Warriors star Stephen Curry tells Anthony Slater of ESPN his right knee injury is “trending in the right direction,” but he’ll miss his third straight game on Saturday and it doesn’t sound like his return is imminent.
“It’s a matter of learning as I go what works rehab-wise,” Curry said. “Because it’s still painful. You have to try to get rid of all the inflammation and pain. It’s something we still have to monitor and injury-manage, but it’s something where, if I come back too early, it could flare up.”
The 37-year-old guard also addressed the trade addition of big man Kristaps Porzingis, who has been limited to 17 games this season due to multiple ailments.
“I’m learning some Latvian,” Curry said when asked about Porzingis. “I’m just hoping that he’s healthy, first and foremost, so that he can do what he can do on the floor. Him and Al [Horford] won a championship together. Different context, but there’s a familiarity and skill set and size and presence that we’ve been looking for a while.”
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- Horford was pleasantly surprised to learn he’d be playing with his former Celtics teammate again, and he’s optimistic about the veteran center’s fit with Golden State, writes Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. “It was special, it was just really fun,” Horford said of playing with Porzingis in Boston. “We all know everything he can do. He can shoot the three, can post up, draw fouls, kind of play the mid-range offensively. He’s just very potent. Defensively, protects the rim. I’m just looking forward for him to be here and help us, because I feel like he’ll be a big help for us.”
- Head coach Steve Kerr said the team’s medical and performance staff, led by Rick Celebrini, vetted Porzingis’ health prior to completing the trade, Johnson adds. “I don’t think we would have made the trade if we didn’t think he could be healthy and consistent in terms of being in the lineup, so that’s the plan,” Kerr said. “Obviously he’s got to get here and Rick has got to work with him, but Rick and the staff did their due diligence. There’s a hope that we can really help him get right. When he’s right, he’s a hell of a player. We’re looking at a guy who really fits what we need: Size, space, shooting, rim protection. Every team needs that, but we’ve always needed that since I’ve been here. We’ve never really had a player like him.”
- Kerr concedes Golden State may not be a title contender in the wake of Jimmy Butler‘s torn ACL, but he still thinks the team has the potential to do damage in the playoffs, Slater writes in another story for ESPN. “We still have a good team,” Kerr said. “A very good team. Even without Jimmy, we can make a playoff run. The ceiling is absolutely lower. I’m not going to sit here and lie.”
- Former Defensive Player of the Year Draymond Green likes Porzingis’ fit with the Warriors, per Nick Friedell of The Athletic. The longtime forward/center also admitted to being nervous about being involved in trade talks for Giannis Antetokounmpo. “It got nerve-wracking towards the end,” Green said after Thursday’s comeback win over Phoenix. “But yeah, it is what it is. Move forward. It’s not something I want to get used to, though.”
Riding this thing until the wheels fall off. Yet will promise the world and be a never ending source of conjecture. Anonymous sources of course.
They should bring Klay back just so they can have more old fragile potentially injured playes on their roster. They can’t all be hurt at the same time, right?
Yup, you’re so right. Thompson has played only 90% percent of the games he could’ve since leaving Golden State.
Watch this to remember what these guys were like 11 years ago:
link to youtube.com
It’s a young man’s game. Sometimes you can’t forget, even if your memory is not consistent with the present situation. It’s funny cuz that ll year old clip has the whole Warriors dynasty in a nutshell, before it sprouted and grew. Watch it.
What’s even weirder is that Fitz was 13 years old when he called that game. He is now 60.
At 10% his old self!
I liked him a lot more as a KNBR “personality.” His play by play is a too homer-centric. I think they could get away with having somebody more neutral.
Their medical staff must be amazing – concluding they can do what no one else has been able to accomplish.
You can look them up.
Porzingis is 8 feet Steph Curry
He can shoot from 35 feet
*Stop*Comparing*Players*To*Steph*Curry*!!!*
Porzingo will definitely move them from a late lotto to a ring. They did it again!
Saying Horford and Porzingus won a a championship together when Prozingus didn’t play is like saying Horford and the ball boy won a championship together
He played 3 of 5 games and killed it in game 1.
There’s only 5 games in a playoff run?
Not sure. Look into it and lmk.
Thanks for proving yourself wrong
Ok now I know you don’t actually watch basketball lol
What about Post?! We need him to play as much as possible! Hope they dont screw him up. They are currently screwing up Podz, big time. Big time. :(
“They are currently screwing up Podz, big time. Big time. :(”
Nonsense. Podz plays the 4th most min/gm and 3rd most min/gm not counting Butler, and leads the team in total minutes.
Wtf?
Podz was real sick and they thought he wouldn’t play that game is why he played so few minutes and looked out of it.
I agree that he wasnt in the doghouse as bad as Kuminga, but he isnt playing with his usual swag this yr. His role is erratic and rhe coaches are playing with his confidence. Give him the friggin key to this team the rest of the way. He’s eligible for extension this offseason and they should support him to become $100m+ tupe of player. Now that Butler is hurt, he has to be option 2, and not Melton. I dont care about winning….
I don’t see him getting a $100 million deal. More like a deal that moody received. Anything can happen this next season. Even Curry traded if he wants to go to a team with a better chance to win.
Podz will NOT sign Moody extension. Nothing less than $20m per…. In other words, another fiasco situation…
I don’t see any team throwing a big contract at him. Just don’t want another Poole situation of being over paid.
Why would you sign him for more than $20 million a year?
Where do you get the idea that Podz was in the doghouse.
