Is Steph Curry playing tonight against LA Lakers? Latest on 4-time NBA champion's status (Oct. 18)

Steph Curry will not play for the Golden State Warriors in their preseason finale against the LA Lakers on Friday. The four-time NBA champion was a late addition. to the Warriors' injury report, citing a finger injury. Curry has played four out of five game.

The Warriors have increased his minutes with every game, and that could be the case Friday if he suits up. He has yet to play regular season rotation minutes and that will likely remain the case before opening night.

The Warriors are also 5-0 in preseason, so they will hope to keep the momentum afloat in Curry's absence.

However, the two-time MVP hasn't had an efficient run, and he could've used Friday's game to find his rhythm. In four outings, Curry has managed 11.0 points but shot only 36.5, including 28.0% from 3 in 18.3 minutes per contest.

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Steph Curry aware of the hardships Warriors face in title pursuit this year

The Warriors are in a rare position compared to the previous few seasons, where they entered nearly every year as the title favorites. They are far below in those conversations this time around, and rightly so. Golden State failed to make the playoffs despite Steph Curry and veteran star Klay Thompson enjoying a healthy run.

The Warriors enter a new phase without Thompson and a legitimate second option to support Curry. The last time they were in a similar situation was in 2020-21 when they failed to make the postseason in the Covid-shortened season, losing consecutive games in the play-in tournament.

Despite the adversity, Steph Curry remains hopeful of winning a title but understands the margins are finer for the aging Warriors.

"I still love to play the game. I would love to win another championship. That would be the icing on the cake. [I] know how hard that’s going to be," Curry said in an interview on "Dubs Talk" podcast on Thursday.

The Warriors have improved marginally on the edges by bolstering their depth after Thompson departed to the Dallas Mavericks, and so did his $43.2 million salary that handicapped Golden State in the trade and free agency market.

So far, the preseason has looked good with the new additions, especially Buddy Hield, playing at an elite level and adjusting to the system.