The Golden State Warriors enter Friday night's home matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder facing real uncertainty around their most important player.
Stephen Curry is officially listed as questionable with a left ankle sprain, casting doubt over his availability in what is already shaping up to be one of Golden State's toughest tests of the week. The timing is problematic. The Warriors have won five of their last six games and are beginning to stabilize after an uneven stretch, but that momentum is directly tied to Curry's play.
Curry, 37, is still carrying the offense. He's averaging a team-high 28.7 points per game while shooting 46.8% from the field and 39.4% from three. Just two nights ago against Charlotte, he poured in 26 points on hyper-efficient shooting, showing no signs of slowing down before appearing to tweak his left ankle.
Earlier this season, Curry already missed time with a right ankle issue, making any new lower-body concern something the Warriors will handle cautiously.
Golden State is also staring at a scheduling dilemma. Friday's game opens a back-to-back, increasing the likelihood the team opts for rest if Curry is anything less than fully healthy. The Warriors have made it clear over the years that short-term caution outweighs long-term risk with their franchise cornerstone. Expect Curry to be evaluated closer to tipoff before a final call is made.
Draymond Green's Absence Compounds the Problem
Even if Curry plays, Golden State will be without one of its other pillars. Draymond Green has already been ruled out due to rest, removing the team's defensive anchor and primary communicator. Green's absence impacts far more than the box score, his ability to organize the defense, initiate offense from the top, and control tempo is difficult to replicate.
Without Green, the Warriors' margin for error shrinks significantly, especially against an Oklahoma City team that thrives on pace, spacing, and attacking mismatches. Not to mention that in a stacked Western Conference matchups against those atop the conference are good litmus tests to determine how close or far away they are as a contender. The Warriors are one of those organizations that currently sit right in the middle.
A Lengthy Injury Report Tests Depth
Curry and Green are just the headline names on an injury report that lists eight Warriors in total. Seth Curry is out with left sciatic nerve irritation, while Al Horford and Trayce Jackson-Davis are listed as probable. The constant shuffling has tested Golden State's depth and continuity all season, and Friday represents another stress test.
If Curry is sidelined, minutes will open for Pat Spencer and Will Richard, but that's a steep drop-off in shot creation and on-ball gravity.
The Warriors sit at 18-15, hovering just outside the top six in the Western Conference. They are clearly trending in the right direction, but how this game unfolds may hinge entirely on whether Curry's ankle allows him to take the floor.
Newsweek