Warriors' Stephen Curry Doesn't Have Target Date for Return from Hamstring Injury

Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry doesn't know exactly when he will return from the hamstring injury he suffered in Game 1 of his team's second-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

"No," he told reporters Thursday when asked if he had a target return date. "And from all that I'm learning about how quickly you can get back, there has to be a healing process. You can't accelerate."

He also called the setback a "gut punch."

Curry's status quickly became one of the biggest storylines of the playoffs when he suffered a hamstring injury in the first half of Game 1 that left him sidelined for the remainder of the contest.

The Warriors announced an MRI revealed it was a Grade 1 hamstring strain and that the injury would be reevaluated in a week. That timeline meant he would miss Games 2, 3 and 4 with Game 5—scheduled one week from the announcement—up in the air.

ESPN's Shams Charania reported "an exact return will be based on how their All-NBA guard responds to rehab with his first muscle strain."

While the Warriors need Curry healthy and on the floor to win the championship, they did manage to prevail on the road in Game 1 even after he exited. And as long as he is out, they will continue relying on Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green to lead the way on both ends.

Buddy Hield also becomes far more important without Curry, as Golden State will need someone else to provide perimeter shooting and offense from the backcourt. The Oklahoma product is the best option to do just that and can take advantage of the spacing that comes when the defense collapses on Butler.

Still, the Warriors are far more dangerous with Curry on the floor.