realistic hope of making the playoffs.
That’s what made Sunday’s scare feel so heavy. Even before the season begins, the Warriors know how quickly everything can tilt if Curry is sidelined. He was diagnosed with runner’s knee last season and missed 27 straight games, so any hint of trouble instantly sends alarms through the building.
Golden State’s offseason only sharpened that concern. The Warriors made a push for LeBron James in free agency, and the logic was obvious: adding a player of that caliber would have lifted the ceiling and given the team a buffer for the inevitable nights Curry can’t carry the load by himself. Instead, James went to the Philadelphia 76ers, leaving the Warriors without that safety net.
For now, they are expected to dodge the bullet. Still, the lineup picture without Curry is unsettling enough, and without Butler either, the offense could wind up leaning on Brandon Williams - a 26-year-old who impressed in preseason but had to wait a long time for a free-agency contract.
So the immediate crisis appears to have passed. The larger warning, though, remains in place: when Curry has another injury scare, and the season runs long enough for that to happen, the stakes around it will be enormous.
In Other News...
Warriors May Be Forced Into A Frontcourt Move Sooner Than Expected
Kristaps Porzingis being sidelined by an illness and Charles Bassey dealing with knee tendinitis has left the Warriors with a thinner center rotation than they likely expected this early. For now, Golden State is leaning on Al Horford, whose minutes will be managed, and two-way big man Graham Ike as it tries to keep the middle of the floor covered.
The situation has put a spotlight on a frontcourt group that already looked like a potential pressure point, and it may force the Warriors to move sooner than planned if the shortage lingers. With the season moving along, the team is expected to weigh whether adding more center depth, or even a better option, becomes necessary to stabilize the rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Steve Kerrs Jimmy Butler Update Says A Lot About Warriors Ceiling
The Warriors are heading into their 2026-27 opener against the Lakers without Jimmy Butler, and that alone puts an early spotlight on how they navigate the first stretch of the season. Butler is still working back from the torn ACL he suffered a year ago, but Steve Kerrs latest update suggested the veteran wing is moving in the right direction, with Kerr noting that Butler has been doing well and was recently spotted getting in work in the teams weight room.
Kerr also made clear that Butler remains a different kind of presence when he is around the group, which matters for a Warriors team trying to keep its ceiling intact while waiting on his return. The bigger question now is not just when Butler gets back on the floor, but how much his mentality and two-way edge can eventually raise the standard for a team that will be measured from the start by how it handles these early games without him. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Injury Crunch Puts Steve Kerr In A Tough Lakers Decision
Brandin Podziemski has been ruled out for the Warriors game against the Lakers, adding another layer to a rotation that is already being stretched by injuries. Golden State has been dealing with a long list of unavailable or uncertain bodies, with Jimmy Butler, Kristaps Porzingis, Moses Moody and Charles Bassey all either sidelined or questionable as Steve Kerr tries to patch together a workable lineup.
Will Richard, meanwhile, is suddenly in the conversation again after being out of the mix recently. With so many pieces in flux, the Warriors may need to lean on depth they have not had to trust much lately, and that makes the pregame decisions even more important against a Lakers team that can punish any shortage of available defenders or ball handlers. [Read more 🡒]