Warriors could be left in disastrous position if Steph Curry misses time with injury

As the Golden State Warriors suffered a brutal loss at the hands of the Houston Rockets, 100-104, they also suffered a potentially devastating blow. Stephen Curry left the game late in the fourth quarter with what was later revealed to be a quad contusion: one that he likely suffered attempting to take a charge against Amen Thompson.

Not only was this a game-changing play when the call on the floor was overturned, but, if Curry is now set to miss time, it could represent a disastrous setback for a Warriors team that is already off to a sub-par start to the season.

While the best thing is almost certainly to give Curry the rest he needs to come back healthy given all of the issues he's dealt with early in the season, this will be a painful pill to swallow for Golden State.

The Warriors' tough schedule ahead could spell disaster if Curry has to miss time

As hyped as the Warriors were as championship contenders before the season started, things have not played out that way so far. They've settled into a 10-10 record through their first 20 games, being held back by the inconsistent performances of their role players.

Curry, for what it's worth, has mostly been spectacular. He's averaging 27.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and four assists while shooting 39.1% from 3-point range.

Yet, Golden State is 1-3 on the season with Curry out, with their lone win coming against the lowly Indiana Pacers and losses coming against the Sacramento Kings, Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat.

While they are slated to face the 3-16 New Orleans Pelicans in their next matchup, their schedule past that will become an uphill battle yet again. They will face the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Philadelphia 76ers, two of the NBA's premier teams to this point in the season, at home, closely followed by a road matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Even if they are able to pull out a win in one of these games with Curry absent, an 11-12 record over a quarter of the way into the season is a tough, tough position to be in considering how deep the Western Conference runs this year.

Their place in the standings would likely not be impacted significantly, given the margin they have on the Portland Trail Blazers who sit just below them, but it will give space for Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns to widen their gaps.

If Curry is required to miss even more time, Golden State will potentially be without him for matchups against the Chicago Bulls, the Suns (twice) and the Orlando Magic (to whom they have already lost once this season).

Therefore, while the most important thing is certainly to ensure Curry's health as the season wears on, the Warriors also cannot afford long stretches without their star player, and it is possible they may need to endure one in the coming days.