Just when the Golden State Warriors thought they had weathered the storm, another wave has crashed against their already battered roster. The injuries that have defined this season are not letting up. They are not giving the Warriors a chance to breathe. And with the play-in tournament looming, the bad news keeps coming.
The latest casualty: Gui Santos.
The Brazilian forward, who has been arguably Golden State’s biggest positive in recent months, has been ruled out for Thursday night’s matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. It will be his second straight absence as he deals with a pelvic contusion—a frustrating end to what has been a fantastic third season in the league.
Santos was already playing through pain. He was clearly less than 100% physically during last week’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, but that didn’t stop him from dropping 25 points, four rebounds, and four assists on an efficient 9-of-14 shooting from the floor. That was his third game of at least 25 points in his previous four outings. He followed it up with 15 points and four rebounds in 32 minutes during Stephen Curry’s return against the Houston Rockets.
Then the pelvic injury caught up to him. Now, he sits. And the Warriors are left scrambling.
The Roster Crisis: Who’s Left Standing?
Let’s take inventory of what the Warriors are working with—or rather, what they’re working without.
Stephen Curry was initially listed as questionable for Thursday’s game, the last home regular-season contest at Chase Center. He has since been ruled out. The Warriors are managing their 38-year-old superstar carefully following a 27-game absence due to a knee injury. He will likely return against the Sacramento Kings on the second night of a back-to-back, but for now, the face of the franchise is watching from the bench.
Jimmy Butler? Done for the season. Torn ACL.
Moses Moody? Also done. Season-ending knee injury.
Kristaps Porzingis? Out. Illness.
Al Horford? Out. Calf injury.
Quinten Post? Out. Foot injury.
That’s six rotation players—six—who will not be on the floor Thursday night. And that doesn’t even include the players who are banged up but trying to play through it.
The Warriors will be incredibly short-handed. They have been decimated. And the play-in tournament is just days away.
The Santos Breakout: A Silver Lining That Got Clouded
Before the injury, Gui Santos was one of the few bright spots in a dark season.
The 23-year-old Brazilian had emerged as a legitimate two-way wing, providing scoring, defense, and energy off the bench. His recent run—three 25-point games in four outings—was the kind of breakout that gives a franchise hope for the future. He was playing with confidence, attacking the rim, knocking down shots, and competing on defense.
Now, that momentum has been halted. A pelvic contusion is not a season-ending injury, but it is painful. It limits mobility. It affects explosion. And for a player whose game is built on athleticism and effort, it’s a significant setback.
The Warriors hope Santos will return for one of the final two games of the regular season. But even if he does, will he be anywhere close to 100%? Will he have his rhythm? His confidence?
Those are questions no one can answer.
The Play-In Reality: A Team Running on Fumes
The Warriors are locked into the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference. They cannot move up. They cannot move down. Their path to the playoffs is clear: win two road elimination games just to earn the right to face the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
That was already a daunting task. Now, with the roster in shambles, it feels almost impossible.
Stephen Curry will be back for the play-in. That much is certain. But who will be alongside him? Will Porzingis be healthy? Will Horford be available? Will Santos be able to contribute?
The Warriors have been relying on recently signed big man Charles Bassey, who has been upgraded to probable for Thursday’s game. Bassey has been a pleasant surprise, but he is not a savior. He is a rotation piece—a good one, but a piece nonetheless.
The supporting cast that was supposed to lift the load has been decimated by injuries. The depth that the front office worked so hard to build has been stripped away.
The Mental Toll: How Do You Prepare for the Play-In?
Beyond the physical limitations, the injuries take a mental toll.
The play-in tournament is chaos. It’s single-elimination basketball, where rhythm and confidence are everything. The Warriors have neither right now.
They have not been able to build continuity. Lineups have changed nightly. Players have come and gone from the rotation. The chemistry that typically defines Golden State’s best teams has been impossible to establish.
And now, with their home finale against the Lakers, the Warriors will take the floor without Curry, without Santos, without Porzingis, without Horford, without Post. They will be a skeleton crew, going through the motions, hoping to avoid further injury before the games that actually matter.
It’s not an ideal preparation. It’s not even adequate preparation. It’s survival.
The Bigger Picture: A Season Defined by What-Ifs
This was supposed to be a season of redemption. The Warriors added Jimmy Butler. They added Kristaps Porzingis. They had Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and a supporting cast that looked ready to compete.
Instead, it has been a season of what-ifs.
What if Butler hadn’t torn his ACL? What if Porzingis could stay healthy? What if Curry hadn’t missed 27 games? What if Santos hadn’t gotten hurt just as he was breaking out?
The Warriors will never know. And by the time the play-in tournament arrives, they may be too battered to care.
The Verdict: A Fight Worth Watching
The Golden State Warriors are not going to win the championship this season. That dream died months ago, somewhere between Jimmy Butler’s knee giving out and Stephen Curry’s knee forcing him to the sideline for two months.
But the Warriors are still here. They are still fighting. And even though they are short-handed, even though the injuries have piled up, even though the odds are longer than they have ever been, they have Stephen Curry.
And as long as they have him, they have a puncher’s chance.
Thursday night’s game against the Lakers doesn’t matter in the standings. The Warriors are locked into the 10th seed regardless of the result. But it matters for momentum. It matters for confidence. It matters for the players who will be asked to step up in the play-in.
The Warriors are running on fumes. They are limping toward the finish line. But they are not dead yet.
And in the chaos of the play-in tournament, that might be enough.