Five biggest takeaways from Stephen Curry’s 11-game absence

DETROIT — To understand just how much Stephen Curry means to the Warriors, one needs only to see how they look without him.

Golden State opened the season 10-2, only to go 5-6 after Curry sustained a strained left groin in its Nov. 8 loss to Milwaukee. An offense that subsists on Curry’s playmaking and unrivaled shooting range became reliant on Kevin Durant in isolation situations. After losing four games in a row for the first time since Feb. 26-March 2, 2013, the Warriors needed the best three-game stretch of Durant’s career to snap out of their funk.

Though Golden State missed Curry, it also appreciated the opportunity his absence gave other players.