Adrian Wojnarowski predicts return timeline for Steph Curry: “These all heal differently and the rehab can be different”
Steph Curry's injury was a big blow to the Golden State Warriors. Senior NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the four-time NBA champ might return in four weeks.
Curry hurt his shoulder during the third quarter of the game against the Indiana Pacers. He went in to grab a rebound but came off screaming in pain and grabbing his left shoulder.
Thankfully, it was reported that the severity of Curry's situation did not require surgery. If it did, the Warriors' key player would be out for an extended period.
On ESPN's NBA Countdown with Mike Greenberg, Woj gave an insight into a probable return date for Curry. Although he highlighted that timelines vary from person to person, he reported that there was some positivity around Curry returning in about four weeks.
"I'm told that the optimistic timeline on a Steph Curry return is about three weeks. But this all heals differently, and the rehab can be different. I think the three-to-four-week range is realistic for this injury. That could be as many as a dozen games."
Wojnarowski also commented on how difficult it might be for the Warriors without Curry.
"This is a team that's one game under .500, and they've got four tough games in the East before they go back home for an eight-game home stand that starts with Memphis on Christmas Day. This is a Warriors team that has historically has never played very well without Steph Curry."
"I'm told that the optimistic timeline on a Steph Curry return is about 3 weeks. But these all heal differently and the rehab can be different. I think the 3-to-4-week range is realistic for this [shoulder] injury."
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The Warriors have struggled out of the gates in their 2022-23 campaign. They are ranked 11th in the Western Conference (14-16).
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The Golden State Warriors have a 24-66 record without Steph Curry in the last three years
The Warriors have struggled tremendously without Curry in the lineup. Since the 2019-20 season, they have won only 24 games in 90 outings without the "Baby-Faced Assassin". They have lost all four games Curry has missed this season.
The NBA community does not expect the Warriors to perform any better with Curry on the sidelines, and with good reason. Although it is still early in the season, their performances in the next few games will play a pivotal role in their quest to defend their title.
The Warriors came into the season as championship contenders but have not met expectations. They let go of key role players during the offseason and have not gotten the same level of production from their second unit.
There is still some time to turn things around before the postseason. NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith believes the onus falls on Klay Thompson to lead the team.
Smith also called on Jordan Poole to step up his game. He reported that the front office considered making Poole a starter after his exploits during the playoffs last season.