The Golden State Warriors return home searching for a way forward without Stephen Curry as they host the New Orleans Pelicans at 5:30 PM EST at Chase Center. With a 10-10 record, the Warriors are sitting eighth in the West, but the mood around the team is tense after their latest collapse, a 104-100 loss to the Houston Rockets, where they blew a late lead and watched Curry limp off with a quad contusion.
Curry has already been ruled out for at least a week. His absence leaves a massive hole in Golden State’s offense. He has averaged 27.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.0 assists on strong shooting splits of 47.1% from the field and 39.1% from deep. Without him, the Warriors lose not only their leading scorer but also the gravitational pull that opens up shots for everyone else.
The Warriors’ identity has always been shaped by Curry’s presence, movement, and spacing. And now, they need to manufacture offense in a completely different way.
The eyes will now be on Jimmy Butler, who is averaging 20.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.9 assists this season. His scoring has been consistent, but the Warriors will need him to attack more and be far more aggressive without Curry. Butler has been vocal about the Warriors’ recent troubles.
After the loss to Houston, he said the Warriors ‘let anybody do whatever they want,’ calling out a lack of defensive pride. Draymond Green echoed the sentiment, saying the team’s defense has been ‘awful,’ putting the onus on every player to take ownership of their individual matchups.
The team will need to find its defensive identity as much as its offensive creativity.
The Warriors’ injury list is also quite long. Gary Payton II (ankle injury) and Jonathan Kuminga (knee injury) are both listed as questionable, while De’Anthony Melton (knee injury) and Al Horford (sciatica) remain out, adding to the team’s challenges.
The New Orleans Pelicans enter the night in even worse form. At 3-16, they sit at the bottom of the West and have dropped nine of their last ten games. Their latest defeat was a 133-128 overtime loss to Memphis, a game where they fought hard but once again fell short late.
The Pelicans’ injury report is one of the longest in the league. Trey Murphy III (right sore elbow), who averages 19.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists, is questionable. Losing him would be a major blow to an already struggling offense. Jordan Poole (quad injury) is also out along with Jordan Hawkins (illness), Karlo Matkovic (calf injury), Herb Jones (calf injury), and Dejounte Murray (achilles) are all sidelined as well.
That puts even more pressure on Zion Williamson, who is averaging 21.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.0 assists.
Zion has tried to keep the Pelicans competitive, but without spacing, without reliable creators, and without defensive help, his impact has been limited.
The Warriors need a win to stabilize an increasingly rocky season. The Pelicans need one just to stop the bleeding. Both teams are bruised and frustrated, but Golden State has the deeper rotation and the more functional structure, even without Curry. If Butler sets the tone and the Warriors defend with purpose, they’ll have a strong chance to get back on track.
