The Golden State Warriors have received two straight vintage Stephen Curry performances, but both efforts resulted in a loss and his return has seemed to put an end, or at the very least a pause, on Pat Spencer's Cinderella story.
Spencer became the darling of the Warriors with Curry on the mend with a quad issue, helping lead the team to some much-needed victories even though they were without several of their key players for a week or so.
Pat Spencer's honeymoon phase is over after Stephen Curry's return
It was a great story to follow since Spencer was a lacrosse star in college, yet ultimately decided to pursue basketball where he's previously been a fringe roster player for Golden State. To see him play so well and have such a profound impact was inspiring.
Head coach Steve Kerr said he was going to continue to play Spencer even when Curry returned, and he was true to his word on Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves as Spencer played 28 minutes and scored 12 points, only for the 29-year-old to be stapled to the bench towards the end of that game.
Then, on Sunday against the Portland Trail Blazers, Spencer played just seven minutes and scored 2 points. It seems Kerr may be moving away from him in favor of other players which is interesting considering how well Spencer played when given an opportunity.
Of course, with the greatest shooter of all time back at point guard, Spencer was naturally going to see less playing time. Still, the two-way contracted guard seemed like he could be a key part of the second unit going forward, especially after he looked solid on the floor with Jimmy Butler against the Chicago Bulls earlier this month.
Maybe there could be a resolution if the Warriors decide to move Spencer in a trade. He may simply be blocked with the Warriors since the team already has Curry and Brandin Podziemski, even if the latter has been inconsistent and underwhelming so far this season.
At the same time, the Warriors have to realize that Curry is getting older and injuries could come up even more, having regularly been a part of his career. Having Spencer as a contingency plan could be necessary so the Warriors aren't in a hole if they lose the 2x MVP again this season.
We will see how Spencer gets used going forward, but it seems that his Cinderella story may be over or on pause due to Curry's return.