Could Stephen Curry's Injury Cause a Strategic Pivot in Golden State?

Stephen Curry’s knee injury isn’t as minor as the team initially thought. Curry missed a handful of games before the All-Star break and was expected to return after the time off. Then he missed the Warriors’ Thursday night game against the Boston Celtics and it was announced that he was still dealing with pain in his knee and would be missing the next few games. 

Anthony Slater reported, “SAN FRANCISCO -- Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry will be re-evaluated again in 10 days for a persistent right knee injury, league sources told ESPN, sidelining him for at least another five games.

Curry had another MRI in the past 24 hours that came back clean, league sources told ESPN, but persistent pain and swelling has not allowed him to return to the court.

The team is officially listing it as patellofemoral pain syndrome, also known as "runner's knee."

Missing Stephen Curry for more than a week is going to hurt the Warriors a lot. They are just a few losses away from falling out of the playoff race.

Some are wondering if the Warriors should just pivot their strategy and start to tank the rest of the season for a better draft pick. Jimmy Butler is out for the rest of the season. Curry is dealing with a recurring knee injury. The Warriors aren’t going to win a championship this year. Is this their chance to add an asset through the draft? If the Warriors wanted they could play it super safe with Curry and have him sit the rest of the season. Without Curry or Butler they would surely increase their chances at a decent draft pick. While the Warriors won’t ever admit that this is an option, if Curry’s knee issue continues after these 10 days, they may have no other choice.