After sitting out four months with a broken hand, Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry was set to return to the NBA on Sunday against the Wizards. Curry has only played four games during the 2019-20 regular season, so having him around will be something the NBA (and this bottom-feeder Warriors team) should be jumping for joy over. March 1st had been the target date for Curry the last several weeks, but after meeting with trainers and coaching staff, the Warriors have decided that while Curry will return sometime in the month of March, he will not play on Sunday against the Wizards.
While he’s been on the bench and with the team most of the season, Curry will be returning to a much different lineup than he left even at the beginning of this season. Golden State moved D’Angelo Russell at the trade deadline for Minnesota’s Andrew Wiggins, while also rotating several young pieces to gain experience during the washed season. Klay Thompson continues to be sidelined, Kevon Looney has had a hard time staying healthy, and Draymond Green plays here and there as Golden State tries to get through this season to focus on next season.
Stephen Curry has been determined and preparing to play on March 1, but sides determined Friday that he will not return Sunday vs. Wizards. Warriors want Curry to have more practice time and target return is uncertain, sources say.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 29, 2020
So, why does Curry bother entering the season now and not just preserving his health for next season?
– A Warrior is Actually Healthy This Season –
It’s probably not ideal to have one of the league’s most popular players come back in a season that’s already over while his hand continues to heal, but Curry’s competitive nature and mentality leaves the coaching staff and front office no choice. Steph needs to be there for his young teammates, the fans, and the NBA in general. We all need to see him bring his dynamic presence back to the floor, for morality’s sake. He knows full well what he means for this game, and if he can give fans a solid month of basketball to end the year, he’s going to do just that.
– Wiggins Chemistry –
The final stretch (and frankly, the entire season) for Golden State is about their future and figuring out what the core of the team will look like for the 2020-2021 season. With Wiggins now joining the starting unit of Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, it’ll be exciting to see what kind of chemistry can be developed as the Warriors bring this season to a close.
– Tanking = Less Important –
With lottery odds not nearly as top-heavy as they used to be in regard to the Number 1 pick, there’s even less reason for Curry to sit and the Warriors to keep losing. Golden State will most likely finish as a bottom-three team in the league easily, and this year’s draft isn’t as deep as last years was. There’s less incentive for them to tank, they were just bad this year, so it happened regardless.
All in all, Steph is back, folks, and the NBA should be happy.
Golden State hosts the Washington Wizards on primetime Sunday night and head to Denver on March 3rd. The next home game that Curry could make his debut in would be next Thursday, in a 2019 NBA Finals rematch against the Toronto Raptors.
