Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry will finally be back on the court tonight for the first time since October 30th, when he suffered a broken left hand during the team's fourth game of the season. That said, fans shouldn't expect to see Curry at his full workload upon his return in the NBA Finals rematch.
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Ahead of Thursday night's matchup at the Chase Center, which will air on TNT at 10:30pm ET, head coach Steve Kerr revealed that the two-time MVP will be limited to roughly 25 minutes over the course of four or five short bursts.
“I’m just kind of looking at it as if this were the end of training camp and he’s just starting the season,” Kerr said on KNBR (H/T NBC Sports). “So, it’s mainly about minutes now. We’ll play him in shorter bursts tomorrow, probably five- or six-minute bursts. I imagine we’ll keep him around 25 minutes.”
That said, Kerr intends to have Curry at his usual 32-to-34 minutes per night over the final few weeks of the regular season.
Even with the six-time All Star returning for the final 20 games, the Warriors will still have a strong chance of finishing among the bottom three teams in the league, which would give them a 52.1% chance of securing a Top 4 pick and a 14% chance of landing the No. 1 overall selection.
With than in mind, Warriors coach Steve Kerr recently explained why it's just as important for Curry to get back on the court alongside his young teammates, specifically the newly acquired Andrew Wiggins. Says Kerr, according to ESPN's Nick Friedell:
"It will be good for our young guys to feel what it’s like to play with him and vice versa. Steph needs to get to know these guys, too … it’s a big part of the final third of the season is everybody playing together, acclimating together, with the trade for Andrew [Wiggins], the young guys, Steph coming back, these games matter.”
For his career, the three-time NBA champ boasts career averages of 23.5 points, 6.6 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game.
Warriors’ Steph Curry Return Date Announced
Two-time NBA MVP Steph Curry is officially scheduled to make his return on Sunday, March 1st against the Washington Wizards.
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry is officially scheduled to make his return this Sunday, March 1st when the Warriors host the Washington Wizards at the Chase Center. Curry has not played since he suffered a broken left hand during the team's fourth game of the season back on October 30th.
There were rumblings that the two-time MVP could miss the entire season, in an effort to help Golden State secure one of the top draft picks, but he has always been targeting a return on March 1st. According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, that will indeed be the case.
As it stands, the Golden State Warriors have the worst record in the NBA at 12-45, which is four games behind the league's next worst team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Even with Curry returning for the final 21 games, the Warriors will still have a strong chance of finishing among the bottom three teams in the league, which would give them a 52.1% chance of securing a Top 4 pick and a 14% chance of landing the No. 1 overall selection.
With than in mind, Warriors coach Steve Kerr recently explained why it's just as important for Curry to get back on the court alongside his young teammates, specifically the newly acquired Andrew Wiggins. Says Kerr, according to ESPN's Nick Friedell:
"It will be good for our young guys to feel what it’s like to play with him and vice versa. Steph needs to get to know these guys, too … it’s a big part of the final third of the season is everybody playing together, acclimating together, with the trade for Andrew [Wiggins], the young guys, Steph coming back, these games matter.”
For his career, the three-time NBA champ boasts career averages of 23.5 points, 6.6 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game.
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Steph Curry’s Targeted Return Date Revealed
Curry reportedly eyeing a return on March 1st.
Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry is reportedly plotting his return to the court just after the NBA's All Star break, despite the fact the team's playoff odds are bleak. According to The Athletic's Marcus Thompson II, Curry is targeting Golden State's March 1st home game against the Washington Wizards for his return to action.
The two-time MVP appeared in just four games this season before suffering a broken left hand. There were rumors that Curry would opt to sit out the remainder of the year as the Warriors' season continued to slip away, but it no longer looks like that will be the case.
Curry, who underwent a second surgery on his broken hand on November 1st, just recently returned to practice.
"Rehab is going great, every day is tough,” Curry said Saturday during Golden State's victory over Orlando. “When you're hurt, and we've all been there in some way shape or form, its a grind, every day kind of being monotonous with the little strength workouts you have to do, and you understanding that it takes time and patience to get back to 100 percent.”
The Warriors currently hold the worst record in the NBA at 10-34. For those scoring at home, that puts them 11 games back of the Memphis Grizzlies for the eighth seed in the Western Conference. Up next for the Curry-less Warriors is a Monday night road game in Portland, which will air on TNT at 10pm ET.
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