Bruce Fraser: Assistant coach says Curry “antsy” to return.
As part of his post-practice routine, Stephen Curry hoists 100 three-pointers.
After watching Curry slog through a rigorous 30-minute workout Tuesday, Warriors player-development coach Bruce Fraser figured the twotime MVP wouldn’t be as efficient as normal from beyond the arc. Curry was still recovering from a sprained right ankle that has sidelined him for three weeks.
But there he was, draining 94 of 100 three-pointers — only two shy of his personal record. Now, as Curry hopes to return Saturday against Memphis, Fraser points to that postpractice session as a sign that the four-time All Star is rounding back into form.
“If you’re just asking if his ankle and his body are flowing well when he’s shooting, the answer’s yes,” Fraser said. “He made 94 out of 100 (three-point tries). You’ve got to be feeling better, right? You can’t do that on one leg.”
Curry hasn’t been available to media since talking after he sprained his ankle Dec. 4 in New Orleans. Perhaps no one in the organization has a better pulse on how Curry has handled his first extended regularseason absence in five years than Fraser, who has grown close with Curry over the three-plus seasons they’ve worked together.
After shoot-around Friday, The Chronicle caught up with Fraser about Curry’s rehab. Here is an edited transcript of the conversation:
On how Curry has dealt with
the time off: “He’s been antsy to get back. It killed him not to play on Christmas. I think the whole thing’s been disappointing, just with the way he got injured. It was on a play he probably didn’t need to make, and it’s been unfortunate. … I think he’s ready to get back and start playing. He looks good. The talk is that he’s going to play tomorrow. I’m guessing he will, but that hasn’t been decided.” On whether Curry understands why the Warriors have been so cautious with him: “Oh, yeah. He understands his body. I think he’s realistic. He’s mature now. I don’t know how many years he’s played, but he knows his body. He knows how it all works. He was really hoping to play on Christmas Day. But once he knew he couldn’t, he knew what was best for him. No reason to rush.”
On whether a Christmas Day return was initially Curry’s
goal when he got injured: “I think so. He didn’t say that out loud, so I can’t quote him, but I know how he is. He loves those big games. … His whole family was in town. (He) wanted to play. I think that was a disappointment for him when he realized he couldn’t play that day, but he wasn’t like upset or anything. … He just wanted to get back as soon as he could while being honest with who he was. He knows his own game. He knows what’s happening. He’s been honest with how that is for him. Obviously, they’re cautious, but I wouldn’t say it’s an overly cautious thing. I just think it’s being smart. He knows himself. They’ve been very smart about how they go about things. (Team trainer) Chelsea (Lane) knows him really well right now after being with him for a few years.”
On whether he’s seeing the benefits of Curry taking
time off: “That’d be the glasshalf-full answer. I would say that’s actually an honest take on it. He’s in a good mood, and he seems rested. That’s good, right? It’s really hard to say, ‘Do I see the benefits already?’ He hasn’t played, and he has such a good, fun personality, anyway. He’s always pretty upbeat, right? I would say that this rest is not bad for him. Is he going to be a little rusty when he comes back? Possibly. Is he going to be moving as well as he was? Probably not right away. He did make 94 out of 100 threes two days ago.
“I would say for him, that’s a really good number. I’m not saying that’s his best. Ninetysix is his best ever. But 94 basically shows you that he’s in a good rhythm. He’s shooting well. You can’t say, ‘Oh, he should be back because he shot a 94.’ You can’t say that. He has to go up and down. There’s stamina involved. There’s force and exertion on his ankle. Those things that exist in a game don’t exist in spot shooting. … He’s been doing more stuff that pushed his wind a little bit — more running, more movement than normal in the season. The workouts have been more geared toward being able to get him back to being in shape and being able to move with no pain. Pain’s always been that threshold. He was able to move really freely that day, with very little pain. At the end, I thought he was going to be tired, and he made 94 out of 100. It was a pretty good workout.”