The Golden State Warriors are set to take on the Denver Nuggets on the second night of the NBA Cup, but this time, they’ll be without offensive dynamo and franchise superstar Stephen Curry. Since the matchup against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, the point guard has been dealing with an illness, which forced him to sit out the team’s game against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, a game the Warriors ultimately lost. Now, head coach Steve Kerr has spoken up amid the team’s upcoming challenges.

Kerr, calling in on Willard and Dibs, spoke on Curry’s status. “He’s unlikely to play tomorrow in Denver,” he said, confirming the team’s injury report. “He’s still pretty sick. But these things happen during the season, whether it’s an injury or an illness… You have to rely on your fundamentals and your decision-making.” It was a reminder to the team, too: you can’t rely solely on Steph to get into a rhythm.

Kerr continued, pointing to the team’s previous performances without Curry. “Last year, if I’m not mistaken, we were like 7-5 without Steph. You got to do that. You have to be able to find ways to win without your best players.” In the Warriors’ last Curry-less matchup, they trotted out a lineup composed of the team’s key young players, as they were without Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler as well.

However, they turned the ball over more than the Kings, and fouled eight more times, leading to the Warriors falling behind in a close loss despite strong performances from Jonathan Kuminga, Will Richard, and Moses Moody.

Kerr also highlighted some of Golden State‘s issues, saying, “Last night was a great lesson for our young guys. They gave themselves every chance to win because they played hard, they shared the ball, they competed. But we got to be uh more solid. We cannot turn the ball over with careless decision making and trying to make plays that aren’t there and expect to win.”

His comment was aimed at the young rotation players still learning the difference between creativity and chaos. His reflections clearly signaled a call for accountability.

Before their homestand against the Suns, Golden State had lost two straight games on a road trip, first in Milwaukee and then in Indiana to shorthanded squads. In both games, Curry didn’t maintain his trademark efficiency, committing five turnovers that highlighted the effect of the illness. Now, the team will have to tighten up if they wish to remain competitive.

Stephen Curry’s Push Through Illness Highlights Grueling Warriors Schedule

Stephen Curry had to push through his illness to close the game out against the Phoenix Suns, when the Warriors stalled a fourth-quarter comeback from the Suns to come out on top.

The inefficient 28-point outing clearly took a lot out of the 4x champ, and after the game, the effect on him was apparent. “We’ve only had one [conversation about it],” he said when asked about discussions on rest, sniffling between words. “A lot of it is kind of the standard — understanding how the schedule’s going, how we’re feeling physically, mentally.” It was an acknowledgment: even for the league’s most conditioned stars, the early grind is punishingly hard.

Curry also explained how the team uses new technology to monitor the load on the players. “Some of the data that they’re pulling from games and how we’re moving, the speed of the game, and all that type of stuff… But it’s not rocket science, really. It’s just if you’re able to play, play.”

He was clear that the team still wanted to compete, but his body just wasn’t ready. He also spoke on the team’s schedule, calling it “dense”; the Warriors are set to play 15 games in just 26 days to start this season.

Despite this, Curry pointed to the team’s tenacity, referencing Jimmy Butler’s attempt to play through back soreness. “If something pops up, a sickness or something… You want to be cautious,” he said. “But we’re trying to build momentum.”

As the Warriors take on the Denver Nuggets for the second time this season on Friday, we’ll see if the young core can keep their leader’s words in mind.