The Golden State Warriors’ 2025-26 season has become a painful exercise in survival, and the absence of Stephen Curry has made it feel like a completely different team.
When healthy, the 38-year-old point guard remains one of the most impactful offensive forces in the NBA. His gravity, shooting range, and ability to bend defenses are still unmatched, even at this advanced stage of his career. That’s precisely why the Warriors have looked like a sinking ship without him.
Since Curry went down with a stubborn knee injury on January 30, Golden State has managed just eight wins. The injury bug has refused to let up — Jimmy Butler III is out for the season with a torn ACL, and most recently, rising guard Moses Moody suffered a season-ending patellar tendon tear. The franchise simply cannot catch a break.
Last night’s home win over the struggling Brooklyn Nets brought the Warriors to 35-38, but it was another ugly, grinding victory that highlighted just how much they miss their leader. Without Curry (and several other key pieces), the offense lacks rhythm, the spacing collapses, and the defensive intensity often wavers.
Remarkably, the Warriors are still firmly locked into the No. 10 seed and the final play-in spot in the Western Conference. They sit a whopping 10 games ahead of the 11th-seeded New Orleans Pelicans with only nine games left on the schedule. Even if they sleepwalk through the rest of the regular season, they are virtually guaranteed a spot in the play-in tournament.
At this stage, winning games for seeding purposes is secondary. The real priority is health, chemistry, and building any semblance of momentum.
Positive Curry Update Expected Tomorrow
On a brighter note, the Warriors are hopeful they will receive a more encouraging update on Curry’s status as soon as tomorrow.
According to team insider Dalton Johnson, official injury updates on Steph Curry, Seth Curry, and Al Horford are now scheduled for Thursday.
The medical staff has been extremely patient with Curry, and for good reason. At 38 years old, rushing back from a knee injury after nearly two months on the sidelines would be reckless. Even a 25-year-old would need several games to regain game shape and conditioning after that long away.
Head coach Steve Kerr has repeatedly emphasized that the team will not push Curry unless everything feels completely clear. The organization is prioritizing long-term health over short-term desperation — a wise approach given Curry’s age and the franchise’s reliance on him as the face of the team for the past 15+ years.
Chemistry with Kristaps Porziņģis Also a Factor
Beyond Curry’s individual return, the Warriors are also eager to see him and newly acquired big man Kristaps Porziņģis develop some on-court chemistry before the play-in tournament begins. Both players bring unique spacing and scoring threats, but they have barely shared the floor together due to injuries.
If the Warriors can get both Curry and Porziņģis back and healthy in time to play a handful of meaningful games together, it could give them a fighting chance to make noise in the play-in and potentially steal a first-round series.
Building Momentum Is the Real Goal Now
Last night’s win over the Nets was far from pretty, but it at least stopped a small slide. Tonight, Golden State faces the lowly Washington Wizards — a game they are heavily favored to win. While the outcome won’t dramatically change their seeding, taking care of business and stringing together a few wins could help restore some confidence and rhythm heading into the most important stretch of the season.
Reaching 40 wins would be a respectable achievement for a team that has been decimated by injuries. Any positive momentum at this point would go a long way in helping the Warriors enter the play-in tournament with belief rather than resignation.
The season has been brutal, but the light at the end of the tunnel is Curry’s potential return. If the update tomorrow is positive and he can scrimmage this week, the Warriors may finally get their heartbeat back on the floor in time to make one last push.
Warriors fans, how optimistic are you about Curry’s return timeline? Do you think getting him back even for a few regular-season games will be enough to make the play-in meaningful, or are we already looking ahead to a tough first-round exit?
The Chef’s return can’t come soon enough. The Warriors are hanging on — but they need their leader back.