Warriors guard ‘questionable’ for series opener.
Shielded from reporters by a blue curtain, Stephen Curry participated in his first 5-on-5 contact scrimmage in more than a month Friday afternoon.
It was yet another sign of progress for a player who hasn’t checked into a game since he sprained his left MCL in a March 23 win over Atlanta. Now, as they prepare for Game 1 of their second-round series Saturday night against New Orleans, the Warriors are eager to get Curry back in the lineup.
The two-time NBA MVP is officially listed as questionable, but circumstantial evidence suggests that he probably has more than a 50 percent chance of returning for Game 1. Curry feels no pain in his knee when working through the cuts and turns he’ll make in games. After participating in back-to-back full-contact practices with no issues, he was upgraded from a balky knee brace to a protective sleeve.
“A big part of this is how he turns up tomorrow after a night’s rest,” head coach Steve Kerr said after practice Friday. “It’s the first time he’s scrimmaged in six weeks, five weeks. It’s not as
simple as, ‘He looks good, let’s throw him out there.’ You give him a few days, and you see how he responds to that.”
After the 5-on-5 scrimmage, Curry chatted with Kerr and head trainer Chelsea Lane for 10 or so minutes, updating them on his progress. If all goes well at shoot-around Saturday morning, the Warriors hope to announce Curry’s return before Game 1’s 7:30 p.m. tip-off at Oracle Arena.
This much is certain: Golden State will continue to be cautious with Curry, who has logged only 25 total minutes since March 8 because of ankle and knee injuries.
His 51 games played this season were his fewest since a slew of right ankle sprains limited Curry’s 2011-12 season to 26. With a trip to the conference finals hanging in the balance, the Warriors would rather hold their franchise player out of another game or two to make sure he is at full strength than put him at risk of re-injury.
Golden State will play Game 2 in Oakland on Tuesday, Game 3 in New Orleans on Friday and Game 4 in New Orleans on Sunday. Odds are that if he doesn’t come back Saturday, Curry would return Tuesday. On the off chance he misses the series’ first two games, Curry would almost definitely be ready by Game 3.
It is unclear whether Curry will be on a minutes restriction when he comes back. Two years ago, when he returned from a sprained right knee in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals in Portland, Curry expected to play about 25 minutes off the bench.
However, Curry was forced to shoulder a heavier load after Shaun Livingston — the starter in his absence — was ejected in the second quarter after arguing a call and picking up two technical fouls. Curry’s NBA-record 17 points in overtime propelled the Warriors to a 132-125 win over the Trail Blazers.
“It’s part of the conversation,” Curry said of potentially being on a minutes restriction. “The hardest thing is trying to monitor minutes, build up that game experience and whatnot, and not mess up flow in the sense that guys have been in certain roles for the last 10 games of the regular season, first round of the playoffs.”
Without Curry, Golden State had little trouble with San Antonio in the first round, closing out the series in five games. However, New Orleans figures to present far more challenges.
The Pelicans boast the league’s fastest pace, a dominant big man (Anthony Davis), a capable backcourt duo ( Jrue Holiday and Rajon Rondo), and perhaps the NBA’s top midseason acquisition (Nikola Mirotic). To sweep Portland in the first round, they showcased their defensive creativity, repeatedly trapping All-Star point guard Damian Lillard with multiple defenders.
When Curry returns could dictate the course of this second-round series. The Warriors went 41-10 with him on the floor this season, but just 17-14 without him.
“When you get him on the court going through everything with us, his energy just kind of lights up the whole team,” Kevin Durant said. “To have him out there the last few days, I know it’s been great for him mentally, but for us, it’s been great to see him progress and get back to what he loves to do, which is to hoop.”