Having already ruled out Stephen Curry for Game 5 of their second-round series vs. Minnesota, the Warriors put out a press release today providing an additional update on their star guard following a reevaluation of his injury (Twitter link).
Curry, who has been sidelined for the last three games (all Golden State losses) due to a left hamstring strain, is making “good progress” in his recovery, according to the Warriors. The club says he has been cleared to take part in light on-court workouts, including shooting drills.
The plan is for Curry to be reevaluated on Saturday, per the team. Game 6, which was previously identified as “the earliest potential window” for the 37-year-old to return, is scheduled for Sunday.
Of course, if the Warriors can’t figure out a way to win Game 5 without Curry in Minnesota on Tuesday, their season would be over, which would seriously reduce the short-term significance of that Saturday examination.
With Curry still unavailable tonight, the Warriors figure to continue leaning heavily on Jimmy Butler and Jonathan Kuminga as their go-to scorers. Kuminga, who was out of the rotation for most of the first round of the playoffs, has averaged 23.7 points per game on .595/.444/.773 shooting in the three games since Curry went down.
Don’t feel sorry for warriors just like Celtics and Cavs injuries took them out of the playoffs. So far every team up in the playoffshave1 thing in common they are healthy.
Pretty much what happens every season. The NBA Playoffs is as much about attrition as it about talent and matchups.
GS loses even with Curry. Wolves were not going to have 4 games of 0-15 from the 3pt line.
I feel sorry for Kuminga, they had to loose Steph to finally allow him to have some decent playing time. Remember when the warriors were dominating the League? They had some key bench contributors like Iguodala, David West or Livingston.
I don’t feel bad for the teams, I feel bad for the players and even if I am rooting for one team over another I don’t want the team I’m rooting for to win in part due to injury.
Yeah i spend a lot of time feeling bad for millionaires too…sheesh
I don’t get your point. If I follow your logic, I should not feel bad for Tatum or Kyrie for their injuries because they are paid millions..?
When I say “I feel bad”, I put myself in his shoes and can only guess that it sucks to be sidelined while beeing a decent player still.
Yeah well it sucks even more to be homeless and not know where your food on the table will come from. Meanwhile Kylie and tatum being pampered by the best doctors in the countries and their biggest problem is what flavor IV they want. So forgive me if I don’t cry real tears for the 1%. If you want to go ahead but it’s pretty sad.
Empathy is not a finite resource
When you got your own problems yeah it is. Not enough hours in the day. I’m tired.
You’re the only one talking about crying real tears here. Settle down, it’s not that dramatic.
Ok so you are agreeing with me that we shouldn’t cry for millionaires? Ok Lol good talk. Drink some water bud
Giannis….
Don’t understand why it took this for Kuminga to see minutes. Makes no sense. The way they use him has never made sense.
Kerr is stubborn and just play the same players. Post and Santos should be playing right now but instead he doesn’t trust the young players.
You have to see the game within the game. If you look at Kuminga stats in the article, those are like Curry stats.
24 points a game and great shooting numbers, with Steph a little better from the line.
But when curry gets those stats the Warriors win quite often and JK gets very little pt.
When Jonathan Kuminga gets those stats they practically always lose with curry out.
Understand what I’m saying? Steph Curry and Jonathan Kuminga same numbers and the other guy sits: Curry wins, and JK loses.
Yes Kuminga can put up these numbers but what does the team benefit?
Does he make his teammates better?
Does he add value to the other four men on the floor?
Bottom line does Jonathan Kamminga help his team win? I am saying he has a long way to go.
You’ll see tonight exactly what I’m talking about if Kuminga winds up with 28 points and his usual 4 rebounds lol. If JK accomplishes these numbers the Warriors will lose.
I think for the Warriors to win and for JK to make up for the things he lacks that I mentioned above, 28 points won’t be enough.
Get me 40 points and get me a double digit rebound game and that may help the Warriors win tonight.
It’s not by replicating Curry type numbers because he’s not the player Curry is and again for the reasons I state above.
I hope this makes sense. True Hoopers know what I’m talking about. Naysayers will tear this argument up chew it and spit it out. But that’s OK. We all have our opinions and they’re all welcome here. I’m just voicing mine.
Kuminga needs to improve on rebounding and defense. He needs to think like Podz and crash the boards. On defense I would match him up against Randal. Payton is looking like a rag doll against the much bigger players t-wolves have.
arc89 – it’s difficult for JK to get defensive boards when he’s assigned to defending the ball and the arc (McDaniels and Edwards).
When GSW traded Wiggins, we lost the only guy other than Kuminga that can defend the 3-ball. (Butler can as well, but he’s set up down low.)
GP2, Buddy, and Podz defend the 3-pointer poorly, which is why our opponents are shooting it so well.
IMO, if JK is back next year, he’ll be used as a wing, and his rebounds will continue at ~7 per 36 mins.
As far as our lack of length on the wing and ability to defend the 3-ball, that’s now a bigger priority than our lack of size in the post.
Podski’s a point guard and averages major rebounding numbers ARI. Position on defense is not an excuse to not hustle for boards.