Earlier in the yr. You are the only one who doesnt see it. Yes, it was kind of fake doghouse buy they were doing it so he wont be making too much on his next contract. Kuminga saga was a distraction for Podz. He should be a starter, playing the most minutes(he’s not old), and close to triple double threat every gm.
Podz is a young player. He is averaging 26 mpg. With young players you need to develop consistency. You don’t want to play them more than they are ready for. That is the way you destroy a career.
He’s played pretty poorly as a starter, and as I said, he HAS played the most minutes.
But as far as being a “close to triple-double threat every gm”, he’s definitely not that.
Last night’s game is a perfect example. He played the most minutes, but only produced 14 pts on 40% shooting 6 reb 4 ast 2 stl 1 TO.
For the season, in 53 games he’s had exactly 1 near triple double, 14/9/9 in a loss to the Kings.
The guy has had the flu.
Rumor going around that Pelicans are going to buy out Looney and he will sign a deal with the warriors.
“The ceiling is absolutely lower. I’m not going to sit here and lie.”
– said guy who lies constantly
Now the rumor is Ball going to sign with warriors.
Funny. Davey call Kerr a liar. The guy lies all the time about Kerr.
I think Leons gets one of those roster spots.
I’m interested who they sign to the 1, maybe 2, 2 way slots. I hope they go after Coleman Hawkins. But, he has the same agent as Kuminga.
I mean, all he would have to do is play defense (Podz cant).
“Steve Kerr said the team’s medical and performance staff, led by Rick Celebrini, vetted Porzingis’ health prior to completing the trade.”
Also “Obviously he’s got to get here and Rick has got to work with him”…
Sounds like Kerr is full of it – how could Celebrini have done anything meaningful as far as “vetting” without doing any tests or evaluations?
I hope he can contribute, but given his syndrome I’ll be surprised if he can play in half of the games.
Warriors waited too long to trade Kuminga so of course they will spin it. From what I read there is a growing disconection between management and Kerr. Sounds like they will let him ride out this year and retire.
I wonder if he will retire, considering the Steph situation.
If he does, who do you think they’d hire as HC?
Hard to say who will replace Kerr because there is a long list wanting the job and his staff has some good coaches on it.
Stotts or Stackhouse?
those are the first 2 that heads the list. There is also some ex-coaches like Green or even adleman if he is fired.
DRAYMOND Green as player-coach! Haven’t seen that in the league in a minit.
Willie Green not Draymond.
Malone, Walton but the current trend is young coaches who will take orders from FO.
Look at Thunders, Spurs, and Celtics.
Where there any Kuminga takers earlier? There was nothing over the Summer. And Sac’s offer got worse.
Sounds like there were takers but Kuminga was in the Giannis deal and the warriors were too stuborn to understand he was never going to teh warriors. Sounds like Memphis was thinking about him before dealing JJJ. There was 2 1st round picks and a couple young warriors assuming it was moody and Kuminga to memphis.
Let’s be real and not play keyboard gossip girls. Celebrini has been doing this for 30 years and is well regarded. He has definitely seen KP’s medical records. Celebrini could not talk to KP while he was a member of the Hawks. So, they will meet and talk about going forward.
No one knows what will happen
Its a hail mary by teh warriors hoping KP can play and be ready for the play in.
I think he’ll play at some point. But its as though they are trying to create a “parlay” team, where they have no chance unless all of these old injured players somehow all remain healthy for an extended period and into the playoffs. Seems like wishful thinking to me. It’s a young mans game, and watching that old clip of Klay going off reminded me of how much NBA success relies on the opposite of what the Warriors are doing. The best recipe for success is to hit on young players simultaneously, and be led by a guy in his 27 yo prime (OKC!?), with 1-3 vets contributing. The instances of the bucket list team actually succeeding are few.
Too many fans can not accept that they got old and had one of the best runs ever by a championship dynasty. There are a few management team that can not accept it too. Nothing wrong with a rebuild.
Its all about Steph. They feel they owe it to him to try and build around him, and they are correct. But after next season the team needs to get a lot younger.
I don’t see them oweing Steph anything. I really hate that quote by sport writers and fans saying teh warriors owe Steph. they tried and Butler got hurt.
Yeabut – the “try” isn’t over until all the old farts contracts expire after 26/27.
Also – you wrong about owing Steph. No Steph no rings, no new arena, no $$$ that resulted from all their success. They owe Steph everything. I know you remember the Warriors before their run. They were worse than mediocre.
Only 1 year left on that. The payroll for the 2027/2028 season right now is $15 million with only Moody and Richards. They trimed $37 million off the payroll for next year with those trades.
Is KP even available to play ???? serious question.
Not sure if this is salary dump for next yrs FA class. Or if they think they can sign KP cheap. KP would be much better addition with Jimmy here. As a third or fourth option. He is very valuable.
Yes, very valuable if/when he actually plays.
What if his contract expires and he hasn’t played? Do they offer him a re-up? Do they get a discount? Why would KP discount for Dubs. He has no history with them. The more I think about it the more it looks like any other expiring contract, and a big maybe on him ever contributing, or playing for them next year. The long goodbye to JK.
Only thing I can think of. He thinks he’s a good fit there. So can play a few yrs there. At a decent price. Nobody is offering him big money again. Only you have to chk his health. He is 30-31 yrs old on a 30 mill deal. 3 yr deal at 25 mill or less seems fair. Just need to manage his mins. How many options do Warriors have