Sophia Michaels
This NBA season just hasn’t felt the same without Stephen Curry playing for the Warriors. Golden State defeated the Magic 109-95 on Saturday night and it managed to snap a 10 game losing streak for the hapless Warriors. Injuries have brutalized the Warriors this year, with Klay Thompson sidelined for what should be the season with ACL rehab and Curry having sat out for the majority of it. Curry’s been sitting out with a broken hand and there’s been chatter outside the organization that they should shut him down, given that Golden State is 10-34 and in range for a shot at the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.
Curry, however, doesn’t seem to be planning on letting the Warriors losing impact his rehab. He wants to return this season and plans to play at some point. When that is nobody knows for certain, but as he continues to heal a date appears to be emerging. According to Marcus Thompson of The Athletic, March 1 is when the Warriors and Curry are currently targeting a return.
The question is not if Stephen Curry is coming back this season, but when. And, from what I’ve been told, you might want to clear your schedule for March 1. The Warriors host the Washington Wizards that night.
That’s not set in stone, of course. More like a target date. But expect a return by the face of the franchise before next season.
Steve Kerr confirmed earlier this year that the plan has always been to bring Curry back once he’s fully healed from his hand injury. Obviously this year isn’t going how they planned, but, theoretically, when the Warriors return to full strength next season they should be able to return to the contender status they held before. A healthy lineup of Curry, Thompson, and Draymond Green is scary even in a new and improved top half of the Western Conference.
This would be good for the Warriors and their fans to at least get some time to appreciate their star in their new San Francisco based arena at least. There’s not a ton for the team to gain in terms of record improvement by bringing Curry back this season, but there is value in giving fans something to cheer for and Curry a chance to get some in-season reps in.
Written by: Uproxx
