Stephen Curry may not be back for start of Round 2 and Warriors don’t care
By Jason Patt
It looks like Stephen Curry will need the full six weeks to recover from his sprained left knee.
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry is still not close to playing and likely won’t be ready for the start of the next round, according to Marcus Thompson of The Athletic.
Curry suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee on March 23 when center JaVale McGee fell into the two-time MVP. The initial timetable given for Curry’s return was four-to-six weeks, and Friday’s evaluation of his knee represents the four-week mark. However, Thompson reports the guard will probably need the full six weeks to get back to 100 percent.
The six-week mark would be May 4, which currently looks like it would be in the middle of the second round. If the Warriors and New Orleans Pelicans finish off sweeps of their respective series, they could start their second-round tilt as early as April 28.
Golden State wants to be done with the San Antonio Spurs as soon as possible, so the defending champions have to be rooting for the Portland Trail Blazers to extend their series with the Pelicans as long as possible so the next round can be pushed back. There still is an outside chance Curry heals up quicker than expected and is ready for Round 2 no matter what, but the Warriors will surely be extra cautious with their star.
This is especially true given Golden State has flipped the switch and looks dominant again. The Warriors looked awful at the end of the regular season without Curry, but at this point it’s safe to chalk that up to pure boredom and complacency. The Warriors have won all three of their games against the Spurs by double figures and have been elite on both ends, posting a 118 offensive rating and 97.8 defensive rating, per NBA.com.
Some of this is the Spurs being woefully overmatched without Kawhi Leonard, but it’s also Golden State locking back in and playing to its potential with three All-Stars and an engaged Andre Iguodala still suiting up.
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The next round, presumably against the Pelicans as long as they don’t make history, will be a bit more challenging if Curry misses games. New Orleans has a dominant force in Anthony Davis and is clicking on all cylinders. Jrue Holiday and Rajon Rondo are playing terrific on both ends, and they could pose problems even when Curry returns thanks to their length and aggressive defense.
Still, Golden State is brimming with confidence again and would be the clear favorite as long as there are no other significant injuries. Kevin Durant and Shaun Livingston both suffered sprained ankles in Thursday’s Game 3 win over the Spurs, but the injuries aren’t viewed as serious.