The Golden State Warriors have officially ruled out Stephen Curry for the team’s upcoming NBA Cup game against the San Antonio Spurs, as the franchise star is listed on the injury report with the right oblique tear he suffered on Wednesday night.
Curry is expected to miss at least two weeks for the Warriors, but it is very likely he sits out for longer. Golden State was seeing one of the two-time MVPs’ best seasons in recent memory, but after going down with the injury, his hot start to the year will be put on hold for a little bit.
Along with Curry now officially listed on the Warriors injury report, the team has offered another update on the star, and insiders have painted a rough picture of what the return timeline looks like for the 38-year-old playing some of the best basketball of his career.
Warriors Announce Stephen Curry Injury Update
With the Warriors’ injury report for Friday night being released, it wasn’t a surprise Curry was added. He is ‘out’ with a right oblique tear and joins Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody, Kristaps Porzingis, and Brandon Williams as players who won’t suit up against the Spurs. Charles Bassey is listed as probable with a toe injury, and his official status is still undetermined.
Curry winding up on the injury report isn’t surprising, as after leaving Golden State’s loss on Wednesday to the Houston Rockets, the team put out an official statement on his status.
“INJURY UPDATE: Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, who exited last night’s game at Houston with 6:25 remaining in the first quarter due to injury, underwent an MRI last night. The MRI confirmed that Curry has an oblique abdominal tear. He will be reevaluated in two (2) weeks,” the team wrote in a release.
The MRI confirmed that Curry has an oblique abdominal tear. He will be reevaluated in two (2)
Though that initial two-week timeline might sound like a positive update, that’s only when Curry will be re-evaluated for the Warriors. Speaking on NBA Today after that news, ESPN’s Shams Charania revealed Golden State’s star is likely to miss even more time than that.
“I’m told that Stephen Curry is actually going to be sidelined for closer to one month with this oblique abdominal tear that he suffered,” Charania said, adding that the two-week mark is when Curry will be looked at for the first time after some rest and recovery. “And at that point they’re going to get a better feel for his recovery, how much time he’s going to need in his rehab, whether it’s going to require three weeks or four weeks or more.”
For now, Curry is out for the time being, set to miss the Warriors’ Friday night NBA Cup game in San Antonio. He’ll sit for longer, and until Golden State announces any further injury news, it’s a tough beat for a team that was riding an eight-game win streak and playing some of the best basketball in the NBA.
Golden State Still Has Positive Injury News
Despite Curry being ruled out for anywhere from two to four weeks, a brutal blow for the Warriors, head coach Steve Kerr recently offered a positive update on the franchise star.
Speaking on a recent radio appearance, Kerr said that while an MRI did confirm Curry had a full oblique tear, the team is happy it was nothing worse.
“It’s as good as we could’ve expected. It could’ve been much worse. It’s good to know at this stage, it looks like he’s gonna be alright but we won’t really know so we’re all just kind of waiting to see how it all unfolds over the next week or two,” the coach said.
Steve Kerr on Steph Curry’s
Curry is out for the time being, but while Golden State will just have to wait for him to return healthy, the team is receiving some other positive injury news.
Additionally, according to a recent report, it looks like Butler is recovering well and is even eyeing a brief stint in the G League as he reamps up for his season debut.
“Butler, who suffered the ACL injury on Jan. 19, proclaimed his desire to experience the G League with a big smile on his face. While his exact return date remains unclear, he is adamant that he will get at least one game with the Santa Cruz Warriors in the NBA’s developmental league before returning to action with his NBA teammates,” The Athletic reported on Friday.
Butler is likely to return closer to January, but all the recent reports signal his recovery is going well. Golden State is extremely banged up, so any positive updates, like recent ones on Williams and Will Richard, are great news as the team hopes to stay afloat with more than half the payroll listed on the injury report.
The Warriors are facing some other health concerns, and while Curry highlights that list, it looks like the franchise is taking the optimistic approach this time around.
As Nick Friedell wrote for The Athletic, Golden State believes the team is ‘well equipped’ to keep playing well without Curry and the other injured players. Guys like Yaxel Lendeborg, Brandin Podziemski, Draymond Green, and the rest of the supporting cast will need to step up, but amid the latest injury updates, things aren’t as negative in the Bay Area as many might expect.
Warriors Announce Official Stephen Curry Injury Update After Mixed News