Instead of breaking out on the wing for an outlet pass how about getting some rebounds? That sure would be nice.
The only exception would be and this is probably the case actually, Steve Kerr tells JK to get on the wing on shot attempts so they get more fast break layups?
That wouldn’t surprise me but you’d have to watch for it. Does Kuminga get layups or does he just not rebound?
Something to look for tonight because I’m sure he’ll get huge minutes. He might even start.
Gary, I’m not defending Kuminga’s rebounding (or lack thereof).
My point was this: when you guard the ball, as JK has been asked increasingly to do in the last 2 games, your rebounding numbers will look more like a wing defender than a PF’s.
I know you and I have discussed this before. We don’t have the personnel to defend the 3-pointer, especially by taller players. It’s been our achilles heel the last 2 years. (Part of the problem is that because we don’t have bigs, our guards are told to crash the defensive boards.) We either give the other team’s shooter too much space or, if close, our guys lack the length to effectively contest the shot. Three point defense is, relatively, more important than defensive rebounding in the modern NBA.
It’s absolutely the case that JK is being asked to defend Edwards and McDaniels at the arc. Kerr talked about JK helping us with that after Sunday’s game. As Kerr said, we otherwise don’t have a lot of length on the wing. ( He didn’t say it, but Wiggins is gone and Moody is currently unplayable.)
Coaches have to use the talents of the players on the floor. Relatively speaking, Podz rebounds much better for a guard than JK does as a 3/4. And, JK defends the ball and the 3-point line as a 3/4 much better than Podz does as a 2.
So, Kerr is using the two guys that way. Look for it, and you’ll Podz move back, toward the basket, so the Wolves can’t switch on him.
> When Jonathan Kuminga gets those stats they practically always lose
> with curry out.
Gary, facts matter. That’s obviously factually untrue. Do you really want to be know for “opinions” like that? (BTW, I’m a “hooper” and the other “hoopers” I know agree with me.)
FACTS:
Kuminga won the Warriors several notable games with Steph and (sometimes both Steph and Draymond) out both last season and this season, including games against top teams. I’m counting five in the last 2 years. Let’s look at games against top teams this season:
1. Houston win in OT on 11/4/2024
23 pts in 26 mins, 7 rebounds, plus/minus +18
2. Houston win on 11/2/24
33 pts in 33 mins, 7 rebounds, plus/mins +7
In career games where both Steph and JK have played:
– JK averages 22 ppg in games where he plays more than 24 minutes.
– JK averages 24 mpg in games he starts
That’s two games? OK so that’s “several” notable games.
Playoffs are a different animal Aristotle. You know that lol.
Guys sit in the regular season, and with those games above can you tell me who played, who didn’t on the other team? Back to back nights, road trips, etc.?
Definitely don’t look that up, because I’ll give it to you. I’ll take an L whenever I need to with you. The fact you looked it up so far is excellent. I appreciate it.
But let’s watch the game tonight. I’m sure Kuminga will get every minute His soul desires and I hope he doesn’t screw it up with stupid foul trouble because he still plays like a first or second year player.
And if they put him on Julius Randall, who is a seasoned NBA veteran, that’s exactly what will happen because Jonathan Kuminga is not there yet and it’s going to be a fifth year next year.
Don’t get me started.
Everyone can see he’s not there yet. But I’ll tell you what, he’ll get an opportunity tonight to see what he’s made out of and we shall see.
JK better consider this his $30 million basketball game.
If he shows out he might possibly even get paid. If he caves andgets into foul trouble andhas zero rebounds in 30 minutes like last game or gets his 24 points, you can kiss that big contract goodbye.
He needs 40 tonight. He needs 40 in a big way. The Warriors need 40 in a big way.
And I’m the first one that will applaud him if he makes it happen and the Warriors win setting up a game six on Sunday.
Gary, like you, I only care if we win. I’m not pulling for Kuminga to do especially well, or score 40 points, etc.
But, because of history, I don’t believe Kerr will utilize Kuminga in the Warriors’ best interest. Despite Kuminga begin our best player over the past 3 games, I expect that:
1. Kerr will not start JK and play him only 30 minutes, as opposed to the 40 minutes any other coach would play him in this critical game. Instead, Kerr will go down with GP2, despite his absymal playoff performance to date.
2. When Butler is not on the court, Kerr will not run the actions that everybody in the NBA knows deploy Kuminga most effectively. JK will be, again, in the corner watching Podz and Buddy pound the air out of the ball.
One post at a time.
If the Warriors turn it around and win the title this year, I will delete my account. If they don’t win, I will continue to post.
I am serious.
@DaveyJ,
If you leave, so will all the Australian trolls, and that would reduce traffic on this site massively. You need to stay forever for the benefit of this business.
Wow, DaveyJ is still here? It’s been peaceful having him muted
Yet you are still talking about him.
@ Davey. Nobody cares either way. Seeking attention again on the internet and old mate from family guy comes running to the rescue, lol. Careful.
GSW has always mismanaged Kuminga, can’t wait for him to go to a proper team and become the star that he can be!