Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry will miss at least five more games due to patella-femoral pain syndrome, extending his absence to 15 games. The team has managed a 4-6 record without him but faces a tight race for the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, newly acquired Kristaps Porzingis has played just one game before returning to sick leave amid health concerns.
The Golden State Warriors continue to navigate a challenging season marked by injuries to key players. Stephen Curry, who has averaged 27.2 points per game this year, has been sidelined for the last 10 games with patella-femoral pain syndrome, commonly known as "runner's knee." The team announced he will remain out for at least five more games, including Monday's matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Without Curry, the Warriors hold the No. 8 position in the Western Conference, two losses ahead of the Clippers. They are favored at -5000 odds to reach the play-in tournament, per BetMGM, which offers two opportunities to advance to the playoffs. The team's recent 4-6 record includes wins over the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets.
Earlier in the season, the Warriors were 24-19 on January 19 with Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green mostly available. However, Butler suffered an ACL tear, derailing their contention hopes. Al Horford dealt with sciatica through Christmas, and DeAnthony Melton missed games until December.
Complicating matters is the status of Kristaps Porzingis, acquired in a trade that sent Jonathan Kuminga to the Atlanta Hawks. Porzingis, a 7-foot center known for rim protection and shooting range up to 30 feet, played only one game with Golden State before going back on sick leave. He had appeared in 17 games for the Hawks this season after 42 with the Boston Celtics last year, where he battled a mystery illness initially rumored to be Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).
Warriors coach Steve Kerr addressed the POTS speculation last week, stating on Bay Area radio that Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh denied it was ever POTS, calling it misinformation. Kerr later retracted the comment, saying, "It was a stupid mistake by me to talk about something I'm not qualified to talk about. Even trying to discuss the diagnosis, that was a mistake. I need to leave that to professionals."
Kuminga has started strongly in Atlanta, averaging over 21 points per game on 68/56 shooting splits in his first three games, contributing to a plus-59 net rating in his 80 minutes. Porzingis becomes a free agent this summer, raising questions about his future with the Warriors given his health issues.
