Golden State Warriors Face Thursday Challenges Without Curry, Green, and Butler Against Thunder
SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Warriors will enter Friday night’s home game against the Oklahoma City Thunder without three of their biggest stars: Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler. The absences represent a major blow to the Warriors’ rotation and force head coach Mike Brown to rely on depth and role players in what is already a critical stretch of the season.
Draymond Green is resting, a precautionary measure in the midst of a grueling January schedule, while Curry tweaked his left ankle late in Wednesday afternoon’s 115-108 win over the Charlotte Hornets. The ankle tweak is reminiscent of Curry’s previous injury history, though he described it as a “little blast from the past” and expressed confidence that he would recover fully. Green, meanwhile, is taking the day off to preserve his body, a strategy the Warriors have employed before in the regular season to maintain long-term health.
Jimmy Butler, who wasn’t initially listed on the injury report for the Warriors’ back-to-back stretch, was added Friday morning due to illness. The team has not provided specifics, but Butler reportedly woke up under the weather and will not play against Oklahoma City. The illness, combined with the absences of Curry and Green, leaves Golden State in an unfamiliar position — starting a game against one of the league’s top Western Conference teams without any of their superstar anchors on the floor.
This game comes on the front side of a home back-to-back, following a three-game road trip to Toronto, Brooklyn, and Charlotte. The Warriors will face the Utah Jazz on Saturday night, and the organization hopes that Curry, Green, and Butler will all be available by then. Even with a roster depleted of its top talent, Golden State remains competitive, having won five of their past six games and climbing back to an 18-16 record. Still, the absence of the stars makes this matchup against the Thunder particularly tricky.
The game is nationally televised on Prime Video, which introduces another layer of scrutiny. The NBA recently implemented a player participation policy for high-profile games, particularly those featuring stars on national broadcasts. Because Curry and Butler have been All-Stars in the previous three seasons, they qualify under this policy. The league could impose fines of up to $100,000 if it deems their absences from nationally televised games to be unjustified. Given Curry’s ankle issue and Butler’s illness, the Warriors should be able to provide documentation and reasoning that protect them from penalties, though the league’s policy remains a point of discussion among fans and analysts.
From a strategic perspective, the Warriors face a major test in adapting to the absence of three of their core players simultaneously. Curry’s absence removes the floor-spacing threat that has defined Golden State’s offense for over a decade. His gravity on the court forces defenses to overcommit, creating opportunities for cutters, pick-and-roll actions, and open perimeter shots — all of which the Warriors’ bench will need to replicate in his absence. Without him, the team will likely rely on role players like Brandin Podziemski, Kevon Looney, and Moses Moody to generate offense and maintain pace.
Defensively, Draymond Green’s absence is arguably even more impactful. Green is not just a defender; he is the anchor of the Warriors’ defensive schemes, coordinating switches, rotations, and help coverage. Without him, Golden State will have to adjust its defensive strategy, relying on less experienced players to manage communication and rotations. This could create vulnerabilities against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City’s two primary offensive weapons. The Thunder are known for their efficient possession play, elite spacing, and high basketball IQ, which could magnify the Warriors’ gaps on both ends of the court.
Jimmy Butler’s illness further compounds the issue. While he is primarily a two-way forward for the team, his ability to create offense in isolation situations and make critical defensive plays is irreplaceable. The Warriors’ young wings and role players will need to elevate their performance significantly if Golden State hopes to maintain competitiveness.
The Warriors’ schedule adds another layer of difficulty. January is loaded with home games — ten of the first eleven games are at Chase Center — which allows the team some advantage in rest and recovery. However, consecutive back-to-backs, coupled with the compressed travel from the Toronto-Brooklyn-Charlotte road swing, have the potential to wear on even a fully healthy roster. The timing of these absences could not be worse from a scheduling perspective, as the Warriors aim to climb back into playoff contention in the Western Conference.
Despite the challenges, the team has shown resilience. The five wins in their last six games demonstrate that role players and coaching adjustments can partially offset star absences. Players like Podziemski, Melvin Frazier, and Jonathan Kuminga will likely see expanded minutes, while Kevon Looney and Trayce Jackson-Davis will be tasked with controlling the paint on both ends. Coach Mike Brown has repeatedly emphasized adaptability this season, and this matchup will test whether the Warriors’ system can sustain itself without its leaders.
For fans, the game offers both anxiety and intrigue. It is a chance to observe how the Warriors’ bench and emerging talent respond under pressure. It is also a window into the team’s depth ahead of the 2026 trade deadline, where roster adjustments may be necessary depending on performance trends and injury management.
Ultimately, the key question is whether Golden State can remain competitive against a talented Thunder squad without Curry, Green, and Butler. Success will hinge on bench scoring, defensive discipline, and the ability to control tempo. Failure could highlight the team’s dependence on its stars and expose the need for additional roster reinforcements.
As of Friday morning, all eyes are on Chase Center, not just to see how the game unfolds, but to gauge whether the Warriors’ star trio will return healthy for Saturday night’s clash with Utah. For now, Golden State faces a true test of depth, resilience, and strategic adjustment — a game where the absence of Curry, Green, and Butler may define not only the contest but also the team’s short-term trajectory in January.
