Golden State Warriors: 3 significant changes when Stephen Curry returns

1. Easier buckets for everyone

The less scorers a squad has, the harder scoring becomes. Throughout Steph’s injury, defenses have collapsed onto other scorers. This makes life tough for Golden State’s other stars, most notably Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson.

Per ESPN, Durant notices more defensive suffocation without Curry:

"“We’re playing different lineups. There’s less space out there on the court. So we’re trying to figure out what’s the best way for us to get good shots. I think coach is trying to figure that out too.”"

The percentages and the team’s record back this up. Over the past five games, Golden State is 1-4. Neither Durant nor Thompson have been themselves.

Durant shot just 44-of-111 over the past five games (39.6 percent). This is well below his season field goal percentage of 50.4 percent. Durant also made just 3-of-21 3-point attempts (14.3 percent).

Meanwhile, Thompson shot 46-of-116 (39.6 percent) in the past five games. This falls well below his season average of 44.8 percent. He made just 13-of-50 from 3-point range (26 percent).

Steph is a space-creator extraordinaire. The Warriors’ offense will greatly benefit from his return.