SAN FRANCISCO – Nothing stirs the hearts of Golden State Warriors fans more than the sight of Stephen Curry limping. The highs of his 16 years are the four championships and moments of pageantry, but the lows are certainly the seasons destroyed by his anterior talofibular ligaments.

The groans at Chase Center last Sunday night, as Curry limped across the court in the third quarter before making his way to his seat on the bench, gave voice to the rumbling stomachs of triggered Warriors fans. The same sudden fear was evident in Curry as well. His defiant limp declared, “Oh no. Don’t do this to me now!” as he tried to take the pain away.

Curry hates getting hurt. But what added insult to injury for his wounded pride was how crucial the start of this season is for the Warriors. It went so smoothly. The good chemistry started in training camp in Hawaii and culminated in a productive preseason. Two big wins early in the season, in Portland and Utah, created an impeccable atmosphere in Golden State.

After speaking with an athletic trainer, Curry himself worked on the left ankle with a resistance band while sitting on the bench. He checked back in and 13 seconds later he limped straight to the locker room after rolling his ankle again. This time he limped straight to the locker room.

It ruined the Warriors’ home opener. They battled the athletic and scrappy Los Angeles Clippers all night long. With the reigning Clutch Player of the Year in the locker room for the final stretch, the Warriors couldn’t score enough and lost 112-104.

So now we see the Warriors’ depth. If the vibrations can hold the fort.

The bench was worked pretty well on Sunday. Anyone who played for more than a minute was a liability on the pitch. The three-point shooting gave them away: 4-of-16 deep in the fourth quarter and 14-of-43 overall. The formula that led to a plus-77 scoring margin in the first two games made for a dud in the home opener.

Much of the conversation focused on coach Steve Kerr’s 12-man rotation. The hard part about having so many players worth playing time is parsing the minutes. Kyle Anderson was the odd man out this evening.

“I only went to Kyle for four minutes,” Kerr said, “and he was great on the bench in the second half, directing everyone and talking to guys. That’s what you need if you’re going to do this and play against a lot of people. Everyone must be on board. I couldn’t have been more impressed with Kyle’s professionalism.”

In a way, this is what the Warriors had planned for this season. The loss of Klay Thompson, and the swings and misses of replacing him, prompted general manager Mike Dunleavy to return the Warriors to their “Strength In Numbers” roots. They stocked up on veterans and wings. They improved their versatility and addressed some of their salient issues in committee. They are prepared for guys to miss games.

Of course, losing Curry in Game 3 of the season, and for what could be an extended period, is like a first-week midterm exam.

“He’s doing well,” Kerr said. “I think he used the word mild or moderate. He’s obviously sprained that ankle before, so he doesn’t mind it that much. But it is clearly a concern.”

The results of the MRI he performed on Sunday evening will reveal the severity of this sprain. But we already know that Rick Celebrini, the Warriors’ vice president of player health and performance, tends to err on the side of caution.

It’s probably safe to assume Curry will miss Tuesday and Wednesday’s home game against New Orleans. A week off would put him back in Washington on Monday, a three-game absence.

Stephen Curry limps to the locker room after suffering an ankle injury. (Kavin Mistry/Getty Images)

It’s all speculation at this point. But after a decade and a half with Curry, you can make a hypothesis based on his reaction. The fact that he tried to keep playing, and the coaches allowed him to do so, felt like a good sign. His phantom sprain when he came back – that’s what he always called it when he rolled it without contact – was a sign that he needed some rest.

It may be sooner than expected, but this was always coming. The Warriors were counting on it. They preach patience because they know an 82-game season comes with these setbacks.

The biggest opportunities are for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield.

Kuminga made only ten shots in his 22 minutes. Even with the revamped roster, he still looks like an accomplice in attack rather than the focus. He went 1-for-6 from 3, settling for jumpers in the Warriors’ space-compromised lineups. No Curry could force the Warriors to go small to generate offense. They can’t afford to put three non-shooters on the court when one of the other two isn’t the best ever.

Draymond Green starting at center also brings out a big man and theoretically gives Kuminga room to operate.

Hield would make sense as a starter. Despite his 3-for-14 shooting night on Sunday, including 1-for-9 from 3, he is clearly vital to the Warriors offense. The Clippers, making sure to notice Hield going 12-for-16 from 3 in the first two games, paid special attention to him when he came off the bench. Golden State needs the space and gravity of their best shooter around.

Will Kerr start DeAnthony Melton at point guard or Brandin Podziemski? The latter better suits the pace they want to play. But Podz is also 1-for-14 from 3-point range, so if Green will be the de facto point guard, Melton makes more sense as a spot-up shooter.

Either way, they need to play as much inspired basketball as they need to win. Curry, if he’s right about the mildness of the sprain, shouldn’t be out long enough to ruin the season. So this should be the first quality control test of the Warriors’ grand plan.

If they are sloppy, if the camaraderie is real, if the depth is valid, it will show up while Curry is away.

That happened on Sunday evening towards the end of the game. With Curry out and trailing by 13 points, the Warriors started chipping away. Kevon Looney and Andrew Wiggins led the charge. The Clippers only scored twelve points in the final six minutes.

Looney got a steal and a fast-break layup to cut the Clippers’ lead to 101-95. After a Looney layup, Wiggins hit a 3-pointer to cut the Warriors’ deficit to a point.

It wasn’t enough to win. But it was enough to make the atmosphere believable.

“I loved our fight,” Kerr said. ‘I thought Loon came in and lit a fire under us. I thought this was the first time all night that we were really competing on both sides.

GO DEEPER

Steph Curry sprains left ankle vs. Clippers

(Top photo of Stephen Curry grimacing during Sunday’s game: Kavin Mistry/Getty Images)