The Golden State Warriors shoot from downtown more than most teams in the NBA. That’s never been a secret. Of course, they’re no Boston Celtics when it comes to their 3-point volume. But Stephen Curry and co. still love their long-range shots. But now, with Steph on the sidelines, the Dubs appear to be trying something different.

This series against the Minnesota Timberwolves has been about experimentation for Steve Kerr. He played 14 players in Game 2 against them. Now, in Game 3, he’s overhauled the Dubs’ offense. It’s been noticed by many, Brett Siegel of Clutch Sports being among them. And for a team like the Dubs, it’s shocking to say the least.

“A completely different Warriors offense goes on a 9-0 run to close the first quarter tied 21-21 with the Timberwolves. Why does Golden State look different? Well, they’re 0-1 from 3PT range… and that’s not a typo. 16 of 21 points in the paint for the Warriors so far,” he wrote, sharing his observations with the basketball community on X.

Yes, your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you! The Dubs really did attempt only one three-pointer in the first 12 minutes of Game 3. But you know what’s crazier? Steve Kerr’s men ended the first half without any three-pointers made. That’s the first time since this has happened since 2007!  But as the game goes on, they’re looking more and more like the team we’re all familiar with. They attempted more threes in the second and third quarters, and as things stand, they’ve made two.

But this shocking statistic stems from an obvious issue — the Dubs are missing their best shooter. Even when they had the other half of the Splash brothers, aka Klay Thompson, this wouldn’t have been that big an issue. Although with Steph out, Steve Kerr’s hand has been forced.   But how long will this be the case? Well, the Baby-Faced Assassin himself recently came out to give us an update about his injury during Game 2 of this series.

Stephen Curry reveals that he’s not rushing things as Dubs struggle from downtown against the Timberwolves

We learned on Wednesday that Stephen Curry had a Grade 1 hamstring strain. While the mildest of the bunch when it comes to such an injury, it will still take him at least a week to recover. This effectively rules him out of the series, depending on how it goes. He will be out till at least Game 5, right? Well, it could take longer as Stephen Curry revealed that he’s not going to rush his recovery. Anthony Slater of the Athletic asked Curry whether he had a target orfor his return. Here’s how Steph responded.

“No, and from all that I’m learning about how quickly you can get back, there has to be a healing process. Just the way the body works. You can’t accelerate it more than what it is telling you. So, it’ll be one of those, after a week, like really re-evaluating every day to kind of understand when it’s safe. Just to even think about playing, let alone like how much can you push it,” said Curry.

Steph erring on the side of caution with this injury makes sense. First off, soft-tissue injuries at 37 are no joke. Taking the safe route is definitely the way to go, especially at such a pivotal stage in the NBA calendar. Moreover, this is the first hamstring issue ever for Steph. So, he and even the Dubs’ medical staff don’t really know how his body will respond.

Considering all those factors, the safe route really is the best way forward for Steph. It’s not just about the Dubs needing him, as shown by their three-point shooting tonight. No, being the competitor Steph is, we’re sure being on the sidelines while his team fights to keep his hopes of a 5th ring alive must be killing him. So, Steph, we hope you’re back soon!