Curry’s return delayed, still on track for March
Team taking ‘extra precaution’ with its All-Star guard
PHOENIX — Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry will not return Sunday from a broken bone in his left hand that has sidelined him since late October.
Curry had been targeting Sunday’s game against the Wizards in San Francisco for his return. But after Curry got evaluated by team trainers, the team announced Saturday that he “remains on schedule for a return to play at some point in March.”
Curry, who has recently participated in two light scrimmages, will practice with the Santa Cruz Warriors on Monday. Golden State head coach Steve Kerr said Curry will not return for Tuesday’s game in Denver. Depending on how he looks in Monday’s practice, he could return for Thursday’s game against Toronto.
Curry experienced nerve damage when he broke a bone in his left hand Oct. 30 against Phoenix, which has resulted in numbness and a tingling sensation. This likely won’t go away, and Curry is still getting used to how different his left hand feels than his right.
However, the Warriors’ decision to keep Curry out was solely so he could continue to get into game shape.
“The hand is ready,” Kerr said. “That hand is healed and strong, and that’s been the case for the last week, but he’s been limited to two scrimmages. Both scrimmages included some random people we just found on the street and — with all due respect to Klay Thompson’s pals, and our assistant coaches and training staff — we needed a higher level of scrimmage for Steph to be a part of.
“And the Santa Cruz option is perfect dealing with a group of guys who are in the middle of their season, toward the end of their season, playing at a high level. This is a much better gauge for him, a much better feel for him. I liken it to a baseball player just playing a simulated game in the minor leagues. It’s a much better step of preparation than what we’ve been able to do.”
Kerr added that Curry wasn’t thrilled about the team’s decision to have him sit out at least three more games. But after arguing his case to play Sunday against the Wizards, Curry relented and is hopeful he’ll return Thursday against the Raptors.
“He put up a little bit of a fight, but also understood why we wanted to take extra precaution,” Kerr said. “So, he’s OK with it.”
If Curry returns Thursday, he’ll have up to 20 games to get into a rhythm entering the offseason. Though Curry’s return could hurt the Warriors’ chances of landing the top pick in June’s NBA draft, they have long been adamant that he’d come back when he’s healthy enough.
Playing the last month-plus of the season would give him a chance to build some cohesion with a handful of newcomers expected to be in the 2020-21 rotation.
There is also the fact that, after injuries derailed its first season at Chase Center, Golden State wants to treat its fans to the spectacle that is Curry’s brilliance.