USA TODAY International Edition
Awaiting update on Curry, Warriors sign Cook
Of all the unexpected twists and turns that have unfolded in this NBA season, this one might top them all: The Warriors will start the playoffs with a former G-Leaguer at their starting point guard spot.
Such is life when two-time MVP Stephen Curry can’t stay healthy.
Golden State on Tuesday agreed to a fully guaranteed deal through next season with Quinn Cook, a 25-year-old out of Duke who took advantage of this past month after spending most of the season with the Santa Cruz Warriors while on a two-way contract.
Yet while Cook deserves all sorts of praise for his recent play — he’s averaging 17.5 points, 4.9 assists and 4.1 rebounds since March 13 — his emergence underscores the reality that this is, well, a hoops emergency for the defending champions.
Curry has been out since March 23, when he suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain against the Hawks and thus made this super team significantly more vulnerable. He is set to be re-evaluated Saturday, and it’s none too soon for his team that has lost five of nine games since he went down. Yet while coach Steve Kerr has said that Curry won’t be available for the first round of the playoffs, there’s a never-say-never component to this situation that is worth remembering.
Even with Curry’s cautionary tale from two years ago, when his Grade 1 MCL sprain in the playoffs slowed him until the ill-fated Finals end against the Cavaliers, he has made it clear he wants to prove Kerr wrong and return sooner than expected. Then on Sunday, Curry gave the kind of rosy update from a courtside seat in Phoenix that makes you wonder what might happen next.
“I haven’t had any setbacks,” Curry told the team’s broadcasters during an in-game segment. “So that’s the positive, every day has been something good, advancing the rehab process. I’m looking forward to hopefully making more progress as we look towards the playoffs.
“It’s been an interesting two weeks so far. Just trying to get some rhythm, some strength back, some flexibility, range of motion, all that type of stuff.”
Anyone who has seen Curry work the past few days can tell he has a way to go. Before Saturday’s home game against the Pelicans, for example, he moved gingerly while working with team trainer Chelsea Lane. Before the game against the Suns, videos surfaced of Curry shooting.
Still, the stakes are high. And no matter how impressed Curry might be with Cook, he’d love nothing more than to be back in his starting spot.
“It’s been amazing,” Curry said of Cook on the broadcast. “It’s really what our team’s about, the next man up type of mentality and everybody having an opportunity. And he has been around the block. He played amazing in the G League this year, put up some amazing numbers. And for him to be able to step in like he has and play with confidence (is rare).”
Cook’s new contract was a necessary move for him to take part in the playoffs because two-way players can’t be active on the playoff roster. Veteran forward Omri Casspi, who signed with the Warriors last summer and was struggling to return from an ankle injury, was cut Monday to make room for Cook.