Injury could jeopardize Warriors' superstar's hopes of major NBA accolade

A healthy Stephen Curry has been a lock for All-NBA honors over the last decade, with the Golden State Warriors superstar having made one of the three All-NBA teams in nine of the past 10 years.

Curry has been All-NBA First Team on four occasions, All-NBA Second Team a further four times, and All-NBA Third Team once in 2018. The one time he didn't make it in the last decade came in 2020 when he was limited to just five games due to injury.

Golden State Warriors' star Stephen Curry still has some work to do to ensure a 10th career All-NBA selection this season

All-NBA honors have shifted a little this season, with the three teams now positionless and players needing to have hit the 65-game threshold. Curry should still play 65 games despite Thursday night's ankle injury against the Chicago Bulls, but his absence could still jeopardize his chances of All-NBA selection.

Golden State's struggles that see them tenth in the Western Conference is also likely to work against Curry and his case for All-NBA honors. In building the trio of All-NBA teams through the first three-quarters of the season (before the injury), Bleacher Report's Dan Favale has Curry on the Third team among a host of other guards.

"Curry's movements don't look as swift or sudden. A mixture of age and a seesawing, if not regressive, supporting cast seems to be taking its toll. He cannot prop up this team or its offense as he has in years past."

- Dan Favale

Just as was the case for the Western Conference All-Star starting positions, Curry sits behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic who are each forecast for All-NBA First Team.

While that's not overly surprising, more of an argument can be made for Curry over Devin Booker and Donovan Mitchell who were part of the Second Team. The latter, in particular, has already missed 16 of the possible 17 games before he becomes ineligible.

The glut of guards in the Third Team also suggest Curry has some work to do, with Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Haliburton and Anthony Edwards also in the team alongside Anthony Davis. While that's now feasible in the positionless system, it's still an odd look given years past.

Curry is averaging 26.9 points per game this season, the fifth-highest mark of his career. The 35-year-old is doing it on 44.9% shooting from the floor and 40.7% from three-point range, while also adding 4.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game.