Injuries in the West Leaves Door Open for the Warriors

Yasmeen HasanNovember 2, 20261 Mins read3

Oct 30, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) bring the ball down the court against the Los Angeles Lakers during the third quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

In just the first two weeks of the season, the NBA has succumbed to the injury plague.

Teams may not pray for their opponents to get hurt, but they can’t help it if they do. No title quest is ever a breeze, but injuries in their conference may have made the Warriors’ road easier.

Injury-Riddled Western Conference

After starting the season a rocky 0-3, including blowing a 12-point lead with 3:47 left against Memphis, the Warriors have shown signs of life. They won three in a row against conference rivals: Nuggets, Timberwolves, Lakers.

Owning the tiebreaker over those teams may matter for home-court advantage in a playoff/play-in setting or for claiming a higher seed at the end of the season.

It has been a difficult start for many NBA players injury-wise, but that may benefit the Warriors.

Three teams in the West have announced that star players will miss significant time. Ja Morant of the Portland Trail Blazers suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain and will miss at least one month; The Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards is expected to be sidelined for two months after undergoing an arthroscopic procedure; The Thunder will be down three starters after Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, and Cason Wallace suffered extensive injuries.

The Dubs are expected to face the Trail Blazers once without Morant; the Timberwolves once without Edwards; and the Thunder a possible three times without Wallace and Williams.

The injuries affect not only the Warriors’ chances in games against them, but also how those teams could fare against their other opponents. Missing key guys could cause teams to slip in the standings, giving the Warriors a chance to slide past them. The Warriors must, of course, first show they can capitalize on the opportunity.

Making the Most Out of the Opportunity

Golden State has one back-to-back the remainder of November and two in December, including a five-game road trip from Nov. 11-19.

It is also worth remembering that the Warriors are still dealing with injuries of their own. The good news is that they should be getting healthier, with Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody expected to return in the coming months. The Warriors’ mission: tread water until they can come back.

But for now, that championship window that once seemed shut is ever so slightly ajar.

Written by

Yasmeen Hasan

I am a recent graduate of Southern Illinois University, where I earned my bachelor's degree in journalism. I first became a basketball fan in 2016, when I watched Game 7 of the Warriors vs Cavaliers in the Finals. I have written several broadcast scripts, press releases, and profile pieces throughout my college tenure. Currently, I contribute to The Lead and Sixers On SI, where I have written over 100 articles.