The Warriors may be staring at the same old roster problems, but the bigger question hanging over Golden State is Stephen Curry’s knee.
After a 37-45 season, GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. didn’t land any meaningful upgrades this summer, leaving the Warriors to lean on a group that already showed its flaws. Still, the most unsettling piece isn’t the lack of movement. It’s whether Curry can hold up over a full season after the right leg issue that was diagnosed as “runner’s knee” in late January.
On ‘Dubs Talk,’ Monte Poole said the concern hasn’t gone away.
“There’s at least some lingering concern about the knee,” reported Monte Pool on ‘Dubs Talk.’ “From what I’ve been told, it can be managed, but it has to be managed, and that’s a new thing for Steph because people always say he is the most conditioned guy in the League and now he has to manage a knee,” said Warriors insider Monte Poole.
“I guess we’ll find out, but from what I understand, he and his trainers have devised ways to kind of work around that and sort of support that whole possibility of the knee not being as great as he wants it to be. So, I’m curious to see how it turns out, but Steph seemed pretty confident that he’ll be able to go out there and put out 70+ games.”
Curry has spent most of his Warriors career avoiding major injury trouble aside from some early ankle issues, but the last stage of his career has come with more wear and tear. Last season, he missed 39 games. What began as a short absence stretched out for about two months after repeated setbacks in rehab.
Curry later described that recovery as especially difficult because he never knew how his body would respond from day to day. The frustration got so real that the Warriors even thought about shutting him down completely. Instead, he finished the year on his own terms, putting up 26.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game.
Even so, the warning signs remain. Curry may need his workload carefully managed now, which could mean sitting out certain games or playing fewer minutes than usual. At this stage, the knee may never feel exactly the same again, but it can still be handled with the right approach.
That matters because Golden State needs him at his best. With Jimmy Butler on the mend and Draymond Green starting to show his age, Curry is the engine for any real playoff push next season. The Warriors are going to do everything in their power to keep him on the floor.
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