Biggest takeaways from Steph Curry's pregame routine before return

Share

OAKLAND -- If his pregame routine Saturday afternoon is a barometer, Stephen Curry definitely physically ready to get back on the basketball court.

His shot, however, might a take few minutes.

Though Curry ran like rabbit, from one side of the court to the other, with stops in the middle, he shot like most NBA players when not being seriously defended. He made, by our rough estimate, about 80 percent of his attempts. And some of those he drained bounced about the rim before dropping.

Yeah, the most dangerous shooter in the NBA looked slightly off his game in the hours before the Warriors tipped off against the Memphis Grizzlies.

When Curry is on, he usually makes about 90 percent, with most shots touching only the net while falling through

The plan for Curry’s first game since Dec. 4, when he sprained his surgically repaired right ankle in New Orleans, is to ease him back into game activity.

“I would be shocked if we didn’t keep him under 30 (minutes),” coach Steve Kerr said two hours before tipoff. “If we don’t, then that’s my fault. My plan is to play him in six to seven minute bursts. Ideally four of those bursts sounds about right to me, but this is not an exact science.”

Golden State Warriors

Find the latest Golden State Warriors news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.

Butler envisions close Kuminga relationship as new Warriors mentor

Steph had stark realization after Warriors' trade for Butler

Curry was averaging 32.6 minutes per game when he was sidelined. He’ll get back to that, if not more, but not immediately. A realistic number is, give or take, 25 minutes.

He spent about a week with his ankle immobilized in a protective boot and another few days putting up shots while the ankle was braced before going through individual drills at three-quarters speed.

It’s one thing to work up a sweat with teammates and coaches, quite another to get in game shape.

“He looks great, but he hasn’t played in a basketball game which is totally different than guarding (assistant coach) Willie Green in a three-on-three scrimmage,” Kerr said. “Nothing against Willie. Willie is a great friend and a hell of a coach, but he’s no longer playing in the NBA. It’s tough to judge Steph’s conditioning on that matchup. I think he has done everything possible getting ready for tonight, but there is no substitute for game action.”

The Warriors were 9-2 in Curry’s absence, though the offense suffered both visibly and statistically. Curry, a two-time MVP, might be able to bring them back to their customary level.

Contact Us