Steph picked up a slight injury against the Kings
Superstar guard Stephen Curry sent a brief scare through the Golden State Warriors on Friday, leaving for the locker-room during the second-quarter of the 109-106 victory against the Sacramento Kings.
While Curry did jam his finger in a minor concern, X-rays were negative which leaves the 2x MVP as a day-to-day proposition. The 36-year-old’s status for Sunday’s game against the Detroit Pistons is yet to be confirmed, but needless to say the Warriors won’t be taking any risks with their best player during preseason.
The Warriors should lean into youth if Stephen Curry is out
Steve Kerr has utilized three different starting lineups over the first three preseason games, which will extend to a fourth if Curry is ruled out on Sunday. Golden State have already been without presumed starting small forward Andrew Wiggins, with the 2022 All-Star expected to return for the final two games against the Los Angeles Lakers next week.
Should Curry miss Sunday’s game, Kerr should continue his faith in the Warrior young players as he has over the preseason to date. That could include starting a quartet of their talented youth, with a potential lineup of Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga and Trayce Jackson-Davis alongside veteran Draymond Green.
The four have already led Golden State in minutes so far this preseason, led by Podziemski at 23.8 per game. The second-year guard has struggled shooting the ball so far, though his playmaking has been impressive in proof that he will be the backup point guard to Curry this season. Podziemski had eight assists and just one turnover against the Kings on Wednesday night, while he’s also averaging 4.7 rebounds so far in preseason.
Moody has been one of the major storylines to emerge, scoring a game-high 23 points of 7-of-13 shooting in Friday’s win over the Kings. That came after another impressive outing against the L.A. Clippers last Saturday, with the former lottery pick making every step a winner in trying to solidify a rotation role ahead of the regular season.
Kuminga’s improved shooting has also been a highlight, having gone 7-of-11 from three-point range across the two games against Sacramento. The 22-year-old was moved to the bench in Friday’s win, but Kerr has already confirmed Kuminga will be back in the starting lineup on Sunday.
Jackson-Davis hasn’t been as effective over his 54 minutes during preseason, but the second-year center is likely still ahead of Kevon Looney should Kerr wish to have a genuine big next to Green in the front court.
Starting all four young players together would certainly bring some excitement for Warrior fans, but also provides a reasonable challenge given an improved Pistons team went into Phoenix and cleaned up the Suns by 18 on Friday night.