2 Warriors Who Must Step Up While Curry Is Away

The Golden State Warriors are about to enter the turning point of their season.

Two-time MVP Stephen Curry suffered a shoulder injury on Wednesday and is expected to miss several weeks.

So it will be interesting to see how the Warriors respond without their best player.

Sitting with a 14-16 record, the Warriors don’t have time to feel sorry for themselves.

They need to find ways to win games without Curry.

Here are two Warriors who need to step up while Curry is out.

1. Jordan Poole

The next man at point guard for the Warriors is likely to be Jordan Poole.

Now that he will be entering the starting lineup for an extended stint, he must thrive in that role.

Poole has been incredible in the games he’s started this season, averaging 25.0 points, 4.4 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game.

Jordan Poole this season as starter vs reserve #Warriors pic.twitter.com/xfrn9BLw6B

— @FTBeard7 (@FTBeard7) December 15, 2022

The 23-year-old must continue to carry a large part of the scoring load.

But, one point where he needs to improve is defense.

Curry has always been a solid defender, but Poole seems disinterested at times.

He’s going to have to step up on that end of the floor if the Warriors want to start stopping people consistently.

2. Donte Di Vincenzo

Another guard who will see increased usage while Curry is out is Donte DiVincenzo.

In his first season with the Warriors, DiVincenzo has played very well off the bench.

The 25-year-old is playing 19.3 minutes per game this season.

But he should see a build up to at least 25 minutes while Curry is out.

Where DiVincenzo brings his greatest value is on the defensive end.

Donte DiVincenzo has had a great defensive game. pic.twitter.com/3cZMQPyY21

— Joe Viray (@JoeVirayNBA) December 11, 2022

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He should continue to be a defensive star for the Warriors as they navigate the next few weeks.

The Warriors have one of the worst defenses in the NBA this season after having one of the best last year.

Giving up 116.8 points per game is simply not acceptable.

They need to play elite defense again if they want to stay in the race while their best player is out.