It’s rest. Steve Kerr states that the Golden State Warrior superstar needs some recovery time. Also, his back hurts.
And this is fair. The Golden State Warriors have found themselves back in championship discussion for the first time in a couple of years.
In the intervening time, Steph Curry was the one consistent bright spot. Even as the team’s window seemed to be drawing to a close, Steph had been remarkable. He was still getting All-NBA nods and All-Star selections as running mates Draymond Green and Klay Thompson very much entering a new stage in their careers. That new stage is called being old.
Now Jimmy Butler is there. Not just Jimmy Butler but Good Jimmy Butler. The one people still hoped existed with little proof of the positive. The Warriors have gone 13-2 since Feb. 13. As of today, they are out of the play-in and occupying the sixth seed in the Western Conference.
Up until sitting out against the Bucks, Steph had played in every game since January 29. Rest happens now. Steph is older too. He needs his time. And the Warriors are finally in a place where they can allow it.
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Back in my day players didn’t rest
(Basketball sucked back in that day compared to now. Move on. Find a new slant. There are plenty of things to complain about in the world right now. Are you really going to pick "NBA rest days" as your issue of choice?)
So they did! Steph Curry did not suit up against the Milwaukee Bucks. And the Warriors still won. As reported by ESPN, Kerr stated “He's exhausted right now… so we've got to absolutely consider giving him a night and getting him rejuvenated for the sake of him and the remainder of our games.”
It worked out!
It is worth noting that Steph disagreed with the assessment of his stamina: “I feel fine," Curry told media when questioned about being tired. He credited a recent poor performance to his back rather than exhaustion.
Who knows what’s real. But a player at Curry’s age getting some rest is good, if you’re a fan of the Warriors. This is especially true if your team wins the game he’s out for.
The Warriors are a scary team, all of a sudden. If they go into the playoffs as the sixth seed with peak Curry, then that three-seed is starting to look pretty ugly.