It goes without saying how important Steph Curry is to the Golden State Warriors, which is why missing him due to any kind of setback or injury is enough to make the heart of any Golden State fan drop and unfortunately for Curry and the Warriors this season, there have been plenty of setbacks.

Curry hasn't played in over a month, missing 26 games in total so far, due to "runner's knee," or patellofemoral pain syndrome, and he's due to miss even more time with a possible return not likely for at least another 10 days. 

Before this season's setbacks, the future Hall of Famer was enjoying a long stretch of health, missing just 20 games combined over the previous two seasons, and the unexpected difficulties that have come with recovering with his knee trouble has left him struggling and upset according to his head coach Steve Kerr.  

“He’s frustrated,” Kerr said (via 95.7 The Game’s "Willard & Dibs"). “He wants to be out there for his guys. It’s obviously been an injury that’s lasted a lot longer than anyone thought it would. He’s dying to be out there, but there’s not a whole lot that goes into it."

Knee trouble has been one of the more consistent injury issues that Curry has dealt with in his career and the lingering pain problem that he's dealing with now is just the latest in a series of frustrating chapters. 

Missing so much time is already upsetting enough for a competitor like Curry, but it especially doesn't help that it's happening during a point of the season where the Warriors need him more than ever.

Golden State is 32-33 and ninth in the Western Conference, just out of reach of possible playoff contention via the Play-In tournament.

With less than 20 games left in the season and the surging Los Angeles Clippers stepping ahead of them in the standings, the Warriors need their superstar back and at full strength to win crucial games.

The Warriors have lost three games in a row and things won't get any easier with the Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks slated to be their next two opponents. 

Every game is a must-win situation and at present, the Warriors have been struggling to win while they're not at full strength.

Curry is averaging 27.2 points, 4.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds in his age-37 season while still shooting 46.8% from the field and 39.1% from three point range. With the Warriors so strapped for depth and young talent, Curry remains the leader and biggest contributor on the court, but he still may not see the court for some time.