The best team in the NBA has etched out its current 28-7 record without its leader over the course of the past 10 games. Stephen Curry has been sidelined for just under 3 weeks now and in that span, the rest of the Golden State Warriors have held down the fort, posting a stellar 9-1 record.
Now as Curry’s ankle inches towards being 100 percent, the star guard’s return sits right around the corner. Head coach Steve Kerr said while he doesn’t expect Curry to be active for tonight’s matchup against the Charlotte Hornets, Saturday vs. the Memphis Grizzlies is the likelier return date. Following from ESPN’s Chris Haynes:
“I doubt he’ll play tomorrow with a back-to-back,” coach Steve Kerr said after practice Thursday. “I don’t think it would make much sense, but I think he’s probably going to want to. But it’s more likely he plays Saturday. If all goes well, I expect him to play Saturday, but even if it goes well, I’m not expecting him to play tomorrow.”
Though the Warriors have fared well without Stephen Curry, including a huge win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Christmas Day, they should be ecstatic to be getting their point guard back. His absence may not have shown in the win-loss column, but the Warriors have ranked 13th offensively without Curry, a far-cry from their usual juggernaut of an offense.
With Curry out of the equation, teammate Kevin Durant has been thrust into the MVP conversation but it remains to be seen whether he can keep up his pace upon the guard’s return. A combination of Patrick McCaw, Shaun Livingston, and even Quinn Cook have done a serviceable job filling in at point guard but they should all see their minutes dwindle when Curry re-enters the lineup, with the exception of Livingston.
