Kerr said the others will all return “within the next week or 10 days”.
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Regardless of who their first-round opponent is – right now it would be Minnesota, although the middle of the West standings are extremely fluid – Golden State shouldn’t have any problem advancing.
Kerr also mentions the similarities between Curry’s injury in terms of the situation the Warriors went through past year when #Kevin Durant missed five weeks with an MCL sprain in his left knee.
Curry has dealt with numerous injuries this season, missing the last matchup with the Jazz at Oracle Arena in December, and just coming back Friday from an ankle injury.
Kerr reminded there is still rehabilitation and court work to be done before simply throwing Curry back into some of the most intense minutes against a teams that are foaming at the mouth to take a bite out of the Warriors’ playoff dominance.
All three are expected back before the start of the playoffs, but it’s not an ideal time for a banged-up roster, especially with Curry’s status uncertain.
The Warriors’ culture under Kerr has been one with an emphasis on playing the game with a sense of joy. Having Curry out of the lineup forces Golden State to focus more on the defensive side of the floor because they might not be able to outscore the other team, without having one of the most impactful players in Curry.
Golden State (54-19) played without its four All-Stars-Stephen Curry (knee), Kevin Durant (ribs), Klay Thompson (hand) and Draymond Green (flu). But this team was built based on what Curry can do.
Curry frowned as he hobbled to the bench with 3:09 left in the quarter.
The initial report from the team was that the former league MVP will be sidelined for the rest of the regular season, but now that wait will be longer.
And it’s not just the numbers.
The injury occurred when teammate JaVale McGee elevated for a block attempt and ended up falling on Curry’s left leg. He just wasn’t the same guy.
“Steph, he’s battled it”, said guard Quinn Cook, who has played regularly in Curry’s place.
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“It is kind of a unusual cruel twist of fate”, said Warriors coach Steve Kerr. “Steph’s gonna want to come back because that’s who he is”. It’s been a slow grind for these Warriors with more bumps and bruises than usual this season. Another injury to Curry or anyone else for that matter upon their return from respective injuries could prove a devastating blow in their pursuit of a consecutive NBA Finals victory. “In Houston, I came back after halftime and thought I could give it a go with a brace”.
