When it rains, it pours for the Golden State Warriors. On top of losing Jimmy Butler for the season, superstar guard Stephen Curry has missed the past six weeks with a knee injury.
The Warriors have been tight-lipped about his recovery, and they will err on the side of caution with their 38-year-old future Hall of Famer.
Nevertheless, the four-time NBA champion still hasn’t given up hope on taking the court again this season. In an interview with The Athletic’s Nick Friedell, Curry didn’t hesitate to let the fans know that he intends to return at some point:
“That I’ll play?” Curry said. “For sure.”
As expected, the Warriors have struggled to stay afloat in another injury-riddled campaign. They’re 32-35 and in ninth place in the Western Conference, and their postseason chances continue to dwindle without their superstar on the court.
That said, Curry doesn’t want to rush his way back and aggravate the injury. For now, he’ll continue to play it safely:
“Before next year. I know we’re depleted, but the idea of my injury is just getting information by the day of, ‘Can I play safely? Be myself out there and not put myself in danger short term or long term?’ And then, we still have stuff to play for,” Curry said. “We’d love to see guys in a playoff series and take a swing. Hopefully, see this team that’s currently constructed healthy for a stretch to learn as much as we can and compete. That’s who we are.”
There are fewer than 20 games left in the regular season, so forcing a return might not be in Curry’s best interests. Even so, with averages of 27.2 points and 4.8 assists per game on 46.9 percent from the floor, he’s clearly their only hope of returning to the postseason.