Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry is close to making his return. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters that Curry went through full-contact 5-on-5 practice on Tuesday.
Curry is ruled out for Wednesday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs and is doubtful for Thursday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to ESPN’s Anthony Slater. The 38-year-old point guard last played on Jan. 30 against the Detroit Pistons after suffering a knee injury.
Despite averaging 27.2 points and 4.8 assists while shooting 39.1% from beyond the arc, Curry is not eligible for All-NBA because he has suited up for only 29 games this season, his fewest since the 2019-20 season. NBA awards require players to appear in at least 65 games to be eligible. The 2019-20 season was also the last time the two-time MVP was not named to an All-NBA team.
Despite Curry’s ineligibility for NBA awards, the Warriors’ season is far from over. At 36-39 and in 10th place, the Warriors are locked into a play-in spot. Curry is expected to give a boost to a depleted Warriors lineup. The Warriors have lost Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody to season-ending injuries, while Al Horford and Kristaps Porziņģis have struggled to stay on the court due to injuries and medical conditions.
With the Warriors’ matchup likely coming against the reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder or the San Antonio Spurs if they make it out of the play-in tournament, they could already have their eyes on next season. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Warriors could reportedly target the Los Angeles Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard and Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James this offseason to give Curry a shot at his fifth NBA title.
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