Getty Images Warriors' Steph Curry returned to the court on Saturday.
Being rusty after missing a significant amount of time due to an injury should never disappoint an NBA player. When you’re a perfectionist like Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry though, you won’t settle for an average performance. Finally, after missing over ten games this season, Curry returned to the court as the Warriors took a tough loss to the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night.
Curry, who seemed to avoid the minutes’ restriction that was rumored to be put on him, played for a total of 37 minutes in his return to the court. He finished the night with 27 points, five rebounds, three assists and a couple of steals. While that stat line looks above-average to most of the NBA, it was a lousy night in the eyes of the former NBA MVP.
Maybe the average fan couldn’t see it, but Steph Curry felt rusty on Saturday night. For a guy who is typically a playmaker, and who avoids mental mistakes, Curry didn’t feel as sharp against the Pistons. While he still did a solid job in the scoring department, Curry did turn the ball over for a season-high of seven times on Saturday. Again, it’s understandable. But Curry refuses to give himself a pass just because he was out for a few weeks.
Steph Curry Addresses His Struggles
“I’ve had great games after missing substantial time before,” Curry said. “Tonight was not like that. It was just more being really antsy in times when I got the ball in my hands, feeling like I had to make something happen. I didn’t really force much, it was just the timing was off. My teammates were doing a great job trying to find me and getting me going. I think a little bit of that kind of worked against us if I wasn’t able to finish possessions. Everybody was doing a little bit too much sacrificing and that happens at times when your lineups change and things like that, but we’ll adjust back to how we normally play. Everybody will continue to be aggressive and confident and we’ll get back to Warrior basketball.”
Steph Curry did not hold back while discussing his struggles in his return against Detroit. While the Warriors were excited to have Curry again since he could potentially create a much-needed spark for the team – they weren’t fortunate enough to get a game-changing performance out of the star guard, despite what the stat sheets say.
Looking at the numbers, Curry struggled big time in the first half but did start to pick things up later on in the game. He ended much hotter than he started, which should help him get off to a quicker start on Monday against the Atlanta Hawks.
Nobody is concerned for Curry moving forward. While Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was on the same page with Curry about his slow start, and shaky return as a whole, he is far from worried about the Warriors future. At the end of the day, they are a playoff team, even when short-staffed. But with Curry getting back into the mix, Golden State is definitely going to see a significant boost moving forward.