The Golden State Warriors are taking a cautious approach with Steph Curry's return, planning to re-evaluate him next week. Curry, who has already missed 20 games, was initially expected to resume scrimmaging soon.
However, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, Curry wasn't able to scrimmage this week, leading the Warriors to delay his re-evaluation. This means Curry will be out for at least 25 games, and there's a chance he might not return this season.
Even if Curry is cleared to play, the Warriors might be reluctant to rush him back with only a few games left before the intense NBA Play-In Tournament. It wouldn't be shocking if Golden State decides to keep Curry out for the rest of the season, focusing on the future instead. Of course, convincing Curry to sit out might be challenging, given his competitive nature.
Without Curry, the Warriors have struggled, dropping to a 35-38 record and sitting in the 10th seed in the Western Conference. While they're unlikely to miss the play-in entirely, they'll need to win consecutive road games to make the postseason unless they can surpass the Los Angeles Clippers (37-36) and Portland Trail Blazers (37-37). To avoid facing the top seed in the West, likely the Oklahoma City Thunder, they'll need to climb past both Portland and LA.
Curry has played 39 games this season, delivering impressive stats with 27.2 points, 4.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game, shooting 46.8% from the field, 39.1% from three, and 93.1% from the line. The Warriors have outscored opponents by 2.2 points per 100 possessions with Curry on the floor, compared to being outscored by 0.8 points without him.