Not that the Golden State Warriors need him right now or anything, but Stephen Curry was back at practice Friday.
Head coach Steve Kerr said his star point guard will not be ready to return to action, however, until after he’s successfully participated in 3-on-3 or 5-on-5 team scrimmages, per Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Curry is undoubtedly the most potent scorer on Golden State’s roster, and it’s foolish to say the Warriors might be better off without him.
However, during his absence Klay Thompson and Draymond Green have stepped up in ways that have made his absence almost completely negligible.
In the past three games, all played without Curry against the Houston Rockets and Portland Trailblazers, Thompson has averaged 30.3 points per game while Green has stepped up his overall game to average 18.3 points, 12 rebounds, 8.7 assists, three blocks and a steal per contest.
Golden State hasn’t lost a game in those three, and the Rockets managed to squeak just one win out in Houston (by one point).
So while Curry might be closer to returning, he needn’t be hasty, nor should Kerr be too eager to get him back into action.
This is the luxury Golden State can afford right now, given its absolutely stacked roster. Game 3 in its series against the Trailblazers takes place on Saturday in Portland, where the Warriors can all but ice up the series 3-0 with another win.