Last game against the Celtics, Steph Curry suffered what appeared to be a lower extremity injury while fighting for a loose ball. Celtics guard Marcus Smart made a play for the ball, resulting in him landing on Curry’s foot. Curry went to the locker room and did not return in the loss, but thankfully his MRI came back negative and it was not a much-feared ankle injury.

Per The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, Steph is going to be re-evaluated in two weeks. This would mean that a pre-playoffs return is possible, but it would leave probably only a few games left to give some ramp-up. Depending on the Warriors’ first round matchup, however, that may not end up being too much of an issue.

The timing of this injury is incredibly unfortunate for two specific reasons. The first is that Draymond Green just returned, meaning the Big 3 has officially played one game together this season, and probably won’t play another until the last few games of the regular season or playoffs. Their chemistry shouldn’t be an issue, but it’s definitely not an ideal situation. They looked great against the Wizards, and likely could have mounted a comeback against Boston had Curry returned, but it was not in the cards given the injury.

The second reason is that any chance of Curry winning another MVP is officially out the window. There was a final stretch where Curry could have burst back into the conversation after a 47-point outing against Washington, but with his extended time spent sidelined and an unfortunate slump predating his MVP-calibre play as of recent, it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen.

Coach Steve Kerr is relatively optimistic about Steph’s return, of course, given how he came back from a tailbone injury late last season right before going on his April tear. The Warriors guard spent a few games out due to a fractured tailbone, and then went for 37 points per game in the month while canning over 90 threes - a feat unheard of before.

This isn’t the only silver lining the Warriors have in this stretch. Curry’s injury means the team can figure out the offense without him on the floor. It allows for a learning curve for guys who may or may not be in the rotation, as well as acclimation for Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, or even Jordan Poole-centric sets. While the Dubs have a few of these already ready to go, they haven’t been able to put them in action just yet.

Another silver lining is an increased role, however temporary, for Poole. He’s been playing phenomenal basketball recently, and is the de-facto starter in Curry’s place while he’s sitting for his injury. More playing time for JP3 will keep him fresher for the playoffs, and allow him to get into rhythm easier for the sake of his consistency.

While there's some good to be found, it’s obvious that Golden State will miss their superstar heading into the post-season. It’s still feasible to catch Memphis in the standings and secure the 2nd-place position in the West in order to face whoever the 7th seed ends up being, but it’s also entirely possible to stay in the 3rd-place spot, which would mean a potential first-round matchup with the Denver Nuggets and current MVP favorite Nikola Jokic. The series would be a slugfest, so it will be on Green, Thompson, Poole and company to keep the ship right until 30 gets back.

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