Is Stephen Curry going to be all right? That’s the question echoing across Dub Nation after the Warriors star exited Game 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves with a concerning injury. Midway through the second quarter, Curry was seen repeatedly grabbing his left hamstring before walking off the court following a Draymond Green three-pointer and a subsequent Wolves timeout.

At the time of his exit, Golden State led 30-20, but the energy quickly shifted inside Target Center. The sight of Curry limping off left fans—and teammates—visibly rattled. And now, hopes of a quick return have been dashed. According to a renowned sports physician, Curry may be sidelined for an extended period, casting a shadow over the Warriors’ playoff run.

In the immediate aftermath of Stephen Curry’s exit, Dr. Nirav Pandya, M.D. took to his official X account. The doctor has often shared his opinions on X whenever an NBA player, especially Stephen Curry, has been injured on the court. After seeing the play in which Curry sustained the ailment, Pandya revealed to have conducted a study that looked at similar hamstring injuries, in NBA players, over a 5-year period.

The same determined that the average time, or ‘mean time’ for recovery, took about 6 games! Despite this, the doctor displayed some optimism by saying “This doesn’t mean that Curry can’t be back sooner but it’s all based on the factors above”. Since then, however, Shams Charania has confirmed that Curry will indeed be sitting out for Game 2 due to the hamstring strain.

Stephen Curry exited the game after only 13 minutes of playtime. In that period, he scored 13 points on a 5-9 shooting, with 3-6 3-pointers. Fortunately, the Warriors were able to carry the game even in the star’s absence, as the Bay Area franchise held an 83-68 lead with 9:25 minutes remaining in the 4th quarter. Well, the team better get used to delivering without Steph, as Dr Pandya’s report has been confirmed. Curry is set to miss out on the early part of the Warriors-Timberwolves series, and losing a grasp on the lead there would be devastating.

The left hamstring strain has already brought out messages of concern from renowned NBA personalities. During the half-time show, TNT analyst and Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal addressed the injury by stating, “I only got two things to say. Icy Hot. Man up. You’ll be alright for Game 2, 3, 4 and 5”. Well, Shaq better read Dr Nirav Pandya’s tweet. For further reference, he should also check what NBA and NFL Injury Insider, Dr. Evan Jeffries, DPT, wrote. After all, he called the hamstring strain the “worst case scenario in a playoff series”. Jeffries also mentioned that the typical timeline of healing is up to 7-10 days for Grade I. For Grade II, it is 3-6 weeks. Steve Kerr may have already realized this. Therefore, he might start planning for the next steps soon.

How can the Golden State Warriors proceed without Stephen Curry?

According to RotoWire, Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody were candidates for an uptick in playing time. That is, after Curry was declared out for the rest of Game 1. Sure enough, Brandin Podziemski checked in as Curry headed to the locker room. Nothing can be known until an official update is given by the Golden State Warriors. However, Steve Kerr still has to make long-term plans. Therefore, with Curry potentially sidelined for several games, Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody, along with Gary Payton II and Buddy Hield, can together run Steve Kerr’s backcourt.

Buddy Hield has certainly been proving himself over the last few days. He was the star player in Game 7 of the Warriors-Rockets series. Hield had scored 33 points, along with 3 rebounds and 3 assists, by shooting 12-15 (80.0%) field goals, and 9-11 (81.8%) 3-pointers. He also showed up in Game 1, against the Minnesota Timberwolves, by taking the offensive lead with his 24 points. Hield faltered a bit with the 7-19 (36.8%) field goals, but made up for it with his 5-8 (62.5%) 3-pointers and 5-5 (100%) free throws.

Meanwhile, Brandin Podziemski had averaged 11.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in the first round of the playoffs, Moses Moody averaged 9.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists, while Gary Payton II averaged 6.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists. Together, they could be enough to cover for Stephen Curry for as long as he is away.

Do you believe that the Golden State Warriors can manage to hold a series lead without Stephen Curry? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section down below.