The Golden State Warriors fans have anxiously been awaiting an update on Stephen Curry amid a mounting injury crisis. Curry has not returned to the court since re-aggravating his knee injury on Jan. 31. While there was some hope that the four-time champion would be able to play in the Warriors’ final stretch of regular season games, it now appears that won’t be the case.
According to coach Steve Kerr, it seems we may have already seen the last of Steph Curry this season. Speaking on Bay Area sports-talk radio 95.7 The Game, Kerr provided a fresh update on Curry’s status moving forward.
“Today is a good day to just reassure our listeners that if we don’t feel good about it, then he’s [Steph Curry] not gonna play,” Kerr said. “We’re not pushing him into anything if things aren’t really clear. Rick [Celebrini] has been really adamant about that and very open with me and Mike [Dunleavy] over the last week.”
Kerr also hinted that there is still a slight chance Curry could return, assuming the Warriors secure their playoff position without him.
“We’re down to 10 games left, and if there’s anything that’s a concern whatsoever, then that takes precedence. That takes priority.”
When Curry initially suffered the injury, the guard was expected to return after the All-Star break while working through the ailment. Given that isn’t happening this time, it suggests the injury could either be worse than before or that the medical team is being extra cautious to ensure it doesn’t become a lingering problem.
However, if Curry heals in time, it sounds like the coaching staff would be willing to take a risk based on how the team performs over the remaining ten games. The Warriors are 7-15 without him in the lineup and will look to pick up another win on Wednesday against the Brooklyn Nets. Curry averaged 27.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 39 games this season.
Time Running Out for Steph Curry-less Warriors to Lock in a Play-In Spot
Golden State has been hampered by injuries throughout the season, with Jimmy Butler, Steph Curry and Seth Curry all missing significant time. But where the team has been most affected is on the offensive end. On Monday, they lost another guard, Moses Moody, indefinitely after he suffered a season-ending knee injury.
With time running out in the season, the list of healthy starters has been trimmed down to De’Anthony Melton, Draymond Green, Gary Payton II and Brandin Podziemski.
The Warriors are 1.5 games behind the ninth-place Portland Trail Blazers and 2.0 games behind the eighth-place LA Clippers for the final play-in spot. With 10 games remaining in the regular season, winning enough to climb back into the eighth seed or higher will be a challenge. If a Curry-less roster can still steer this team into the playoffs under these difficult circumstances, it would be a remarkable achievement. It hasn’t been the best year for Golden State, but it would still be nice for the team to finish the season on a strong note.
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
