The Golden State Warriors will head into Wednesday’s opener against the Los Angeles Lakers with some familiar pressure on Stephen Curry - and some very real holes around him.
Golden State’s latest injury report already tells the story. Jimmy Butler III, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski and Kristaps Porzingis have all been ruled out for the game at Crypto.com Arena, while Charles Bassey is questionable because of right patellar tendinopathy. Curry, meanwhile, is listed as probable.
That status is a relief after a scare earlier in the week. Curry sprained his right ankle during Sunday’s open practice, which immediately put his availability in doubt. But he was back on the floor Monday, and Steve Kerr made it clear the Warriors expect him to suit up.
"I'm always concerned when Steph limps off," Kerr said. "But I went down and checked on him, and he told me immediately he was fine."
Curry’s presence matters even more because of how little margin for error the Warriors have at the start of this season. He averaged 26.6 points per game last year despite appearing in only 43 games, and Golden State is trying to get back into playoff contention after missing the postseason last season.
The absences don’t stop with Curry’s temporary ankle issue. Butler is working back from a torn ACL and is expected to miss a significant chunk of the season.
Moody is still out after rupturing his left patellar tendon in March. Porzingis remains sidelined indefinitely because of a health-related issue.
All of that leaves the Warriors leaning heavily on their veteran core right away, and the timing couldn’t be tougher. The Lakers bring plenty of firepower into the opener, with Luka Doncic running the offense and Austin Reaves coming off the most productive scoring season of his career. Los Angeles also won more than 50 games last season.
For Golden State, the message is simple: the seasoned guys have to carry the load now, while the injured pieces stay on the sideline and work their way back.
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