Stephen Curry exited last night’s game against the Dallas Mavericks with what was described as lower leg injury. He did not return after going down in the 3rd quarter, and a report was released this morning that he’ll be absent for multiple weeks, per a Warriors press release:

This isn’t great news for the Dubs, who are just a game over .500 after a few late-game collapses against teams they easily should have beaten. The positive side of it is that the injury could’ve been worse, as it was reported by the San Francisco Chronicle’s C.J. Holmes that Curry avoided any significant structural damage which could’ve put him out for the season.

In his absence, Golden State will fill his role as the starting point guard with Jordan Poole. Poole, who’s played much better as a starter this season, averages just under 25 points per game on 44% from the field. While his efficiency is not really near Steph’s anywhere away from the free throw line, he’s plenty capable of putting up good numbers in this kind of role.

Poole’s play in the 5 games before the All-Star break will be key to the team staying afloat, as we’re expected to see Curry’s return soon after the season continues. When the two-time MVP was sidelined earlier this year, Poole was on a roll that rivaled the performance of another notable Western Conference All-Star in Ja Morant, posting similar numbers and having a similar impact that included two 40-point games. JP’s also improved as a defender recently, being more active and engaged on that side of the floor.

While nobody expects him to replicate Steph perfectly, he’ll have a larger role for the next few contests. It’ll be key that he limits his turnover-prone tendencies and precarious shot selection; the best route for Poole has always been to keep things simple, and doing so now will make things much easier for the team, especially at this moment.

The Warriors are notably worse when Steph sits for extended periods of time, but unlike in that stint of missed time with injury, the team’s rotation is fully healthy at the moment: Draymond Green and Klay Thompson were questionable in Dallas last night but are expected to return to the lineup over this next stretch. With the continued emergence of Jonathan Kuminga and JaMychal Green finally finding rhythm, the team looks deeper than they did to start the season out.

Kuminga will be another notable player to watch in these next games, as he’ll be likely seeing an increased role especially on offense. It’s well-known that he’s a great defender given his instinct and athleticism, but JoKu’s jumper has looked very good lately: He’s canning 55% of his 2.5 triples per game in his last 8 played since his return from injury. The added element of spacing has made the Warriors offense hum just a little bit more.

The trade deadline is this upcoming Thursday, and while the Warriors are alleged to be looking for a deal, there’s been buzz that one likely won’t materialize despite it being widely-agreed upon that the roster is one piece away from legit depth. Ultimately, this is likely because teams don’t want to take on James Wiseman and Moses Moody, even with draft capital compensation, to give up a player they can probably get more for somewhere else. Golden State also hasn’t been an active trade deadline participant in recent years, with their most recent major acquisition being Andrew Wiggins and the pick which became Kuminga in the lost 2019-2020 season.

That’s not to say one can’t happen, though. The Athletic reported earlier today that Kyrie Irving would be traded to the Dallas Mavericks, a move which few expected given how tied Irving was to the Lakers. The Warriors don’t have the assets to make a major splash move like that, but there are a few players who could really help them win more games to get into good playoff position. The hope is Bob Myers is active on the phones trying to make that move, but time will tell if something happens.

Between Poole cleaning up his play, Kuminga stepping into a larger role, and a possible trade deadline move, those are the best avenues to Golden State’s success while Steph is sidelined. They’ll play the Thunder tomorrow, followed by the Trail Blazers, Lakers, Wizards and Clippers prior to the All-Star festivities. Only one of those teams is one who they shouldn’t be favored to win against, as the Clips have shown some marked improvement with more consistent minutes from stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. A 4-1 run is a hopeful outlook but if their execution doesn’t improve, the Warriors could lose more than they win before the break.

(Photo credit: Godofredo A. Vásquez / Associated Press)