Can the Warriors Survive at Least One Week Without Steph Curry?

With Stephen Curry injured for at least a week, the Warriors must find answers fast. Can Golden State stay competitive without their MVP?

It’s a question the franchise has faced before, but this season feels different. The Warriors have been inconsistent even with Curry on the floor, and now they enter a challenging stretch of games without their main offensive engine. Right now, Golden State can’t afford to trail even further behind. Without their glue holding everything together, doubt is beginning to creep in over whether they can survive this week, let alone finish the year on stable ground.

The four-time NBA champion recently underwent an MRI confirming a quad contusion and muscle strain, sidelining him for at least a week. The Warriors announced he will be re-evaluated in seven days, meaning he could miss additional time. Considering his age and the team’s heavy reliance on him, Golden State must remain cautious with its franchise superstar.

No Curry automatically means a lack of offense. Their spacing shrinks, the movement slows, and the shot quality drops dramatically. The Warriors currently rank 23rd in offensive rating this season, and 24th in turnover percentage (16%), and that’s with Curry on the floor. Considering he averages 28 points per game, the blame certainly isn’t on him. Instead, his absence exposes just how limited and unreliable the rest of the team has become offensively. With no Curry, opponents no longer have to trap high screens, utilize the double-team, or worry about him pulling defenders from 30 feet. So, defending the Warriors has suddenly become simple. That’s a dangerous reality for a team that looks lost without its offensive anchor. So, who can actually rise to the moment in Steph’s absence?

The Warriors  have long been known as one of the league’s premier three-point shooting franchises. But ironically, nearly everyone on the roster is having one of their worst three-point shooting seasons. Buddy Hield has been a nightmare since joining the Golden State. Brought in specifically for his shooting, he’s struggling, hitting just 31% from three. Al Horford, typically a reliable floor-spacing big known for his accuracy, is making only 32% from deep, his worst mark since his Atlanta Hawks days over a decade ago.

But if leadership and experience are what the Warriors need, a 36-year-old forward can handle the job. Jimmy Butler has proven time and again that he can carry a team and take over in crucial moments. Currently, he is the Warriors’ second-highest scoring option and is enjoying the best three-point shooting of his career. So right now, Butler is exactly the type of presence Golden State needs to carry the torch while Steph is sidelined.

Golden State now faces a challenging stretch without Curry. Upcoming games against Oklahoma City and the Cleveland Cavaliers over the next week won’t be easy, testing the Warriors’ depth and resilience. The scary thought for Dub Nation is that Curry is sidelined for a minimum of seven days, but it’s likely to be more. Right now, any opponent is difficult for the Warriors without Curry, making every matchup a potential test of their character and cohesion.

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