The Golden State Warriors are set to return to the court on Thursday, following over a week-long hiatus. In the matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers, they’ll still be without star point guard Stephen Curry, who has been sidelined since February 4 with a lower leg injury.
Golden State has missed Curry and his tremendous talent, without a question. They’ve lost three of their five games since the injury.
Donte DiVincenzo recently discussed how the veteran guard is impactful not only as a player, but also as a leader.
“When Steph talks, it’s very impactful,” DiVincenzo told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole. “He also leads by example. He’s just a great human being, both are, but are just totally different personalities.”
He went on to add that the 2022 Finals MVP has a great sense of humor, keeping things light in the locker room.
“Yeah, [Curry will] mess with me all the time, and you never expect it,” DiVincenzo told Poole. “He’ll come in and it’s all quiet, and then he’ll just pop a joke and you won’t expect it.”
The former Villanova standout has played alongside Curry, as well as Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, two of the NBA’s biggest stars.
He compared the Greek Freak to the 3-point king as a leader, labeling both as “powerful,” but in different ways.
“They’re both very powerful leaders, and I think the word powerful is completely different,” DiVincenzo explained to Poole. “Giannis on the court will run through a brick wall and can lead by example.”
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As each day passes by, Curry gets closer to returning to the Dubs’ lineup. He’s been ruled out of Thursday’s game against the Lakers, but he did make a key step in the recovery process on Tuesday.
NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dalton Johnson reported that after the team’s February 21 practice, Curry took part in his first non-contact workout since getting hurt.
“After Golden State concluded practice, Curry stepped on the floor to the side and took shots for his first non-contact court work since sustaining a left lower leg injury on Feb. 4 in the Warriors’ win over the Dallas Mavericks at Chase Center,” he wrote.
Johnson spoke to Warriors head coach Steve Kerr about his point guard’s recovery.
“First time on the court, so he’ll do a few things lightly and see where he goes from there,” Kerr told Johnson.
Warriors’ Stephen Curry to Miss at Least Next 5 Games: Report
Curry’s first non-contact workout, though a key step in recovery, doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be suiting up anytime soon.
The Athletic‘s Tim Kawakami cast some serious doubt on an impending return for the 34-year-old, during a recent radio appearance.
“In the 7-10 game range and maybe a little bit more than that…,” Kawakami told Damon & Ratto of 95.7 The Game. “I wouldn’t say he’s going to play in the next five games.”
Before going down with the leg injury, Curry was piecing together a strong season for Golden State. He was averaging 29.4 points, 6.4 assists, and 6.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 49.2% from the field and 42.7% from beyond the arc.
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Warriors’ Donte DiVincenzo Issues Strong Statement on Stephen Curry