The Golden State Warriors are entering the most important stretch of the season. With the Western Conference standings tightening as the regular season winds down, the team finds itself hovering in the play-in, rather than comfortably among the top contenders. That’s not where they expected to be when the season started, but according to Stephen Curry, this isn’t the time to panic.

“I mean, we’re in a decent spot right now,” Curry told reporters during an interview at All-Star weekend. “We’re not where we want to be. It’s not where we set out to be when we started the year. And like I said, Jimmy going down was a tough blow because we were really starting to take off.”

Jimmy Butler’s ACL injury has ruled him out for the rest of the season and completely disrupted the momentum the team had been building. At the same time, the Warriors are navigating multiple injuries, causing concern and inconsistency, including a case of Runner’s Knee that has Curry sidelined throughout the All-Star Break and into the marquee game on Sunday.

The result has been a season filled with ups and downs, flashes of contender-level play mixed with stretches of frustration. Still, Curry believes that the basis for a postseason push remains.

“If we can be healthy come March and April,” Curry said, “Hopefully get out of the play-in, battle, secure ourselves into a playoff series – and if not, we find our way into one – we feel like we’re still a dangerous team.”

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“Dangerous” means a lot coming from the four-time champion, because even though the Warriors might not be at the top of the standings, Curry is still one of the best players in the world, and the team has vets with championship experience.

Stephen Curry Emphasizes Playoff Opportunity Over Seeding in Warriors’ Final Push

Stephen Curry wasn’t shaken by the stretch of the season the Warriors have left, instead pointing to a key example as fuel for their second-half push this season.

“All you want is the opportunity once those 7-game series start to have a chance,” Curry told reporters. “Kind of like what we did last year, winning the first game of the play-in, beating Houston, I go down with an unfortunate injury, and bad timing.”

Last season, the team beat the Memphis Grizzlies in the play-in tournament to beat the #2 seed Houston Rockets in a seven-game thriller. Unfortunately, the team lost Curry to a hamstring injury in Game 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Now, the team is hoping to recreate that magic.

Despite Butler’s injury, the team still has hopes. The Warriors are optimistic that trade deadline acquisition Kristaps Porzingis can join the team on-court, and provides them with a reliable interior presence if he can power through his case of POTS.

Avoiding the play-in tournament would ease their path, but even if they land there, the message is clear: get in. Right now, what matters is being healthy and surviving, then turning up the intensity when it matters. The margin for error is thin, but with Curry on the court, the Warriors will always have a chance.