The Golden State Warriors are trying to reach the NBA mountaintop one more time before Stephen Curry's career is over. And although this roster is better than it was last year, there's still one glaring flaw overshadowing its strengths: the age of its best players.
Warriors fans just got a reminder of this on Wednesday morning as the injury report for Wednesday night's contest with the Miami Heat was revealed. Golden State will be without Stephen Curry (ankle), while Jimmy Butler (back), Draymond Green (illness), Buddy Hield (illness) are all questionable. Jonathan Kuminga (knee) and Al Horford (rest) are out as well.
That's a brutal injury report while going up against one of the surprise teams in the Eastern Conference this season. The Warriors are going to have to dig deep to come away with a win in this one, but the greater takeaway has to be concerning how these injury troubles might continue to crop up as the season goes along.
This is a team that's expected to have a chance of going deep in the Western Conference playoffs, and its three main stars are all at least 35 years old. As Golden State's core has aged, injury concerns were always going to become more of an issue, and the fact that this problem is rearing its head in mid-November is not a great sign.
Steph Curry is out tonight in Miami after tweaking his ankle twice on this road trip. Jimmy Butler is questionable with a lower back strain. Draymond Green and Buddy Hield are questionable with an illness. Jonathan Kuminga remains out. Al Horford is out.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) November 19, 2025
The Warriors' core will naturally be affected by injuries
You're not going to assemble a core the likes of this one, especially in this day and age in the NBA, without chronic wear and tear becoming a recurring theme. No matter how good the Warriors' system is, age and injuries are always going to dictate the ultimate outcome for this group.
Golden State doesn't have to rely on its top three as much now as it did a year ago, as there are increasingly more young players stepping up for this team. But with that being said, it's no secret that the main contributors in this locker room are still the veterans.
You can still win a championship with aging stars. The 2014 San Antonio Spurs are perhaps one of the most fitting comparisons to this current Warriors team. But the catch is that this goal can only be achieved if minutes are properly managed and depth is present.
The Warriors are still talented and capable of doing a lot this season. But Wednesday's injury update serves to remind fans that without proactive management of health and the roster as a whole, Golden State's championship hopes could be fleeting.