Golden State in a bad spot without Stephen Curry

Golden State was blown out Wednesday night in a game that could be a look into the Warriors near future.

Stephen Curry is expected to be sidelined for the next month after he suffered a shoulder injury on Dec. 14 against the Indiana Pacers. Golden State is 1-3 in its past four games since his injury. 

In the team's past two games, the Warriors have been outscored by 68 points, 275-207.

It's not surprising to see Golden State struggle without Curry. Since the 2019-20 season, when he played in only five games, the team is 25-69 (.266) in 94 games without him. He's the heart of the Warriors dynasty and the team is lifeless without him. 

On Wednesday, they lost 143-113 to the Brooklyn Nets. Their road record dropped to 3-16, worst in the NBA. Luckily, the team won't play again on the road until Jan. 13, 2023.

Golden State (15-18, 11th in Western Conference) is about to embark on an eight-game homestand, but it begins with a tough game against the Memphis Grizzlies (19-11, second in Western Conference).

The upcoming stretch of home games features five teams — the Grizzlies, Jazz, Trail Blazers, Hawks and Suns — at or above .500 as of Dec. 21. The schedule is lightened with cakewalks against Charlotte, Detroit and Orlando.

Curry is averaging 30 points, 6.6 rebounds and 6.8 assists while shooting 43.4% from three-point range this year.

He won his first Finals MVP last season, a final jewel to an already-legendary career.

It's hard to imagine the Warriors staying afloat without Curry, and if their season does fall apart, it will lead to people questioning if we've seen the last of the Golden State's golden years.

Counting Curry out is never a smart bet; a much wiser prediction is over the next month the team won't look much better than it did on Wednesday.

By the time he's ready to cook again, the kitchen may be closed.