Get ready for more Steph Curry in Game 3.
During Thursday morning’s shootaround in Denver, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said that Curry’s workload will increase as he continues to rebuild his strength following a month-long layoff due to a sprained left foot. Curry played 22 minutes in Game 1 and 23 minutes in Game 2 of the first round Western Conference matchup against the Nuggets.
Kerr didn’t specify a number, but perhaps we can expect to see Curry play about 28-32 minutes in 7-8 minute spurts on Thursday night. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. PT and you can hear the action on 95.7 The Game, radio home of the Golden State Warriors.
“He should be elevated tonight,” Kerr said of Curry. “He came through the first couple of games well. He’s had the last couple days off in terms of no game action and so he’s had a chance to assess where he is and he’s doing really well. So we’ll increase his minutes a little bit tonight.”
While Curry understandably showed some rust in Game 1 en route to 16 points, he warmed up in Game 2 and dropped 34 points on 12-of-17 shooting and 5-of-10 from the 3-point land. He has come off the bench to begin the series and Denver coach Michael Malone has joked he’s the greatest sixth man in NBA history.
With his current substitution pattern, Curry has entered around the six-minute mark of the first, second and third quarters before entering around the nine-minute mark in the fourth quarter.
“Every game I’m feeling more and more like myself,” Curry said. “Trying to maintain the level of intensity it takes what I need to do what I need to do for a playoff-type atmosphere. ready to take another stride with more minutes tonight and make them useful.”
At some point – whether it’s Game 3 or later in the series – Curry will be back in the starting lineup. That means Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins or Kevon Looney will likely be booted from the starting five, which is assuredly going to contain Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
A big rotation decision is looming for Kerr.
“Good problem to have,” Kerr said. “We’ve got a lot of guys who are capable of starting and playing big minutes. Good thing is, playoff time, we’ve got a lot of experience with veteran mentors who have been through this who can talk to Jordan, talk to our younger players about – just embrace whatever the role is and go with it. Regardless if whether Jordan starts or comes off the bench, he’s gonna play a lot of minutes. I don’t think it’s a huge issue.”
Reading through the coachspeak, it seems Kerr is hinting that Poole could eventually be headed back to the bench despite averaging 25.4 points over his final 20 regular season contests and averaging 29.5 in his first pair of playoff games. Poole came off the bench for 25 of his 76 regular-season appearances, so it would be nothing new for him. You can probably bet that Poole will be in the closing lineup over Looney, alongside Curry, Klay, Draymond and Wiggins.
Listen to Bay Area sports talk now on Audacy and shop the latest Warriors team gear
And as Curry implied, if he can come off the bench despite his Hall of Fame resume, it shouldn’t be a problem for the third-year guard Poole.
“We got options,” Curry said. “Hopefully I’ve demonstrated that at the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter. It’s about, obviously, who’s in that closing lineup, but also like, you’re ready to go and you’re number’s called, whatever that looks like. Jordan’s been unbelievable the last month and a half of the season in the starting lineup and Klay’s found his rhythm now. Wiggs, I don’t think has ever come off the bench in his life. Obviously, we need Draymond out there and Loon provides so much – his presence inside, especially with certain matchups.”
Curry said it’s about the bigger picture.
“It’s difficult decisions for coach to figure out what’s the right move, but at the end of the day, it’s on all of us to make the necessary adjustments to be ready,” Curry said. “Make it about winning, make it just about being ready. Whoever’s gonna start, JP’s gonna play 35 minutes. Klay’s gonna play the same, Wiggins is gonna be out there for a big chunk of his 30-plus minutes. Draymond’s gonna do what he needs to do and so am I.
“I’m talking around it because I don’t know what the answer is, but everybody has to be ready to figure that out.”
