The Golden State Warriors played their first NBA preseason game on Sunday in Hawaii, and if it was good signs you were looking for then rest easy: star guard Stephen Curry still looked just like Stephen Curry.
He did not play much, but Curry logged 10 points, two rebounds, two assists, and a steal in 13 minutes of action against the Clippers, and in doing so, got back on the court for the first time since the Dubs lost in Phoenix in the final play-in game last spring. In a Warriors season that could wind up being defined by injuries–avoiding some and coming back from others–every test of Curry’s health that comes off without a hitch will be met with some relief.
Curry’s season suffered a major hit last year when he had to a deal with a case of “runner’s knee,” a situation that was supposed to be a one- or two-week issue but lingered for eight-plus weeks. So after the game on Sunday, Curry got a question he will probably get on every game night this season: How’s the knee feel?
As Curry said, “Feels great.”
Stephen Curry, Warriors Getting ‘Ahead’ of Knee Problem
Curry has talked openly about what a challenge the knee issue was for both him and the Warriors last year–and about how he is not sure he is entirely free of the knee injury for this season, or for the rest of his basketball life.
As he said in the offseason: “It’s a concern, but it’s something that, now that I know what it is, you can kind of get ahead of it and manage it in a way that allows me to do what I need to do on the court, be available for my team, but have all the preparations to make sure that it’s able to recover and I’m able to be out there most nights. So, it’s a new normal. I’m not afraid of saying that because I kind of know what I’m dealing with, and just requires me to approach things a little differently but still play.”
The Warriors will get their next preseason go-round against the Lakers on Tuesday.
Warriors’ Stephen Curry Has 2 Words for Knee Injury After Debut