Editor's note: Grant Liffmann (@grantliffmann) is the co-host of Warriors Outsiders, which airs on NBC Sports Bay Area 60 minutes after every game. Each week, Grant will drop his Outsider Observation on the state of the Dubs.
The nightmare scenario for the Warriors has happened: Steph Curry went down with a broken left hand in Wednesday night's game against the Suns.
For a team that was coming into the season short on roster depth -- and then bitten by the injury bug over the last month -- Curry's injury is the coup de grâce. D'Angelo Russell now will be given the keys to the Warriors' offense to try to keep the team afloat. Steve Kerr will have to change his offensive strategy to fit Russell's game without Curry, and will try to utilize the limited weaponry the roster employs.
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Besides Russell, here are three other players that might be impacted most by Steph's injury:
Jordan Poole
If the youth movement already was starting to take place before, it is in full effect now. There are so many ripple effects that come with Curry's injury, but most importantly, the Warriors will emphasize developing their rookies.
Poole was a surprise starter in New Orleans in the Dubs' third game, but went back to the bench against Phoenix. With the starting lineup in need of some shooting to space the floor for Russell, Poole probably will be called upon to start some games.
Golden State Warriors
Fellow rookie Eric Paschall recently said that Poole not only is a great scorer, but also an impressive ball distributor. Poole has not shown much of that side of his game yet, as his role has been to be a spot-up shooter. Now that Curry is out, the Warriors will be in need of creators on offense, and Poole will be the first man up.
Ky Bowman
The two-way rookie has just been thrust into a spotlight most people did not expect. One thing is for certain: He will not be playing much in Santa Cruz anytime soon.
The talk of the summer was the Warriors grooming Jacob Evans III to be the "new Shaun Livingston." The timing of Curry's injury could not be worse, however, now that Evans is sidelined for at least the next three weeks due to injury.
During Curry's absence, however long it may be, the Warriors will be reliant on Bowman to fill the backup point guard duties. As an understudy to Russell, Bowman most likely will man the end of the first quarter, middle of the second quarter, end of the third, and middle of the fourth. It would be unfair to expect too much of Bowman, but the Warriors hope he can, at the very least, push the tempo of the offense, distribute the ball without turning it over and play aggressive defense.
Kerr got a glimpse of Bowman's ability in last night's loss to the Suns, as Ky finished with 10 points, three steals and a plus-17 mark in the plus/minus in 12 minutes on the court.
[RELATED: Lacob still sees 'silver lining' in Steph breaking his hand]
Damion Lee
After an explosion of 23 points and 11 rebounds in New Orleans, Lee assuredly has secured some more playing time. With Curry's absence, Lee now will be needed on an every-night basis to do what he does best: Shoot from deep.
In his limited NBA career, Lee has proven to be an efficient and effective three-point shooter. His ability to rebound the ball is an added bonus out of the guard/forward position. To give Russell the proper weapons for pick and rolls, Lee's shooting skills will be necessary. The return of Alec Burks could take away some minutes that Lee was destined for, but given Russell's skill set, there can never be enough shooters and floor spacers.