Golden State Warriors: What to expect from Stephen Curry upon return

His injury was unique as are the circumstances of his Golden State Warriors. So, what should be expected when Stephen Curry finally returns to the court?

The 2019-20 season was always going to be a unique one for Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.

It would be his first without Klay Thompson by his side since his sophomore campaign way back in 2010-11. Kevin Durant was no longer there. Neither were Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston.

The pressure to compete for a championship had dropped significantly. Curiosity for Curry had risen given the desire many had to see how far he could take the Warriors in the absence of an incredible safety net of supporting talent.

After breaking his hand not four games into the season, there’s a large section of NBA fandom who don’t want to see Curry at all again this year. At 13-47, the Warriors have the league’s worst record and a 31-year-old Curry has certainly earned all the extra rest he can find.

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Despite a push back from the expected return date, his return seems imminent. But given everything that’s changed on top of all the preseason adjustments he had to make, expectations for Curry are moving every which way.

His injury was a peculiar one, not the ankle injury that plagued the early stages of his career nor the unfortunate landing that snaps something in the lower half of his body ala Thompson’s torn ACL.

Had Steph succumbed to a similar non-contact injury, Golden State would’ve likely shut him down for the year. Instead, his left hand was at the wrong place at the wrong time, taking the brute force of a 260-pound man in a scenario that’d be hard to replicate.

That being said, bouncing back from a fracture of any kind is difficult, even more so when it’s resulted in nerve issues, the type Steph is still dealing with.

He may be a right-handed shooter who suffered a left-handed injury, but the off-hand is still of incredible importance as a guide for the basketball’s trajectory. Let’s also not forget how ambidextrous Curry is with an array of dribbling and finishing moves.

Stephen Curry has grown accustomed to playing alongside an embarrassment of elite two-way talent. It’s what spearheaded his ascension to superstardom with back-to-back MVP trophies and three NBA titles.

That might not be the case this year with Thompson sidelined, Draymond Green on cruise control and D’Angelo Russell traded, but you wouldn’t know it from Steve Kerr‘s point of view.

Unlike most coaches, Kerr has not adjusted his championship-winning system to better serve the unique roster at his disposal.

Instead, he’s demanded his players mold themselves to fit a proven recipe. The Golden State Warriors rank No. 1 in passes per game by nearly 20 as well as 12th in assists and fifth in secondary assists.

Perhaps he could’ve squeezed a few extra wins out of this bunch with more pick-and-rolls and isolation sets, but to what end?

Instead, this season has been more like a year-long tryout to assess who among the players is capable of filling out a depleted bench next season when the stakes will be higher.

With Steph in the lineup, Kerr will have a better sense of those best suited for the required second-unit role while affording Curry a significantly easier return to the court amid a familiar play style.

He could’ve easily called this sabbatical season a wrap and prepared for the following season, but Curry’s love of the game is clearly stronger than that.

He’ll struggle to accustom himself to the challenges brought on by the hand injury and require some time growing used to new teammates, most notably deadline acquisition Andrew Wiggins.

Ultimately, whatever Stephen Curry brings to the table will be a lot more than what’s been present in recent months. For the Golden State Warriors and the NBA as a whole, that’s a win worth taking for now.