As hopeful as Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors are about playing meaningful basketball this season, adamant that they need only a playoff ticket to make some noise, Kendrick Perkins believes they should be thinking long-term rather than trying to drag a dead horse.
With Jimmy Butler suffering a season-ending ACL tear in January and Steph Curry missing the last six games due to "runner's knee," the Warriors have fallen on tough times, losing five of their last eight games. And although they are still in eighth place in the Western Conference standings, the reality is that nobody is saying Golden State is a serious threat for the title; not without Butler and certainly not with this rejigged roster.
All that said, Perk asserted that the best course of action for the Warriors is to put Curry on the shelf for the rest of the season and cut their losses.
To be fair, the Warriors had their moments this season, especially in early January, when they won six of seven games. Curry and Butler clicked on all cylinders and looked like the team many feared late last season. However, Butler's unfortunate injury derailed their momentum, a dilemma compounded by Curry's knee troubles.
While nobody should ever count the Warriors out, Perk said it's best to protect Curry from further injury and focus on building for next season.
"Shut him down. Shut him down for the remainder of the season. Let's be real — this Warriors team is not going anywhere," Perkins asserted on the "Road Trippin'" podcast. "Shut Steph down. Let those guys play it out. See what guys fit. See what guys are hungry right now."
Although the Warriors acquired All-Star big man Kristaps Porzingis at the trade deadline, giving them a legitimate rim-protector who can also space the floor with his outside shooting, their first game with him left a lot to be desired as they got routed by the Boston Celtics .
Perk added that, instead of letting Curry shoulder a tremendous load once he returns to the lineup, they must use this time to carefully assess the roster and determine which players they will keep moving forward.
"I would let the rest of the Warriors team, outside of Steph, play this season out and audition to see who wants to be here. How do you show you want to be here? By performing at a high level," the former NBA champion bellowed. "This offseason is probably going to be one of the most important offseasons this franchise has had since Steph has been a part of it."
"Because they need to go out — Mike Dunleavy has to do his damn job — and make sure he gets the pieces so that Steph has a legitimate shot coming into next year to compete, to compete for an NBA title," he added.
There was a lot of hope that Curry would return after the All-Star break, team up with Porzingis, and try to secure an outright playoff spot instead of settling for the play-in tournament. However, that hasn't been the case, as the Warriors announced he would be re-evaluated in 10 days, meaning he'll be out for the next five games — games that could make or break their playoff run.
Despite this setback, Curry remains optimistic and determined to make a comeback.
"Feeling good. I mean, it's not going the way that I wanted it to, but I think we're in the right direction of getting back out there as fast as possible," Steph stated . "The goal is to be healthy come playoff time and be available when it matters most."
"Obviously, I'd love to be playing right now," he continued. "If you're healthy, you're able to play. I'm headed in the right direction and hopefully it won't be too much longer."
The combination of Curry, along with a healthy Butler, Draymond Green and Porzingis has the makings of a formidable playoff team. However, a little patience and time are needed as the Warriors strive to have all their stars back on the roster.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Feb 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
