Steph has no target return date from hamstring strain
The Golden State Warriors might be without Stephen Curry for longer than they anticipated.
Curry was ruled out Wednesday for at least one week because of a Grade 1 left hamstring strain. He suffered the injury Tuesday in the Warriors' Game 1 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The 37-year-old's return timeline will keep him out from Games 2-4 against the Timberwolves. However, Curry is unsure if he will even be ready for Game 5 of the second-round series.
"No, this is new and from all that I'm learning about how quickly you can get back, there has to be a healing process," Curry said Thursday about a potential target return date, according to The Athletic's Anthony Slater. "It's just the way the body works.
"You can't accelerate it more than what it's telling you. So it'll be one of those after a week really re-evaluating every day to kind of understand when it's safe just to even think about playing, let alone like how much can you push it."
Curry was at the Warriors' shootaround Thursday but wasn't even able to take stationary shots. The 37-year-old said he is still "a ways away" from that, according to 95.7 The Game.
The 11-time All-Star also addressed whether he is tempted to attempt playing through his injury.
"Eventually there will be conversations like that," Curry said. "I'm not even anywhere close to that right now. I'm not rushing it. ... There has to be a natural healing process that happens, and the body will tell you even if you're able to do normal basketball movements pain free.
"I know how tricky hamstrings can be where they can fool you and think that it's healed even if you don't feel anything. So that gray area will be confusing, I'm sure. But I'll do everything in my power to get back as soon as possible."
Even without Curry in the second half of Game 1, the Warriors earned a 99-88 victory. Curry was proud of what his teammates accomplished without him, and he knows they are capable of much more while he's sidelined.
"That's the strength in what we can do," Curry said, per Slater. "We have obviously Jimmy (Butler), Draymond (Green) quarterbacking both sides of the ball. Buddy's (Hield) playing at a high level and then the committee of guys who are going to fill in the rotation."
Curry also believes the Warriors' effort on the defensive end is enough to get them victories.
"We're going to rely on our defense, we know that, and even if I'm out there that's our calling card," he said. "But there's a lot of confidence that the guys can maintain, sustain that level. We know Minnesota is going to come back motivated to get a win on their home floor, but over the course of the series we feel like we're in good shape."
The Warriors will attempt to take a 2-0 series lead Thursday night.