Warriors play-in risks and NBA Cup relocation decisions

Curry injuries and roster strain

The Golden State Warriors face a difficult road in the Western Conference play-in race. I see a team struggling with a heavy injury load that has resulted in over 100 man games lost. Stephen Curry has dealt with patellofemoral pain syndrome since November 2025. He also suffered a left hamstring strain during a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves where he scored 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting. The Warriors held a 30-20 lead when he left the floor after scoring five consecutive points with a 3-pointer and a runner in the lane. The Warriors have a 5-9 win-loss record when Curry does not play. Curry is averaging 27.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists this season. Steve Kerr announced that Curry, Al Horford, and Kristaps Porzingis will play under 40 minutes against the Clippers, a decision I think creates a massive risk for Golden State. The Warriors’ season depends on managing these health risks while fighting for a postseason spot.

Western Conference standings and play-in rules

The Western Conference standings show the Warriors at 10th place with a .500 winning percentage.

The Warriors must beat the Clippers to stay alive. The play-in format provides the 7th and 8th seeds two chances to win, while the 9th and 10th seeds must win two straight games to advance. The Warriors sit 3.0 games behind the Nuggets and 4.0 games ahead of the Suns, while the Pelicans sit 4.0 games behind them. The Warriors need to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night to avoid elimination, but the decision to place a 40 minute cap on the playing time of Curry, Horford, and Porzingis makes this task much harder. The 9th and 10th seed matchup is technically single elimination, and the Grizzlies lead the West with a 6-0 record while the Rockets follow at 6-1. The Trail Blazers, Lakers, Thunder, Spurs, and Mavericks all hold 4 wins each. You already know the play-in stakes are high. Will the Warriors survive with these restrictions?

The NBA Cup relocation decision

The NBA Cup ratings grew 90 percent this year. The NBA decided to move the semifinal games from Las Vegas to the home markets of the higher-seeded teams. This change follows observations that the T-Mobile Arena had empty sections in the upper bowl during the semifinals. Most fans did not travel for these games, so the building filled with locals instead. The league is also considering moving the championship game out of Las Vegas. Amazon Prime Video paid high fees for the broadcast rights of the tournament. The 2023 version was won by the Lakers and the 2024 version was won by the Bucks. The 2025 tournament includes 30 teams divided into six groups. The group stage includes the Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies, LA Clippers, LA Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, and New Orleans Pelicans. Other teams include the Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, Atlanta Hawks, and Toronto Raptors. The remaining teams are the Washington Wizards, Boston Celtics, Orlando Magic, Brooklyn Nets, Detroit Pistons, Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, and Charlotte Hornets. The top team in each group and the best second-place finisher from each conference advance to the quarterfinals. The quarterfinal winners move to the semifinals on December 13 and the final on December 16. The quarterfinals take place on December 9 and 10. The winners of the championship game receive $530,000. I find the lack of energy in Las Vegas for the semifinals to be a poor reason to move a whole tournament.