SAN FRANCISCO – Steve Kerr on Thursday gave NBA fans something to think about. It pertains to Stephen Curry, and it’s profoundly logical.
Before digging into your wallet in hopes of coming to an arena and seeing the splendor of Curry in action, please consider that your wish might not be granted.
“We have fans who buy tickets expecting to see Steph,” Kerr said Thursday after practice. “Usually Steph, sometimes other players. People expecting to see vets. And then we have a back-to-back, and we don’t play him. I would just come out and tell the fans out there to be mindful (of the schedule) when you’re buying the tickets because we’ve got not just Steph, but we’ve got multiple vets we are going to try to manage because it’s the only way we can do this.”
This is a warning that goes far beyond basketball fans. This is about being prudent with Curry. About acknowledging that the man who has been scampering circles around NBA defenses since 2009 is now 38 years old and coming off a season in which he missed 27 late-season games after being diagnosed with runner’s knee.
First and foremost, this is about saving Steph, a notorious pusher of envelopes, from himself.
And, in the process, hoping that will keep the Warriors in position to compile a much better record than the 37-45 mark posted last season.
Everyone on Golden State’s payroll understands that Curry the team’s barometer. If he’s available and healthy, the Warriors have a chance to beat any team in the league. If he’s neither, they can tumble like a house of toothpicks. They were 9-18 while Curry was coping with a malady he’d never experienced – and can become chronic if mistreated.
Curry’s body is different than it was 10 years ago, or even five years ago, which has forced an adjustment to his legendary conditioning regimen. He had to curtail the amount of offseason running that was at the base of his fitness.
In four preseason games, Curry has played a total of 64 minutes. He made his first second-half appearance Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers and was on the court for a preseason-high 23 minutes. Normally, when the regular season is so close, he’s closer to 30.
“We are purposely ramping up Steph more slowly this year, this training camp, than he’s used to,” Kerr said. “In the past, by this time he was already in such good playing shape and rhythm because of his routine and his work ethic.
“We purposely are holding him back this year, trying to lessen the load with the knee in mind in particular. So, we’re ramping him up more slowly. He’s right on schedule. This is exactly how we planned it to this point, but every day means he’s doing less.”
Curry’s practice time once again will be reduced in the regular season, just as it has been throughout training camp and the preseason. He participated in only a portion of the team’s practice on Thursday.
“We’re really scaling back his overall workload,” Kerr said, “and trying to find that sweet spot where he can still be in rhythm and be ready to play 32, 34 minutes without all the load that that comes. It’s a different approach.”
This will be a season in which Curry plays few, if any, back-to-back sets. There could be instances in which he misses consecutive games. He’ll hate it, but he’s better about listening to his body than he was 10 years ago.
And Curry won’t be alone.
Golden State’s roster is deeply reliant on a group of players over 35, with Al Horford the oldest at 40 and Draymond Green the youngest at 36. Jimmy Butler III is 37 and won’t be a factor when the season begins on Oct. 21. Kristaps Porziņģis is only 31, but various health issues have made his anatomy considerably older.
Caution is the word for this season, as it should be. It won’t be popular, but it is absolutely necessary.