Stephen Curry has been ruled out of the Golden State Warriors‘ win-or-go-home game five against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The May 14 contest will be the fourth game Curry has missed. He is dealing with a grade one hamstring strain.
The Athletic’s Anthony Slater broke the news on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Steph Curry is out tomorrow for Game 5 in Minnesota,” Slater reported. “The Warriors officially face elimination without their star guard.”
Golden State’s plan has always been to try to push the series into game six or seven in the hope of getting Curry back into the rotation. Without their superstar guard, the Warriors need Jimmy Butler to step up and produce at the level we saw from him during the Miami Heat’s run to the 2023 NBA Finals.
Before his injury, Curry had been enjoying a strong postseason. The aging sharpshooter averaged 22.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.1 assists over eight games. He was shooting 40% from deep on 10 attempts per game and 60% from 2-point range.
Since Curry has been sidelined with injury, Steve Kerr has found additional minutes for Jonathan Kuminga. The explosive forward has stepped up in a big way and will undoubtedly play an important role. However, Curry’s presence would undoubtedly generate a bigger impact.
Draymond Green Doesn’t Want to Rush Curry
Following the Warriors’ 117-110 loss on Monday, May 12, Draymond Green shared his thoughts on why Curry shouldn’t be rushed back before he’s 100% healed from his injury.
“No, we’re not going to Superman this thing,” Green said. “If he’s in a place where he can play, I’m sure he will. Him and Rick (Celebrini, Warriors vice president of player health and performance) and everybody will figure that out. But we don’t need (Curry to try to be) Superman…Got to play the long game. If he can, we know he will. But there’s no pressure. We’ve got to figure out how to win whether he plays or not.”
Curry, 37, is already in the twilight of his career. Rushing him back too quickly could potentially be a catastrophic mistake. As such, the Warriors are wise to move forward without their injured star. After all, there’s always next season if things don’t work out on Wednesday.
Analyst Challenges Warriors’ Jimmy Butler
During a recent episode of ESPN’s First Take, veteran analyst Stephen A. Smith challenged Butler to prove he’s still the same player who dominated the postseason in 2023.
“Jimmy Butler has got to be good for a game, he’s got to be,” Smith said. “That’s what you got him there for. You got him there for more than that, but especially in a situation like this…Jimmy Butler can’t be shooting 39 percent from the field; he’s got to raise his level of play and be the guy we know him to be come postseason for one game. Because if the reports are right, Steph Curry will be back, hopefully by Game 5, worst-case scenario, Game 6. They’ll either be tied 2-2, hopefully, or even if they’re down 3-2, you’ve got to have a chance. But you’ve got to get a game without Steph Curry.”
With the Warriors now facing elimination, now would be the perfect time for Butler to step up and take control of the series. Golden State’s best chance at clwing it’s way back, will be by stealing game five and then hoping Curry is cleared to play later this week.
As such, Warriors fans will be watching Wednesday’s game with baited breath, hoping their season doesn’t come to an abrupt end.
