It looked like the Washington Wizards would be the ones welcoming Stephen Curr to the court after his long absence. Not anymore.
After reigning over the NBA for five seasons, going to the finals in each and taking home the Larry O’Brien trophy thrice, the Golden State Warriors no longer dominate the league. That’s mainly because they’ve been without Klay Thompson all season and Stephen Curry for most of it. But it looked like their fortunes were changing just in time for their matchup with the Washington Wizards.
As Bradley Beal scorches to new scoring heights, the Warriors were expecting to welcome back their own scoring machine, Stephen Curry, on March 1.
But as injuries situations (and tanking situations) often are, this was ever-changing. The Warriors will now be without Curry for their Sunday night contest with the Wizards, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.
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
Although they probably wouldn’t have been seeing a full-strength Curry, not in his first game since October 30, the Wizards should be breathing a sigh of relief.
Curry, even fresh off an injury, is dangerous. But he’s especially dangerous against the Wizards. For his career, Curry averages 28.1 points against Washington, second to only his 28.6 ppg average vs. the Toronto Raptors. Few teams have had an answer for Curry over the years, but the Wizards have especially struggled. And this year, their defense is worse than ever.
Even though Curry won’t be back to take on the Wizards, the Warriors do expect to see him before the season ends.
Curry remains on-schedule for a return to play at some point in March, Warriors say. He will practice with Santa Cruz on Monday. https://t.co/3iJYOYV5sg
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 29, 2020
The Warriors are a team that knows better than most the cost of rushing a player back from injury prematurely. Kevin Durant‘s infamous Achilles injury he suffered during the NBA Finals that has kept him out all of this season was the product of impatience. Hopefully, this is a sign they’ve learned their lesson and are taking their time with Curry.
With the worst record in the NBA, it’s not like the Warriors playing for much besides the number one pick over the final stretch of the season, so it’s not like they really need Curry out there anyways.