Stephen Curry intends to return to the floor Sunday when the Golden State Warriors host the Los Angeles Lakers barring setbacks between now and then, according to Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes. Curry has been out since he suffered partial tears in two lower-leg ligaments on Feb. 4 against the Dallas Mavericks.
Curry has missed time with both this leg injury and a shoulder injury earlier in the season, but when he has been on the floor, he has had one of the best seasons of his illustrious career. He is currently averaging 29.4 points per game, the third-highest mark of his career, and his effective field goal percentage of 61.9 percent trails only his historic 2016 unanimous MVP season. Despite playing in only 38 games thus far this season, he still ranks eighth in the NBA with 185 made 3-pointers on the season.
Golden State has rallied as a team despite Curry's absence. They had won their past three games entering Thursday's contest with the Los Angeles Clippers and moved into the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference without Curry at the helm.
Still, the Warriors are obviously far better off with Curry than without him. In fact, despite the team's struggles, Golden State has been among the NBA's best overall teams when it has had Curry on the floor. They have outscored opponents by 5.3 points per 100 possessions when he's played, and just as importantly, when the five-man starting lineup of Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and Kevon Looney has played together, it has outscored opponents by 145 total points. Only Denver's starting lineup can top that figure, and it has had 124 more minutes together to do so.
It has been a difficult season for Golden State on just about every front, but with the playoffs quickly approaching, they are getting healthier and ready to defend their championship. In a conference filled with roster upheaval and inexperience, so long as they have their players available, they'll like their chances.
