Warriors Major Absences: Curry, Butler, and Draymond Green All Out for OKC Showdown
If you are a fan holding a ticket for tonight’s Warriors game at the Chase Center, you might want to sit down for this. Actually, you are probably already sitting down, head in hands, staring at your phone screen in disbelief. It is the modern NBA nightmare scenario. You save up for months, you circle the date on the calendar, and you brave the Bay Area traffic just to see the legends in action. But tonight, the box score is going to look a lot more like a G League roster than a championship contender. The Golden State Warriors are effectively punting on a Friday night showdown, and the timing could not be worse for the paying public.
The Warriors’ Core Trio Sits Out
Let’s rip the band-aid off quickly. The Warriors are expected to be without Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green when they host the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight. That is not a typo. That is nearly the entire offensive and defensive identity of the team, engaging in a collective vanishing act.
The reasoning varies from the concerning to the convenient. Stephen Curry is dealing with a left ankle tweak he suffered late in the win against Charlotte. He called it a “little blast from the past,” which is a phrase that sends shivers down the spine of anyone who remembers his early career ankle woes. While he says he will be alright, the team is taking zero chances.
Then you have Jimmy Butler. He wasn’t even on the injury report initially, but he popped up this morning with an illness. It feels like incredibly bad luck that the bug caught him right before the second leg of a back-to-back, doesn’t it? As for Draymond Green? He is out for “rest.” No vague injury designation, no charade. Just good old-fashioned rest. At least they are being honest about that one.
Thunder Look to Capitalize on Depleted Warriors
For the Oklahoma City Thunder, this news changes everything. They are coming into San Francisco on a three-game win streak after the Christmas Day loss to the Spurs. Now, they walk into a situation that has “trap game” written all over it.
Usually, when you face the Warriors, you have to game plan for the chaos of Curry’s movement and the grit of Butler and Green. Tonight? The Thunder are facing a squad that will be trying to figure out where the points are coming from on the fly. OKC has a massive opportunity here to steal a road win and keep its momentum rolling after steadying the ship earlier this week. They are sitting pretty at 29-5, and a win here keeps them looking like the juggernaut they have been all season.
However, the Thunder have their own bruised roster to worry about. They are missing key rotation pieces, but compared to the star power missing from the Golden State sideline, OKC looks like the picture of health. They just need to avoid playing down to the level of their competition, which is easier said than done when you look across the court and see the stars in street clothes.
The Financial Implications for the Warriors
Here is where things get a little spicy with the league office. This isn’t just a random Tuesday night game; this is a nationally televised slot on Prime Video. The NBA recently implemented a player participation policy specifically to stop teams from sitting multiple stars in big TV games.
Because Curry and Butler have been All-Stars recently, they fall under this policy. If the league decides that these absences are not “legitimate”, specifically focusing on the convenient timing of rest and sudden illnesses, the Warriors could be looking at a fine of $100,000.
It is a high-stakes game of poker between the franchise and the league office. The team maintains that Curry is legitimately hurt and Butler is legitimately sick. They are hopeful all three will be back for the game against the Jazz on Saturday. That makes tonight feel even more like a strategic sacrifice. They are banking on the win against Charlotte and hoping the reserves can maybe, just maybe, keep it close against one of the best teams in the West.
For the fans, it is a bitter pill. For the Thunder, it is a gift they better not squander. And for the Warriors, it is a calculated risk that says they prioritize long-term health over a single Friday night in January.
