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Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors is still among the best players in the NBA.
After a five-game absence due to quad contusion and muscle strain, Steph Curry is set to return to the Golden State Warriors‘ lineup on Friday. While Curry was on the sidelines, the Warriors had an unlikely breakout star in Pat Spencer.
Speaking to reporters after Golden State’s practice on Thursday, Curry was asked about Spencer’s recent performances. The third-string guard was phenomenal in four of the games the two-time NBA MVP was out. He was averaging 16.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.0 steals per game on 59.1% from the field.
Curry wasn’t surprised because he’s been playing with Spencer for the past two seasons and knows what he’s capable of.
“It’s amazing to watch,” Curry said, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “We’ve seen it over the summers, in practice, when he’s been out there in short spurts. He just has a presence about him that he just knows the game. He plays with 120 percent of confidence every time he’s out there. And as a kind of playmaker role, it was cool to see him kind of adapt to what we needed pretty much overnight. And I think it’ll only help us as we keep moving forward.”
Spencer is expected to get bumped off from the starting lineup with Curry set to return against the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, it seems like the 29-year-old guard could be the backup point guard or even be the playmaker when he’s on the floor with Curry.
Curry Feeling Good Ahead of Return
In the same post-practice press conference, Steph Curry opened up about his recovery from injury. Curry is feeling good ahead of his first game since November 26.
“Feeling great. I had a good rehab week and the guys took care of business on the trip, so that was great to see the energy coming back,” Curry said, via Fox Sports. “I’m happy to practice the last couple days to see how I feel. After these last two sessions, I’m pretty optimistic.”
At 37 years old, the Warriors are expected to be cautious with Curry despite being fully recovered from his injury. He’ll likely be in a minutes restrictions in their next few games to ease his body into the speed of the game.
Curry Sends Message to Jonathan Kuminga
While Pat Spencer has performed well in Steph Curry’s absence, Jonathan Kuminga continued to regress to a point where Steve Kerr gave him a DNP against the Chicago Bulls on December 7.
With Kuminga’s future in the Bay Area in doubt, Curry has a message to their 23-year-old forward:
“Really, the hardest part is, whether it’s going well or whether it’s not, (is) not losing your spirit,” Curry said, via The Athletic. “That’s been JK’s challenge as a young player. Things change so quickly, and there’s all these declarations about who he is as a player, and does he fit, and all that type of stuff.”
Kuminga has been linked to multiple teams ahead of his trade eligibility date, including the Chicago Bulls, Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns.
Juan Paolo David Juan Paolo David is a sports journalist covering basketball for Heavy. He has a decade of experience writing about the NBA and WWE. He’s currently based in the Philippines. More about Juan Paolo David
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