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Curry is back, ready to remind NBA what the Warriors can do
SAN FRANCISCO >> It’s been 539 days since Stephen Curry played in a game of consequence.
The last time he stepped onto a court, in March, it was to test his surgically-repaired hand in a meaningless game after the Warriors were already eliminated from the playoffs. Even at the start of the 2019-20 season, there was an understanding that the Warriors were embarking on a rebuilding year. It hasn’t been since Game 6 of the 2019 Finals, nearly 18 months ago, that what Curry did impacted the NBA. And he knows it.
“Watching the bubble was weird,” Curry said in his media day news conference Wednesday. “It was nice to be a fan for a little bit, but I definitely want to be playing competitive basketball and in games that matter.”
During the nine months since the end of last season, Curry celebrated his 32nd birthday, interviewed the country’s lead expert on infectious diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, appeared virtually at the Democratic National Convention, watched the Lakers win the championship, played golf with Phil Mickelson and launched his own brand with Under Armour. All the while, he continued to
strengthen his left hand and stayed in shape, ready for when he’d have a chance to reclaim his spot at basketball’s center stage.
That wait is almost over. On Dec. 22, Curry and the Warriors will tip off the 2020-21 NBA season against the Nets in Brooklyn. A few days later, they will again occupy the marquee against the Bucks on Christmas Day. Curry still demands eyeballs and expectations, despite the Warriors stumbling to a league-worst 1550 record last season and losing Klay Thompson for a second straight season.
But first there’s the matter of his time away. Curry has played in only five real games in 17 months, and right out of the gate he’s going to share the court with former teammate Kevin Durant and reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. When the NBA shut down in March, Curry was still working his way into game shape after having missed most of the season following hand surgery.
Curry conducted home workouts with his trainer via video conference, with gyms and facilities closed because of the pandemic. As restrictions eased, he started playing in scrimmages that culminated in 5-on-5 workouts with teammates last month.
“It was good to kind of shake the cobwebs off and not wait until December to get competitive live action before playing regular season games,” Curry said.
Training camp started Wednesday with individual workouts, and group workouts will begin next week.
Even though he’s had ample time to prepare for his comeback season, Curry like many others was surprised when the league rushed to start the condensed schedule in December instead of waiting until next year. He’ll have to conduct business without Thompson, who is expected to miss the season with a torn Achilles’ tendon he suffered in a workout in Los Angeles.
Also factoring into Curry and the Warriors’ chances of ascending to the top of the league is new competition. Since the Warriors fell to the Raptors in the 2019 Finals, the Lakers and Clippers have risen as contenders and the Nuggets have blossomed into a perennial threat in the West. Curry returns at the tail end of his prime while Luka Doncic of the Mavericks and Zion Williamson of the Pelicans are ascending into theirs.
If the Warriors were healthy, they’d be a title favorite. Few other players, if any, can impact the game the way Curry does with his long-range shooting. Thompson, along with Curry and Draymond Green would have led an experienced and deep team. But Thompson’s injury puts the Warriors’ title hopes on hold for another year.
The playoffs remain a realistic goal. Golden State deserves credit for what it’s assembled in the wake of Thompson’s setback and since losing core pieces in Durant, Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston last summer. In the starting lineup, Curry will be flanked by length and athleticism. Kelly Oubre Jr. and Andrew Wiggins, each 6-foot-7, will hound opponents on defense and slash to the basket on offense. The Warriors signed Kent Bazemore and Brad Wanamaker, reliable veterans, to round out the rotation. Second overall pick James Wiseman will join a cluster of centers along with Marquese Chriss and Kevon Looney whom Steve Kerr can call upon in most matchups.
Though it’s hard to call Golden State a winner this offseason, the Warriors should be firmly in the mix with Portland, Utah, Dallas, Phoenix and Houston (though that could change if the Rockets trade James Harden) for playoff seeding.
Still, there’s a sizable gap between the Warriors and the Lakers, Clippers and Nuggets that not even Curry, a two-time MVP, can close. Without Thompson, the Warriors are short on shooting. It’s been two seasons since Green has shot 30% or better from beyond the arc, and Oubre and Wiggins are at best average 3-point shooters.
The Warriors will try to create easy offense through turnovers and transition opportunities, but the halfcourt offense could be a grind. Defensively, there’s much work to be done in this pandemic- impacted training camp to transform the fifth-worst defense to top-10 status.
As Curry gears up, the Warriors don’t have time to waste if they want to maximize his championship window. Another gap year is not an option, and if Thompson can’t rediscover his pre-injury status next year, a winnow move may need to be made. But first, Curry needs to guide the Warriors back to their winning ways. The NBA schedule doesn’t provide a reprieve. After three quick exhibitions, the season begins with blockbuster matchups against bona fide title contenders on the road.
“I have to figure out what we’re going to do in Milwaukee for Christmas,” Curry said with a grin. “But other than that, it’s going to be pretty awesome just to be playing basketball again. I’m excited. It’s going to be here before you know it.”