The Golden State Warriors will wait until closer to tip-off to make a decision on the status of Stephen Curry for Friday's important matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center.
The 2x MVP suffered a nasty pelvic contusion during the third-quarter of last Thursday's win over the Toronto Raptors, and has since missed the past two games due to the injury. In Curry's absence, the Warriors have lost back-to-back games against teams below .500, falling from sixth to a precarious seventh in the Western Conference standings as a result.
Stephen Curry could return to face the Pelicans on Friday
Golden State have officially listed Curry as questionable to return, having scrimmaged on Thursday as the team looks to correct its minor form slump. The 37-year-old had been in excellent form prior to the injury, averaging 26.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 5.9 assists while shooting 49% from the floor and 41.1% from 3-point range since the All-Star break.
The injury news isn't as good in regard to Gary Payton II, with the defensive-minded guard set to miss some time after suffering a torn ligament in his thumb during Tuesday's disappointing loss to the Miami Heat.
Payton's absence does open up about 20 minutes in the rotation. They're likely to be filled largely by young forwards Jonathan Kuminga and Gui Santos, with the former set to take increased defensive responsibilities according to head coach Steve Kerr.
The Pelicans have been ravaged by injury this season and will be without arguably their best five players to face the Warriors. Zion Williamson headlines the list of outs alongside Trey Murphy III and CJ McCollum, while Dejounte Murray and Herb Jones both suffered season-ending injuries months ago.
The absence of Williamson is particularly notable given his individual dominance in games he's been active in since the All-Star break. Despite being on a minutes restriction and playing less than 30 per night, the former number one overall pick has averaged 24.8 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.8 assists while shooting nearly 60% from the floor.
With Williamson the Pelicans have sprung a couple of upsets this month, including wins over the L.A. Clippers and Minnesota Timberwolves that could prove crucial in where Golden State ends up in the standings at the end of the season.
The Warriors should be able to get back on track with a win given the key players out on the other side, but they should know better than anyone not to take teams lightly given their recent poor form against supposed lesser opposition.