It’s been two full months since the Golden State Warriors last saw Stephen Curry on a basketball court, and things have not gone well in the interim. Curry left a team that was 27-23, with designs on landing in the Top 6 in the West and earning a place in the playoffs without needing a play-in win. At the time of his departure, there was hope Curry would be ready to come back from his knee injury right after the All-Star break. Didn’t happen–the patellar tendon injury has proven stubborn.
Now, Curry appears to be gearing up to return to action, with just a week to go in the regular season. Nothing is official, the Warriors have been careful to say, but Sunday appears to be the target date for Curry’s return.
And he will be coming back to a team that went 9-17 without him and is only still in the play-in picture because everyone else is tanking. The Warriors likely will have to claw just to get into the No. 8 seed in the playoffs, and even then, they’ll get the juggernaut defending champs, the Thunder, in the first round.
Stephen Curry Went Through a Scrimmage on Thursday
On Thursday, Curry went through another full scrimmage in his attempt to get his breath and timing back. It’s unlikely that will work out for him quickly, but time is of the essence–the Warriors want Curry to get some game action before the team likely faces either Portland or the Clippers on the road for their first play-in game.
Warriors beat writer Anthony Slater of ESPN noted that coach Steve Kerr seemed satisfied. Slater wrote: “Steph Curry just finished up another scrimmage in the Warriors practice facility. Steve Kerr watched it: ‘Looks like Steph Curry.’ Not yet officially cleared for Sunday return. Kerr figured Curry and Rick Celebrini would make final decision tomorrow.”
Debate Over Warriors’ Decision
There has been considerable debate over the wisdom of bringing Curry back to play this final week of the season and into whatever type of postseason run the Warriors are able to piece together. The presumption is that Curry’s current condition–known as “runner’s knee”–is not putting the knee into long-term jeopardy, which means that even if Golden State flames out in the coming days, the team knows Curry will still be 100% ready in 2026-27.
If the Warriors can get into a playoff series, the team will get a more extended look at the tandem of Kristaps Porzingis (assuming he can stay healthy) and Curry, a duo they feel can do some damage when on the floor together.
The Warriors could make a trade for another star player this offseason, or could await the return of Jimmy Butler from an ACL tear. Health will be an obstacle either way, but the Warriors can at least see the outlines of a contender next year if they squint hard enough. It’s got to start, though, with Curry returning.
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