Steph Curry is "optimistic" he'll be back from his sprained left foot in time for the NBA playoffs, which begin April. 16.
Curry's confidence is enough for former Warriors teammates and current front office member Zaza Pachulia to believe the two-time MVP will be good to go for the Warriors' championship push.
"It's an unfortunate moment," Pachulia told 95.7 The Game's "The Morning Roast" on Tuesday. "But at the same time, I think we have been there. Even when we won the back-to-back championships, first year [we were without] Steph, and then it was KD, or vice-versa, we missed those guys throughout the end of the regular season, they came back for the playoffs.
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"Remember with both Steph and KD; when they came back, it was like they never left. Because they are professionals and the amount of time and effort and energy they put in during the time they are injured, it makes me confident -- especially hearing from [Steph] that he'll be back soon.
"I trust Steph. He's not a rookie. He's not a kid. He is very experienced. He's a veteran player. He knows what he is doing. He has been there before. He has done it. So I think it's very, very important for us to trust Steph's experience. I'm very confident because he is confident that he is going to come back."
Curry was injured during the Warriors' loss to the Boston Celtics on March 16 when Marcus Smart dove for a loose ball and rolled into his leg. Curry exited the game in the second quarter and did not return. The Warriors diagnosed Curry with a sprained ligament in his left foot and said he would be re-evaluated in two weeks.
On Sunday, before the Warriors' loss to the San Antonio Spurs, Curry spoke to the media and expressed the belief he won't be out for too long.
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"I'm an optimist, so yeah," Curry said Sunday when asked if he would be back for the start of the playoffs.
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With 11 games remaining in the regular season, the Warriors have to find a way to show they can survive without Curry and hold on to the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.
The Warriors are just 2-5 on the year without Curry and enter Tuesday night's game against the cellar-dwelling Orlando Magic just two-and-a-half games up on the No. 4-seeded Utah Jazz. The Warriors will face the Jazz at Chase Center on April 2.
The Warriors have said all season long that all that matters is that they arrive at the playoffs healthy. Curry is confident he can return in time to make Golden State whole for the postseason, and Pachulia sees no reason to doubt the superstar's belief.