Three Warriors Players Who Need to Step Up in Steph Curry’s Absence

In their recent game against the Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry suffered an oblique abdominal tear that will keep him out for close to one month, according to ESPN insider Shams Charania. 

In that time, this young Warriors group will have to step up in place of his absence. The rest of the roster has been able to hold their own in games without Curry, but now the real challenge is going to be sustaining that success for a long period of time. There are three players who will need to step up for this group in the next month to make that happen. 

The one player who will have to step up is obviously rookie forward Yaxel Lendeborg, who is already looking comfortable playing the number-one option role this early in his rookie season. 

So far, Lendeborg is averaging 21.7 points per game, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. Golden State cannot ask for a better start to his rookie year; the only thing they can ask for now is for him to sustain that success. 

The next player who will have to step up is guard Brandin Podziemski. Podziemski signed a 5-year extension with the team just before the season began, and he's been productive to start the year. 

Podziemski is averaging 17.3 points per game, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.2 assists to start the year, and his numbers have been increasing since he entered the league. With the quick ascension of Yaxel Lendeborg, he's done a nice job of playing the second-option role for the team, but there are going to be times when he will have to step up on offense. 

If Podziemski can have games where he's the true difference-maker for Golden State, it makes the team a lot more versatile, and that's something the Warriors have been lacking in recent seasons. 

The third player who will have to step up is center Charles Bassey. Overall, Bassey has been the most productive big man for the Warriors, and he will have to raise his level of play to help the rest of this roster out.  

It's no secret that this team's weakness has been the frontcourt, but if Bassey can be the player who can hold his own against the talented big men in the Western Conference, that will open up more opportunities for the rest of the roster to win games. 

Steph Curry's durability has brought challenges to the Warriors in recent seasons, and it's no different in 2026-2027. It will be interesting to see what Steve Kerr and this coaching staff will do to mask the loss.