Preview: Curry out, Butler Questionable, but Green may return against Nuggets
Warriors are neck deep in scheduling hell
It’s getting harder to tell what’s normal anymore. The Warriors lose a winnable game, Curry looks human, and half the roster is somewhere between day-to-day and existential healing mode. Maybe that’s just what the grind does - it pulls even the invincible down into the muck with everyone else.
Does Superman ever catch a cold?
Apparently, the GOAT, Stephen Curry has been temporarily defeated by some sort of illness and has been ruled out for tonight’s big showdown against the Denver Nuggets. It’s a long season, but the Golden State Warriors were certainly not given any luxuries to start the year. Perhaps it all works out in the end, but for now, Golden State is getting hammered by the schedule gods, and life.
Curry - who has looked off lately - missed last game with a sickness that hasn’t yet passed. Adding to the woes, it doesn’t sound like Jimmy Butler or Draymond Green are at 100% either.
The Warriors won’t get an easy night. Fresh off that late crumble against the Sacramento Kings, Golden State finds themselves in Denver tonight, facing Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. For those who haven’t been paying attention, Jokic is on yet another roll. So far this season, he has as many triple-doubles (five) as the rest of the NBA (also five, of course).
As the kids say: Let’s goooooo!
GAME DETAILS
WHO: Golden State Warriors (5-4) at Denver Nuggets (5-2)
WHEN: Friday, November 7th, 2025; 7pm PDT
WATCH: Prime Video?!
Shaking our fists at the sky
Entering tonight’s game, the Warriors have played two more games than their opponents. Sure, that’s not much overall, but it’s indicative of how brutal the Warriors’ schedule has been so far. I’m not going to do the math, but the difference between the Warriors 5-4 and the Nuggets’ 5-2 is something like 30% more action. That’s a lot. The regular schedule is already a lot. So to hit the ground running this hard, after a relatively abbreviated preseason? It’s hard to get too mad about this squad not looking perfect.
And while, yes, they’re far from perfect, Golden State has at least shown they’re not a bad team - not by any stretch. It’s still early, but there have been real, heartening flashes. Everything tends to fall apart whenever Curry sits; he’s simply too essential to what they do. (And, for the record, missing your best player is rarely a winning formula.) That’s what makes it such a strange paradox: watching the Warriors drop a couple of ugly games to shorthanded teams, only to follow those up with painfully close losses of their own.
There’s something quietly cinematic about this version of the Warriors - a team trying to balance legacy and discovery in real time. Every game feels like a referendum on what’s left in the tank, but also a lab test for what might be next. It’s a strange tension: watching the final chords of a dynasty blend into the first notes of whatever comes after. The lights are still bright, but the stage feels a little smaller now - and the players know it. The time is as “now” as it will get for someone to step up.
Maybe there’s something there for the young Warriors.
I know, I know. I’m delusional. “Will Richard has two first names and no future in the league,” they’ll tell me. This isn’t just about Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, or Brandin Podziemski.
As the Warriors’ dynasty continues to age, it appears as if they are also getting wiser. There’s no version of (and I’m sorry for any remaining fans) Nick Young on this roster. If you’re going to be a chucker on this team, you’d better be able to point to some historic shooting stats - like Buddy Hield can.
Instead, the Warriors have constructed a new version of themselves, something that is a little bit more flexible than previous versions. But don’t listen to me, listen to coach Steve Kerr:
“The thing I’m really happy about is just the maturity,” Kerr told Willard and Dibs on 95.7 The Game on Friday. “His growth. Our conversations have been great. He really seems to be embracing the role we’re asking of him — the rebounding, guarding the ball, and figuring out how to play next to Jimmy [Butler] and Draymond [Green]. It’s been wonderful to see, and I’m thrilled for JK.”
So yeah, it was a loss. And that Sacramento Kings team was beatable. However, the Warriors have a bunch of - not excuses - but explanations. A rough opening schedule. An abbreviated training camp followed by a preseason that was impacted by a few ongoing roster moves. Heck, even now that the season is underway, the Warriors are still juggling Seth Curry on and off of the roster, and waiting for the return of key reserve, De’Anthony Melton - a player so good, he may not even end up being a reserve once he comes back. And of course, the main guys being out.
But there were a couple of important flashes of lightning in that dark stormy previous game. The thing about basketball is that it isn’t just about the stat line, but the stat line really does matter a lot. For Kuminga in this case: 24 points and 9 rebounds in 25 minutes, to go along with a more important contribution.
Vibes count in competitive sports, and Kuminga and the young Warriors served up some interesting moments in that previous game - albeit a loss.
Beyond Kuminga and Moody, there’s a new kid in town that’s stirring up some buzz. Like a lot of the fan favorites (which also happens to tickle the coach’s giggle spots) this guy was able to demonstrate an almost magical ability to affect the game.
“Will fits in perfectly with everything I’m discussing right now,” Kerr said Thurday on 95.7 The Game’s “Willard & Dibs.” “The turnovers, the decision-making, the spacing, the ability to dribble, pass and shoot -- those four things lead to good decision-making as a team, as a group. I can draw a play out of a timeout and put Will in any one of the five positions. So when you get guys like this that provide really solid play and stability, this is what has made our team go around Steph [Curry] and Draymond [Green].
“I’ve said this to you guys a million times. Who are those stabilizers in our run over the last decade? It’s Andre Iguodala. It’s Shaun Livingston. It’s David West. You need them at different positions because Steph and Dray need stability around them to get them organized and to help them navigate the game and to get Steph the ball.
“So Will Richard checks all those boxes. The whole team, the whole organization, recognizes this -- which means everybody’s on notice. Take care of the ball, because we’ve got people who will do that. And they’re ready to step in.”
A player shoots an air ball, and it was Richard that was there, as omnipresent as first names are across his birth certificate.
WAIT.
(for context, it’s late, and it’s been a long week)
So that’s it? Two first names and we stop?
Whew. I am intrigued.
Anyways, back to the basketball. Richard is clearly playing his way into the rotation. There’s a lot of room in the middle here, though it will likely push some other players out of the mix. We’ve seen these struggles already with Gary Payton’s limited minutes, but it’s just going to be part of the player experience this season. The Warriors have a plan, sure; but first and foremost they’ve got to survive this early sprint.
Thankfully, there are some old and new faces that seem ready.
Prediction
There’s no moral here. Just a team trying to keep its head above water while the league keeps churning underneath them. Let’s pray for a win, and call it a prediction.
Richard plays big minutes, Post redeems himself against the best center in the league.
Music Friday
I had a weird day today. Work is a constant rollercoaster-adventure of challenges and victories, the time change has me and my whole household all jacked up, and then we topped it all off by making a dinner for the aging family across the street that was my wife’s second family growing up. I’m grateful, exhausted, and having one hell of a good time!
So… for this week’s installment of my favorite feature that absolutely no one has asked for, I want to share one of my favorite songs of all time. It’s a small band out of Santa Rosa and then Oakland, but there’s something about the lyrics and gentle plucky guitar here that speaks to me.
Be kind out there, it’s tough for pretty much everyone.