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Stephen Curry MRI on Ankle Injury Shows No Structural Damage; Timetable Unclear

Scott Polacek

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry avoided structural damage on his ankle but doesn't have a specific timetable for return in place.

The team announced a Tuesday MRI revealed a sprained right ankle that was "stable and structurally intact. He will be re-evaluated in two weeks." 

Shams Charania of The Vertical reported there was "significant swelling," which Anthony Slater of The Athletic put into context:

Charania noted Golden State deemed Curry as "doubtful" for Wednesday's contest against the Charlotte Hornets before the official update and suggested "he could be out a while."

The injury occurred during Golden State's 125-115 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday. Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post noted X-rays were negative in the aftermath.

Mark Medina of the Mercury News shared video from Monday revealing Curry left the locker room on crutches after the injury:

The long-term loss of Curry would be a significant one for the Warriors considering he is a two-time MVP, four-time All-Star, two-time champion, four-time member of an All-NBA team and arguably the best three-point shooter in league history. He holds the top three and four of the top five spots on the NBA's all-time list of made three-pointers in a season.

He is averaging 26.3 points, 6.6 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game this season, but his impact goes beyond the basic totals. Just his presence alone stretches opposing defenses because of the danger he presents as a shooter, which opens the lane for penetration or creates free looks for his teammates on the perimeter.

As a result, the Warriors' offensive rating is 118.9 when he is on the floor and 106.7 when he is off, per NBA.com.

Golden State is still loaded even without him, as the All-Star trio of Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green can carry more of the scoring load moving forward. Shaun Livingston, Nick Young and Patrick McCaw also figure to see more time in the backcourt.

Still, the Warriors likely need a healthy Curry back if they are going to defend their title.

   

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