Stephen Curry hobbled off the court during Golden State’s open practice on Sunday afternoon, sending a jolt of panic through the Warriors faithful. The scene immediately sparked uncertainty for his status in the season opener Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Ankle Tweak, Not the Knee, and a Sigh of Relief
The initial fear was real. The way Curry limped off had everyone worried he might have injured the same knee that sidelined him for roughly a third of the entire 2025-26 season. That’s a brutal memory no one wanted to revisit. But Warriors head coach Steve Kerr quickly squashed those fears, clarifying that Curry only “tweaked his ankle” and is “fine.” Kerr confirmed he spoke with Steph after practice, and the good news kept rolling in: Curry practiced Monday morning. The Warriors fully expect him to play in the opener in Los Angeles on Wednesday night. Talk about a quick turnaround from dread to relief!
Still an All-NBA Problem for Any Defense
While the source says Curry isn’t the “MVP supernova of a decade ago,” let’s be real: he remains a surefire All-NBA-caliber player. Last season, he still put up crazy numbers, averaging 26.6 points, 4.7 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.1 steals. And get this: he shot 39.3% from beyond the arc, which is deadly, but his 58.4% on 2-pointers was the *third-highest mark of his entire career*. Who’s calling him just a three-point shooter now? He’s still the league’s preeminent shooter, period. His long-range talents, his movement off-ball, his quick decision-making, and that motor constantly stress defenses like nobody else can.
Assuming he plays, and all signs point to yes, his presence will be the ultimate test for a revamped Lakers defense. We’re talking about guys like Quentin Grimes, Matisse Thybulle, and Ziaire Williams all presumably getting chances to try and slow Curry down. It’ll be a chess match to see how the Lakers dole out their defensive assignments. The Warriors aren’t a big team, but the forward tandem of Draymond Green and Yaxel Lendeborg will still be beefier than whoever Los Angeles starts alongside Grimes. Will Al Horford start at center for the Lakers, or will they try to keep Walker Kessler inside, letting him roam off Green? That comes with its own risks, given the telepathic Curry-Green two-man connection.
Wednesday night is going to be electric. The Warriors will have their own challenges figuring out how to adequately slow both Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. But with Curry back on the court after that ankle scare, fully expected to play, everyone will be watching to see how the Lakers’ new defense handles one of the league’s most unguardable talents right out of the gate. This season opener is gonna be a barn burner.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Silver Screen and Roll.
Leave a Reply