The Golden State Warriors woke up after their Christmas Day loss to the Los Angeles Lakers to a new Stephen Curry reality.
The 36-year-old Warriors franchise star is now entering his load management era as he sits out the front end of a back-to-back schedule when they take on the Los Angeles Clippers on December 27, coach Steve Kerr revealed.
“Steph’s had the knee issue,” Kerr said on “Willard and Dibs” on 95.7 The Game on December 26. “A couple of weeks ago, when the knee issue started, we really wanted to make sure we’re staying in front of it. Part of staying in front of it is not playing in both ends of back-to-backs for now.”
It will be the sixth Warriors game Curry will miss this season and there could be more.
The Warriors’ decision to rest Curry came on the heels of his season-high 38 points in 36 minutes in their heartbreaking 115-113 loss to the Lakers. Curry scored eight points in the final 26 seconds to tie the game, only to watch Austin Reaves make the winning layup with a second left.
Bad Timing for the Warriors
After the loss, Curry said he wouldn’t be surprised if he wouldn’t play against the Clippers. He is expected to play against the Phoenix Suns on December 28.
“When the knee stuff popped up, that was part of the conversation,” Curry told reporters. “Obviously, [I’m] still dealing with it to some capacity. So, I think how we’ve been approaching is to play the game, see how you feel the next day, figure out a routine.”
Curry rued the timing of it as the Warriors (15-14) are on a slump, having lost 11 of their last 14 games to slip to 10th place in the Western Conference. They find themselves just half-game above .500 and the 11th-place San Antonio Spurs.
“That’s always been a part of the challenge because I want to play every game,” Curry added. “It’s always been that way and especially when you’re looking at the standings and the games matter, and it’s more so just trying to get over the hump to have something to feel good about, and you want to be a part of that.”
But Curry is also embracing his new reality of taking the smart approach to manage his knees or risk a more severe injury as his age advances.
“So yeah it’s it’s part of the conversation for sure, but you still have to, considering the miles I have and where I’m at in my career,” Curry continued. “You got to still be smart.”
Steph Curry Speaks Up on Players-Only Meeting
Curry was at the forefront of the Warriors players-only meeting before their loss to the Lakers, ESPN reported.
“It is an inflection point on obviously which direction our season can go,” Curry told reporters. “Our last 14 games, it’s just been tough trying to find any type of momentum or consistency, and through that, you just can’t lose spirit and belief that we’re a good enough team to figure it out because this league is ruthless.”
Their Warriors’ next seven games are against teams with playoff aspirations. If their losing ways continue, it would need drastic changes to cover up lost ground with less than two months away from the February 6 trade deadline.
“This league changes from window to window of what you can fall back on, and when you dig yourself a hole like that, sometimes it can be hard to pull out of,” Curry continued. “So, we’re right in that window where we can still regain some momentum however many weeks before the [All-Star] break is pivotal, or else [we are] in a situation where we’re chasing down the stretch. And nobody wants to be there.”
