Warriors fans received tough news last Sunday when head coach Steve Kerr announced that star point guard Steph Curry is “not going to play anytime soon.”

Curry has been out with a Grade 2 left MCL sprain since March 23 – right after he returned from his ankle injury earlier in the season. He has only played in 51 games all year due to being plagued with injuries. To make it worse, everyone was expecting Curry to return come the second round of playoffs, yet here they are and he is still not 100 percent. Kerr said that Curry “still has a few limitations.” He is still participating in modified practices.

What this looks like for the Warriors: going up against Anthony Davis and the Pelicans without a solid foundation. Kevin Durant will need to take charge against a strong offense that is coming off a clean sweep of the Trailblazers in the first round. However, without Curry, it is hard to see Golden State producing the same numbers in later rounds. Andre Iguodala is currently starting in the point guard position until Curry’s return.

Speculations have surfaced that Curry may, in fact, return earlier than Kerr suggested. Today marks five weeks since his knee injury – one that usually takes three to six weeks to recover from. With the second round starting tomorrow, Curry may only have to miss one or two games. He is set to be reevaluated today. Yesterday, he practiced full out with the team and is labeled as questionable for Game 1.

With that being said, even if Curry returns ahead of schedule, the Pelicans will be their hardest competition yet. With a surprising bulldozing of three-seeded Portland, they have the momentum they need to defeat a weakened Warriors staff. Rajon Rondo and Jrue Holiday generously contributed to their recent boost of success that landed them a spot in the playoffs in the first place. Their explosive offense may be the recipe for success against a Warriors team that knows how to score. But, with one of – if not the best – defenses in the playoffs this year, Golden State may prove to be too hard of a task for Davis and New Orleans. Warriors’ reserved big guys like JaVale McGee, Zaza Pachulia, Kevon Looney and David West have shown they can hold their own against a sharp offense.

Now, all Warriors fans can do is hope that Kerr was wrong in his prediction and that Curry will be able to play early into the second round.