Steph Curry is making his second trip to the brand recent Intuit Dome in Inglewood, but he won't be getting dressed.
Curry, 36, is inactive for Friday night's game against the Clippers. Since this move is the primary of back-to-back appearances, the Warriors are awaiting him to handle bilateral knee tendonitis that he has struggled with this yr.
Golden State (15-14) will even be without Gary Payton II, who left the Christmas game with a left calf strain that can sideline him for at the very least the subsequent week.
When the knee problems began in late November, a part of the conversation between Curry and the coaching staff centered on whether to play back-to-back games. On December 5, he sat out the Houston game at some point before the sport against Minnesota.
Now the Warriors have moved as much as tenth place within the Western Conference after losing 11 of their last 14 games – including a Christmas classic with the Lakers. Before that game, Curry addressed the team with a transient speech, acknowledging that the Warriors were at a turning point.
Despite the urgency, the Warriors all the time and proceed to have the larger picture of their superstar in mind.
“That’s always been part of the challenge,” Curry said at Christmas. “I want to play every game. Especially when you look at the rankings and the games, but especially when you're trying to get over the hurdle of having something that you can feel good about and want to be a part of… You always have to “You have to be smart when you take into account the miles I have and where I am in my career.”
Curry played 36 minutes against the Lakers, nearly his season high. He scored 38 points, including the Warriors' last eight. Golden State likes to maintain it around 32 minutes, but increase it as the sport — and the stage — warrants.
“We have to help him get through the regular season,” head coach Steve Kerr said on Christmas.
Friday will likely be Curry's sixth missed game of the season. Despite a below-average December by his high standards, Curry is averaging 22.5 points, 6.5 assists and 4.8 rebounds while hitting 4.3 triples per game.
Curry ranks eighth within the league in box plus/minus and thirteenth in value above alternative, two advanced stats that reflect overall impact.
The Warriors are 4-1 in games without Curry this season, including a formidable win over the Rockets by which Jonathan Kuminga scored a season-high 33 points. Golden State will likely take the ball more often in Curry's absence and use recent guard Dennis Schroder steadily.
The Clippers defeated the Warriors in each of their first two meetings. Los Angeles sits in seventh place at 17-13 despite Kawhi Leonard – who won't debut Friday – missing all yr. Winger Terance Mann can be out with a broken finger.
image credit : www.mercurynews.com