Stephen Curry, the greatest shooter of all-time, walked off the floor Wednesday, Nov. 11 during a game against the Houston Rockets, clearly grimacing. Curry, who appeared to be favoring his right side, then walked to the locker room, with a trainer following. The Golden State Warriors announced minutes into the second quarter that Curry would not return for the rest of the game with right abdominal soreness.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after the game that Curry said he "tweaked something in his abdominal area," which Curry told his longtime coach he had never done before. Kerr said Curry left the arena to get an MRI.

"Concern is high but I have no idea the extent of the injury," Kerr said.

So, what happens now?

This is stating the obvious, but it will depend on the severity.

While Curry was in clear discomfort when he left the floor, he did try to tough it out for a few possessions. That alone is not enough of an indicator to provide a tangible assessment, but it could hint to the degree of severity.

Either way, abdominal or oblique injuries can be complicated. Because they are part of the core muscles, many basic athletic movements can become painful.

They can also take time to heal, especially if there’s a muscle tear. Magic forward Paolo Banchero, for example, missed 34 games during the 2024-25 season with a torn oblique. If it ends up being a strain, however, any Curry absence would undoubtedly be far shorter.

Regardless, if Curry is forced to miss time, the Warriors will face the impossible problem of making up for the loss of a player who’s irreplaceable.

Curry is playing at an MVP-caliber level, and Golden State simply does not have any options who come close. Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg has been sensational in his first month in the NBA, and surely he will be forced to take on more offensive responsibility. Same goes for starting guard Brandin Podziemski, though to a lesser extent.

What the Warriors won’t be able to replace is Curry’s perimeter shooting and the way that opens up space on the floor. Curry is the best off-ball player in the NBA and tirelessly bounds around the floor, looking for small gaps. Those alone are enough for him to get shots off.

And, considering he entered the night making field goals at 50.3% and 3-pointers at 45.7%, that efficiency will be sorely missed.

The Warriors haven’t issued an update on Jimmy Butler’s status, but if Curry is forced to miss extended time, that could potentially put some pressure on Butler to lead the team as soon as he returns, should the timing coincide.

Either way, if Curry misses extended time, it’s tough to see Golden State remaining as competitive as it has been to start the season.