Steph Curry Injury: What It Means for Warriors in the NBA Playoffs

The Warriors received devastating news that Stephen Curry will miss at least a week with a hamstring injury during their Western Conference semifinals matchup against the Timberwolves. Even with Curry missing most of the game, the Warriors were still able to win in Game 1 with ease.

How will Curry's loss affect the Warriors through the NBA Playoffs? Even if he returns in a week — when he will be reevaluated, he will miss the next three games, setting him up for a potential Game 5 return in Minnesota. 

We’ll examine Steph Curry's injury impact and who could step in his absence for the Warriors, so you can take advantage with player picks on PrizePicks.

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Let’s break down the Curry injury situation and how it will impact the Warriors vs. Timberwolves series.

Steph Curry Injury Update: When Will Curry Return?

Steph Curry left early in Game 1 with a hamstring injury, which has now been diagnosed as a Grade 1 hamstring strain. It’s the first time in his career that he has suffered a strained muscle.

Curry started Game 1 hot, with 13 points in 13 minutes. Coming off a 3-pointer, it appeared that he suffered the injury on the defensive side. He remained in the game for another offensive possession before asking to be taken off and never returned.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr confirmed that Curry will miss Game 2, but he will likely be out at least a week. In a week, he will be reevaluated. How quickly he’s able to return will depend on how he’s able to rehab in a short timeframe. He’s unlikely to play in Games 3 and 4 if he’s out for a week, but the three-day layoff for travel between Game 4 and Game 5 could have him back for next Wednesday.

Curry’s Impact for Warriors

Curry’s impact on the court is undeniable, and that’s why he is a future Hall of Famer. He finished the regular season with a +17 expected wins difference, +13.1 points difference per 100 possessions, and  +7.2 efficiency difference. The entire franchise is built around him, and the Warriors will simply look to tread water without him.

While the Warriors are better with Curry on the court, they were still passable this season by going 6-5 with Curry out. That’s why getting the Game 1 win without him was so huge.

Curry has missed 12 playoff games in his career, and the Warriors are 9-3. The addition of Jimmy Butler as a court general without Curry will be much-needed in the next few games.

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What Warriors Players Will Step Up in Curry's Absence?

With Curry out of the lineup, many Warriors will have to step up, and we’ll take a look at who has been Golden State’s most productive player with Curry off the court.

After Butler was traded to the team, he became the next primary scoring option without Curry. He led in minutes played without Curry (518) and field goal attempts (200). His usage rate jumps from 20% with Curry on the floor to 25.7% with him off. 

Brandin Podziemski also became a more prominent figure in the lineup without Curry, as he was behind Butler in both minutes played (465), and had just one fewer shot attempt, with a 20.8% usage rate. 

Since March, Hield’s usage jumps from 19.5% with Curry on the floor to 21.6% with him off. He will likely take on a much larger on-ball roll without Curry, as he’s done in the past in Sacramento on an as-needed basis. 

Since March, Jonathan Kuminga leads the team in usage (27.8%) without Curry on the floor. However, he hasn’t been much of a factor so far this playoffs, though he did put up a crucial 15 points in seven minutes in Game 1, potentially earning him more floor time. 

As Butler and Hield shift to more ball-handling duties, we could see minutes open up for Kuminga. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Warriors go with a Podziemski-Hield-Butler-Kuminga-Draymond Green lineup without Curry, with Gary Payton taking the top guard spot off the bench. 

Expect these four (outside of Green) to usurp most of the usage left in the wake of Curry’s injury, with the Warriors likely looking to ride the hot shooting hand as often as they can.

Warriors Projections for Game 2 with Curry Out

With Curry out for Game 2 vs. the Timberwolves on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET, here’s what we can expect from the Warriors. All points projections come from the PrizePicks NBA board.

• Jimmy Butler - 24.5 Points
• Buddy Hield - 15.5 Points
• Brandin Podziemski - 12.5 Points
• Draymond Green - 10.5 Points
• Gary Payton II - 8.5 Points

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The NBA Western Conference Playoffs took a big turn with the Stephen Curry injury. Even with the Warriors up 1-0, they’ll have their backs against the wall for at least the next three games without Curry. 

That will impact the Warriors’ play style in their series against the Timberwolves — and the entire playoff landscape, especially in the West. 

With the knowledge of who could get more opportunities without Curry in the lineup, it’s an excellent time to cash in on the NBA Playoffs with PrizePicks. There are plenty of NBA DFS picks to look at for your PrizePicks Lineups every night of the playoffs, including players like Jimmy Butler and Buddy Hield.

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Check out the Playbook daily for more NBA DFS picks through the NBA Playoffs.