There is no one like Steph Curry — not that Golden State Warriors fans needed that reminder, but watching him play on Sunday after missing the previous 27 games due to a knee injury was refreshing. At 38, he didn't look like it had been a few months since he played. His first game back ended in a one-point loss, but there was still a strong sense of optimism postgame.
Golden State can't drop any lower than No. 10 in the conference standings, which is why there was a push for Curry to return at the end of the regular season. The Warriors will have to win two games to advance past the play-in round into the first round, but as Sunday showed, as long as the superstar guard stays healthy, they have more than a fighting chance.
If he deals with a setback relating to his knee or another injury, Golden State's hopes of doing something this season will disappear as soon as they reappeared.
Warriors will go as far as Steph Curry can take them
Nothing is set yet with less than a week left in the regular season, but it looks like Golden State will play Oklahoma City if it gets the No. 8 seed.
It would take a miracle for the Warriors to beat the defending champions in the first round, but with a healthy Steph, the series gets a lot more interesting. Golden State could manage to take it to five games, or maybe even six. Now, that would be fun.
He knows more than anyone how to take things to a completely different level once the postseason arrives. Considering he had 29 points in 26 minutes off the bench on 11-of-21 shooting from the field and 5-of-10 from three and had a team-high plus/minus of +12 in his first game in months, he's a lot closer to reaching that form. That's great news, considering the play-in starts on April 14.
Without Curry, there would be no hope for Warriors
Curry didn't rush back, wanting to ensure that he would be cleared to play again. No one wanted him in a position where he'd risk a more serious injury by returning too soon.
In case you didn't know, the future (next season) is riding on Curry.
The Warriors went 9-18 without him, and it felt like all hope was lost. Jimmy Butler won't play again until sometime next season with a torn ACL, and a couple of weeks ago, Moses Moody suffered a knee injury that could also keep him sidelined through the start of 2026-27. As good as it was to see Kristaps Porziņġis start to show the player he can be, Curry's absence was still too much.
His presence won't be enough for Golden State to climb the mountaintop for a fifth time, but without him, the chances of the team making it past the play-in would be very slim. Granted, that might not even happen with him.
Still, we all saw how bleak these past couple of months looked without him. It gave a peek into what the future will look like when he finally steps away. Enjoy it now because when it's over, Golden State won't have much of anything to look forward to, besides the memories.