SAN FRANCISCO – As he continues to work his way back to full health, Stephen Curry isn’t averse to taking a day off every now and then as long as it’s for strategic reasons.
What the two-time NBA MVP doesn’t want to do is have to take a break because of his bilateral knee issues.
“It’s a thing but it’s not a concern,” Curry said in the aftermath of Friday’s 107-90 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves at Chase Center. “It changes my maintenance from my day-to-day program that I do. But I feel great. I feel like I can still get to where I want to on the floor and play 32 (minutes) and still feel fresh.”
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Curry did just that after not playing in Thursday’s game against the Houston Rockets. Curry scored a team-high 23 points, 11 in the third quarter when the Dubs made one of the best runs of the night.
That he logged more than 32 minutes of playing time is a good indication that Curry’s knee, while obviously still bothersome, is not as big a factor as maybe it once was.
Still, it’s equally clear that Curry is not back in peak form. He shot 6 of 17 against the Wolves and made only three of his nine 3-point attempts, committed three turnovers and finished minus-3.
“He wasn’t in top form tonight but I thought he was great,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “In Denver (on Wednesday) he looked good, physically looked good. This is all a part of it, especially as you get older. There’s going to be bumps and bruises, and some nights you feel better than others. And all that stuff. But Steph will be fine.”
Golden State Warriors
Find the latest Golden State Warriors news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
Given the current state of the Warriors, everyone in the organization might want to pluck a four-leaf clover in hopes that Curry remains fairly healthy for the rest of the game.
Kerr initially set out to limit Curry’s minutes somewhat as a way to facilitate that but has had to alter that approach and keep his star on the court for as long as possible.
At 36 years old, however, Curry is fully aware of the wear-and-tear that his body absorbs every game but doesn’t want that to be an excuse when he gets a rest.
“I know the back-to-back conversation, and maybe when we get deeper in the year, there might be certain nights that just call for you to take a game (off),” Curry said. “I don’t want it to be something where the knees are saying something. It’s more just the big-picture perspective. I think we’re in that window.”
Against the Timberwolves Curry spent most of the night with Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels draped all over him trying to smother any potential offense from the four-time NBA champ. McDaniels was a second-team NBA All-Defensive team in the 2023-24 season.
“Really just being his shadow knowing there’s times he’s going to hit threes or deep threes and make shots but you can’t get frustrated with it,” McDaniels said. “Just chasing, chasing, chasing the whole game.”
If there has been an encouraging sign for the Dubs lately, it’s been the evolution of Jonathan Kuminga who is looking like he’s ready to elevate his game to another level to become the Warriors’ No. 2 scoring option.
Curry welcomes all the help he can get.
“He’s a big weapon for us,, especially the way the early season’s gone, games that we’ve handed away after big leads, tough scoring nights like tonight,” Curry said. “We’re a different team than we’ve been the last three years. And the experimental phase of trying to unlock new looks, new go-to sets, puts the ball in his hands. It’s time for that, for sure.”