Golden State’s hopes of stabilizing its season continue to hinge on Stephen Curry, who has been sidelined since January 30 with a lingering right knee issue. Despite outside calls for the 37-year-old guard to shut down for the year, teammate Draymond Green said on his latest podcast that Curry intends to come back once cleared.
“He was getting ready to return when we had only 15 wins in 2019-20, so he’s not just going to shut it down,” Green explained, adding that owner Joe Lacob has never supported tanking. The Warriors announced Sunday that Curry will not be reevaluated for another 10 days. Without their leading scorer—and without Jimmy Butler, who is out for the season with a torn ACL—Golden State has slipped to 31-30, clinging to eighth place in the Western Conference.
Porzingis, Moody, Richard all ruled out
Center Kristaps Porzingis, sidelined the past five games by illness, has joined the club on its three-game road trip but will miss Thursday’s matchup in Houston, according to ESPN’s Anthony Slater. Guard Moses Moody (sprained right wrist) and forward Will Richard (ankle sprain) will also be unavailable.
Porzingis’ expiring $30.7 million contract could free up significant cap space this summer, NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole reported. The front office secured the 28-year-old in a mid-season deal that sent out Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield, but Poole noted that additional offseason moves will be needed to realize the trade’s full value.
Nate Williams seizes opportunity
With multiple rotation players hurt, two-way guard Nate Williams logged nearly 22 minutes Monday and delivered a career-best 18 points on 3-of-4 shooting from deep while spending stretches defending Kawhi Leonard. “I’m just being myself, and the team lets me do that,” Williams said, crediting head coach Steve Kerr and his staff for the expanded role. The rookie is expected to remain in the mix until the roster gets healthier.
Green said the team’s short-term focus is simple: “All you can do is keep fighting, maintain good habits, and try to win games.”
Source: Hoops Rumors
