Stephen Curry Injury: Klay Thompson Will Shine If Warriors Star Misses Time

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry left Tuesday's preseason game after rolling his bothersome right ankle that required surgery last season.

Matt Steinmetz reports Curry will be evaluated today, which could end up opening the door for rookie Klay Thompson, who would take full advantage.

Curry is one of the league's purest shooters, a trait that distinguished him from the crowd at Davidson. He averaged 19 points, six assists and four rebounds last season with his right ankle nagging him every step of the way.

His ceiling is amazing if he could ever nurse himself to full strength. He's an offensive dynamo with the ability to get hot and completely control a game. There aren't many players like that in the NBA.

Getting back to 100 percent is an issue, though.

Every time it seems like he's on the verge on reaching his potential, he suffers a setback that hobbles him for a couple weeks. Give him credit for toughing it out most of the time, but eventually he needs to consider the long-term issues of playing hurt.

Luckily for the Warriors, they were able to snag Thompson with the 11th overall pick.

The Washington State product was rising up big boards around the league heading into the draft due to his terrific athleticism. At 6'6'', 202 pounds, he has good size for the position and should continue to fill out his frame.

Thompson hasn't found his shooting stroke yet during the preseason, but Tuesday's game was a perfect example of what he'll bring to the table if given the opportunity. He had five boards, four steals, three assists and a block in 27 minutes.

The downside of his performance was shooting 13 percent from the field, including missing all seven of his attempts from beyond the arc. It's not an issue to be overly concerned with yet, though. He shot 44 percent (40 percent from three) during his final season with the Cougars.

Selecting him, while a smart move, shows that the Warriors are at least moderately concerned about Curry's ankle. Having two versatile guards who can fill up the stat sheet is exactly the type of depth that's necessary during a condensed schedule like the one NBA teams are about to endure.

Assuming Curry avoided any significant damage on Tuesday night, he'll remain as the team's second option behind Monta Ellis on the offensive end.

However, it might be a good idea to scale back his minutes a little bit, especially once Thompson starts knocking down shots.

The last thing Golden State's front office wants to see is a promising career derailed by injuries, so they need to play it safe with Curry.