Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry will miss another 10 days due to the ongoing patellofemoral pain syndrome and bone bruising he has been experiencing since Jan. 30 in his right knee, the team announced on Wednesday afternoon.
The team said Curry has been “working individually on the court in recent days,” with the aim to intensify his workouts as he looks to return to the court, all of which is a slight improvement from the last injury update. ESPN was first to report Curry's latest injury update.
Regardless, Curry has missed 15 straight games as a result of his nagging knee issue, to the detriment of the Warriors' playoff chances.
In that stretch, the Warriors have gone a subpar 5-10, dipping below .500 for the first time since December. As a result, the Dubs have fallen from eighth in the West down to ninth, with the Los Angeles Clippers overtaking them in the play-in region of the standings.
That puts Golden State in the lower bracket of the play-in tournament, and if the season ended today, the Warriors would need to win two straight games to secure a spot in the playoffs against the West's 1-seed.
As for Curry, it's been a difficult recovery process.
Before this latest update on Wednesday, Curry hadn't been able to get much on-court work, as the healing process for his knee has been “unpredictable” in his own words.
“I'm feeling better. This is a weird one. It's kind of unpredictable for how it will heal,” Curry said on ESPN's broadcast right before the previous injury update 10 days earlier.
“Every day since all-star weekend has been progress; that's all I can ask for, and hopefully I'm back out there soon… I haven't gotten on the court yet, but just trying to stay in shape and strengthen everything else around my body, knowing that at this stage, once you get back, it's a full sprint to the playoffs.”
Will Steph Curry return this season?
With the way Golden State's season has fallen apart, there's been speculation about whether or not the Warriors will shut Curry down for the rest of the season.
Although the Warriors are doomed to the play-in tournament and a lopsided first-round series at best, one would think that it would make the most sense for Golden State to preserve its 37-year-old franchise star for next season. This is especially true given the enticing prospect of falling into the NBA Draft lottery at worst.
But the Warriors remain firm that they don't plan on tanking this season, and ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel has reported that both the Dubs and Curry intend on returning before the end of the regular season.
Draymond Green has also made it clear that he is confident in Curry returning this season.
“My confidence level is high, ultimately,” Green said after the upset win over the Houston Rockets, via ESPN. “Because I know he's going to put in all the work and do everything he can to get back. If his body allows him to get back, I know, he will come back. He's not wanting to just shut it down.”
In the meantime, the Warriors are of the mindset that they just need to tread water until Curry can return.
Their 5-10 record in his absence has the water rising a little over their heads. Not to mention back-to-back losses to tanking teams in the Utah Jazz and Chicago Bulls stings. But with Kristaps Porzingis back in the fold and encouraging play from young guys like Gui Santos and Moses Moody, the Warriors are confident they can hold down the fort until he comes back.
“For us, just gotta stay afloat,” Green continued. “Nobody's expecting us to go on a 10-game win streak, but you just got to stay afloat. You can't let things go too far south, and that's what we're trying to do.”
