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With exactly four weeks until the NBA trade deadline, the Golden State Warriors find their backs up against the wall. After a 12-3 start to the season, Stephen Curry and Co. are now 18-18 overall and in danger of sinking below .500 for the first time all season when they hit the road to play the surging Detroit Pistons on Thursday night. To make matters worse, the Warriors entered the day seeing Curry, Draymond Green, and several other key talents on the injury report.
Aside from Jonathan Kuminga continuing to watch from the sidelines with his ankle injury and Brandin Podziemski dealing with an abdominal injury that has forced him to miss five straight games, the Warriors will be without Moses Moody due to his ongoing left knee problems.
The good news is that Curry, Green, and Schroder will be playing against the Pistons. All three players were originally listed as questionable to play.
Curry appeared on the injury report due to left knee inflammation, whereas Green was questionable with a left ankle sprain. While it is unknown when Green injured his ankle in the Warriors previous game against the Miami Heat, the veteran forward had a near triple-double performance with seven points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in the 114-98 loss. Steph led all scorers with 31 points.
Schroder has been upgraded to available after initially being questionable with a left hip contusion.
Steph being able to play is good news for the Warriors, as they would've been very short-handed on the offensive side of the court without him. Golden State has struggled to score in recent games, as they are averaging just 107.7 points per game over their last 13 contests, which ranks 25th in the league during this span. Curry is the only player on the Warriors averaging over 20 points per game, which is why his presence is vital to their overall success.
Even so, the Warriors have gone 5-2 without Curry this season, picking up two wins over the Houston Rockets and New Orleans Pelicans, as well as a win over the Memphis Grizzlies. It is worth noting that Kuminga and Podziemski were key contributors in these games won without Curry on the floor.
The Pistons are currently 19-18 this season and could pull two full games above .500 for the first time since the 2018-19 season with a win over Golden State on Thursday night. Cade Cunningham has been spectacular for Detroit this year and is well on his way to being a first-time All-Star by averaging 24.0 points, 9.3 assists, and 6.6 rebounds per game.
Golden State desperately needs a win to try and spring them in the right direction, which is why having Curry, Green, and Schroder on the court gives the Warriors a fighting chance to get back in the win column.
