The Golden State Warriors endured a major blow when star point guard Steph Curry exited Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals with a hamstring injury. Though the Warriors managed to get the win in Game 1 over the Minnesota Timberwolves after the two-time MVP left the game, Curry suffered a Grade 1 hamstring strain, and will be out for at least a week.
Though the Warriors will be without Curry for at least the next three games of the series, Draymond Green isn't pushing the panic button. On top of finishing out Tuesday's win over the Timberwolves, Green believes the team can rely on Jimmy Butler, who has carried his teams during the postseason before, to keep their championship dreams afloat.
"We know what Jimmy's capable of," Green told reporters on Tuesday. "Jimmy's capable of carrying a team. He carried a team to the Finals twice. We won't panic. We'll figure out what that means. We have the best coaching staff in the NBA. We know they'll put us in a good spot and let us know what our offense looks like without Steph. We've got full confidence in the guys that are on this team that we can make plays and make shots. We know we've got a guy that can make that first down in Jimmy. We'll be alright."
Draymond:
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) May 7, 2025
"Jimmy's capable of carrying a team. He carried a team to the Finals twice. We won't panic" pic.twitter.com/zmqX7HxENu
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr noted the team can rely on its defense while Curry is sidelined, which also helped secure a win in Game 1 of the series.
“We think we have the best defense in the league," Kerr said on Wednesday. "That’s been proven over the last couple months. ... We can rely on our defense and we have to generate offense off of our D.”
Steve Kerr on the Warriors’ survival plan: “We think we have the best defense in the league. That’s been proven over the last couple months.” pic.twitter.com/eGYpsaAI9Z
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 7, 2025
The Warriors have previously gone 9-3 in the postseason without Curry, but that was also back during the 2016 and 2018 NBA playoffs, when the Warriors were at the height of their championship contention. On the brighter side, Golden State has gone 7-5 without Curry this season, and nine of those games took place before Butler even joined the team.
Golden State can win without Curry this series, but his absence will certainly make it harder to do so.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Draymond Green Explains Why Warriors 'Won't Panic' Without Steph Curry.
