Fade Warriors With Steph Curry Out of the Lineup With Ankle Injury
By Peter Dewey
The Golden State Warriors may be in trouble in the Western Conference, as star guard Steph Curry was injured in the team's loss to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.
Curry is expected to be sidelined indefinitely with a sprained ligament in his foot, and the Warriors currently hold just a 3.5-game lead on the Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz for the No. 3 seed.
Warriors star Stephen Curry has been diagnosed with a sprained ligament in left foot that will sideline him indefinitely, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. X-rays on the foot returned negative Wednesday night – meaning no fracture or major damage, a sigh of relief.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 17, 2022
Golden State has slipped significantly after a fast start to the season, and it may end the season on a rough run as well. Dating back four years to the day, the Warriors have gone a dismal 28-72 with Curry out of the lineup, and even this year's team with Klay Thompson may be in trouble without Steph.
The Warriors are 28-72 without Steph Curry since March 17, 2018.
— Peter Dewey (@peterdewey2) March 17, 2022
They currently have a 3.5-game lead on the Jazz and Mavericks for the No. 3 seed in the West.
This season, the Warriors are plus-10.1 points per 100 possessions with Curry on the floor, but they are just plus-1.3 points per 100 possessions with him off.
Golden State is going to need to rely on Thompson, who is still playing limited minutes, to carry the offense at times, along with Jordan Poole. The return of Draymond Green will help Golden State defensively, but there's no doubt that Curry is the player who moves the needle for this team.
According to Tankathon, the Warriors have the 18th toughest remaining schedule this season. While that may be enough for them to hold on to the No. 3 seed, there's a good chance we see some serious regression with Curry out.
The Warriors are +425 to win the NBA title this season at WynnBET Sportsbook.