SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Coach Steve Kerr still believes Stephen Curry could return to the Golden State Warriors before the regular season ends after missing two months with a right knee injury.
“Sure, yeah, absolutely,” Kerr said Tuesday, when Curry participated in a full practice on his troublesome knee and did 5-on-5 scrimmaging but it was a light session for the team returning from a road trip.
The 38-year-old Curry won't play in a home game Wednesday
night against San Antonio and isn't expected to return in the back-to-back Thursday versus Cleveland.
That would leave five games remaining in the regular season, and Curry is highly unlikely to play on consecutive nights for the Warriors, who are headed for the play-in tournament. He has missed the last 25 games since playing against Detroit on Jan. 30.
“It’s a good step for him. He won’t play tomorrow,” Kerr said. “It’s just a progression from here, so if he’s feeling well we’ll scrimmage again and we’ll just go from there.”
Kerr said Tuesday's session was all drill work both offensively and defensively, “half-speed.”
After a 116-93 loss at Denver on Sunday night, the Warriors dropped to 13-23 this season without Curry — including 9-16 during this stretch with him sidelined by patellofemoral pain syndrome.
Golden State is 13-24 without Jimmy Butler, going 11-20 since his season-ending right knee injury that required surgery in February for a torn ACL.
Curry's presence provides an immediate lift. He leads the Warriors in scoring with 27.2 points per game and the original hope had been he would return after the All-Star break.
“It's amazing, man, just to have him out there with us, it's always great. We have a lot more confidence when we have a guy like Steph out on the court, no doubt about it,” forward Gui Santos said, noting how valuable Curry is even when he's not in uniform. “I hope he's out there with us soon, it's going to be great.”
Even if the intensity wasn't like a typical practice, Kerr knows how much it means to all of the Warriors to have the two-time NBA MVP back on the floor in any capacity.
“The gym was bouncier," he said, "everyone’s spirits are lifted when he’s playing."
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