The Golden State Warriors came into the 2025-26 season with high hopes. But as the calendar inches closer to the new year, those hopes are starting to feel more like distant memories. Sitting at 13-15, the Warriors are stuck in the middle of the Western Conference pack, searching for answers-and, frankly, for wins.
Stephen Curry, the face of the franchise and the engine that’s powered their dynasty, has had his moments. But even his brilliance hasn’t been enough to pull Golden State out of the mud this time around.
Their recent one-point loss to the Phoenix Suns-a 99-98 heartbreaker-is a snapshot of where things stand. Curry logged 33 minutes in that game but managed just 15 points, well below the standard he’s set over the years.
Still, if there’s one thing we’ve learned about Curry, it’s that he doesn’t fold when the pressure’s on. He’s not sugarcoating the situation either. After the loss, he addressed the team’s struggles with the kind of honesty and urgency you’d expect from a veteran leader.
“Obviously, [we] aren’t a good team right now because our record says [so],” Curry said. “Feeling this pain right now and searching… could be a good thing if we do something about it.”
That’s not just lip service. That’s a guy who’s been through the grind, who knows what it takes to turn things around-and who still believes this group has the fight left in them.
Last season, the Warriors showed flashes of that resilience, rallying late in the year to make a push. That kind of turnaround isn’t out of the question again, but the margin for error is shrinking fast. And this time, they’ve had to navigate a significant setback: Curry’s midseason injury.
Back on November 26, during a matchup with the Houston Rockets, Curry suffered a quadriceps injury-a combination of a contusion and muscle strain in the VMO (vastus medialis oblique). It’s the kind of injury that doesn’t just sideline a player physically; it messes with rhythm, timing, and explosiveness-all things Curry relies on to be, well, Steph.
He’s been candid about the recovery process.
“The hardest part is getting full range of motion back, which I only got back 3-4 days ago,” Curry said. “Right now it’s just a pain tolerance thing and getting the strength back at it.”
It’s clear he’s still working his way back to full strength, and that’s a big reason why the Warriors have looked out of sync. When Curry’s not at 100%, the ripple effect hits every part of the offense. The spacing suffers, the ball movement slows, and the defense has less to worry about.
But if there’s a silver lining, it’s that Curry is back on the court-and that means the Warriors still have a shot. They’ve been here before.
They’ve faced adversity. And while this season hasn’t gone according to script, the story isn’t over yet.
For now, all eyes are on what comes next. Can the Warriors rally behind their leader once again?
Can Curry push through the pain and spark another second-half surge? The answers are coming.
And knowing this team’s history, it’d be unwise to count them out just yet.