The Golden State Warriors are eagerly awaiting the day that Steph Curry can return to the court from his knee injury, but are having to wait longer than everybody initially expected.

At first, Curry was supposed to be able to come back right after the All-Star break, considering he missed the five games prior and would get extra rest there, but it was announced he would miss more time than expected in the days leading up to the Warriors' first game out of the break against the Boston Celtics.

On the Willard and Dibs show on 95.7 The Game on Thursday, NBA reporter Marc J. Spears revealed that Curry had actually suffered a setback during the All-Star break, thus causing him to have to miss more time than expected.

"I heard around All-Star weekend, he had a setback. He was trying to work out, trying to get back, and it pushed him back. I'm not sure when he'll be back, but I do know that he wants to come back."

Spears also discussed the mindset Curry is operating with right now regarding his injury and his outlook on the Warriors' season.

"This team is kind of in a no man's land, right, they're probably too bad for a playoff lock top-6 spot, but they're too good to not be in the play-in. So Steph expects to play in the play-in, he wants to be in the play-in, he wants the chance to be in the playoffs."

At 31-28, the Warriors remain the 8th seed in the Western Conference. They're 2.5 games ahead of the Blazers in 9th and 3.5 games ahead of the Clippers for 10th, so the 8th-seed is solidly theirs for now. Ahead of the Warriors is the Suns at 34-26 and the Lakers at 34-24, making that coveted 6th-seed in reach, but requiring a major push in the final stretch of the season.

There are a few different spots that the Warriors can finish the regular season in.

First, the most likely scenario is that they maintain their 8th-seed position. If the Suns stay the 7th-seed, that would set up a play-in game in Phoenix for the right to become the 7th-seed in the playoffs, likely resulting in a first-round matchup with the San Antonio Spurs. That creates a similar scenario to last season, where the Warriors got the best of the Houston Rockets, another young, overachieving Texas team, but Victor Wembanyama and a lack of Jimmy Butler might make a big difference there.

If the Warriors lose that play-in game for the 7th-seed, they'll likely play for the 8th-seed against either the Blazers or the Clippers, two teams they'd likely be favored against if everyone is healthy, though the Blazers do have the Warriors' number this season. In a win, that would likely set up a daunting first-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Finally, if the Warriors can sneak their way up to the 6th-seed, the first round matchup could be against the Rockets, the Denver Nuggets, or the Minnesota Timberwolves — three troubling matchups with varying levels of difficulty.

Ultimately, a lot comes down to Curry's health and how the team performs in the final 23 games of the season. With the stars aging, this may be one of the last years that the Warriors can truly put forth a contending playoff push.