{"id":702554,"date":"2026-04-07T03:57:31","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T03:57:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/702554\/"},"modified":"2026-04-07T03:57:31","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T03:57:31","slug":"why-steph-curry-shouldnt-have-returned-per-stephen-a-smith-nbc-bay-area","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/702554\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Steph Curry shouldn\u2019t have returned, per Stephen A. Smith \u2013 NBC Bay Area"},"content":{"rendered":"

Warriors star Steph Curry made his long-awaited return on Sunday<\/a> after missing 27 consecutive games due to a nagging knee injury.<\/p>\n

Despite Curry showing out with 29 points in his first game since Jan. 30, ESPN\u2019s Stephen A. Smith believes the two-time NBA MVP should have sat out for the rest of the season.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe personally, because age has kicked in [and] nutrition to some degree, having missed 27 straight games, seeing him out there, I just hate it from the standpoint that it\u2019s useless for the Warriors,\u201d Smith said on ESPN\u2019s \u201cFirst Take.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201c[The Warriors are not] going anywhere. You\u2019re going to be in the play-in as the tenth seed. You\u2019re going to go up against the Portland Trail Blazers. You might not make it out of the play-in. Watching Steph Curry is never bad for basketball. We all are treated to something special. Warriors fans are treated to something special. We get it.\u201d<\/p>\n

“What if Giannis stood up and said, ‘I wanna make sure I go to Golden State.'” <\/p>\n

\u2014@stephenasmith<\/a> talks about his trepidations with Steph Curry’s return and the Warriors’ outlook moving forward \u2b07\ufe0f pic.twitter.com\/LZrLuUHQpb<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 First Take (@FirstTake) April 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

In Golden State\u2019s 117-116 loss<\/a> to the Houston Rockets on Sunday at Chase Center, Curry came off the bench and scored 29 points on 11-of-21 shooting from the field and 5 of 10 from 3-point range in 26 minutes on the court.<\/p>\n

Even though the Warriors only have a chance to claim either the No. 9 or 10 seed in the Western Conference at this point in the season, the 38-year-old Curry still pushed to get back in action and provide a much-needed boost for the team.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just that I\u2019m thinking about next year and the year after, how much time he has left, and I don\u2019t want to see anything happening to this brother because I need him,\u201d Smith added.<\/p>\n

\u201cI need him because he and [Anthony Edwards] are my two favorite players in the entire NBA to watch, and I don\u2019t want anything to happen that could derail his health in any way for him or the Warriors. No Jimmy Butler there. They\u2019re clearly not healthy, and whatever. I get it. I understand it. It\u2019s just that that\u2019s where my trepidations kick in.\u201d<\/p>\n

With Curry\u2019s return to action, the Warriors get back the piece they severely have been missing for the last two months and the player who always gives them a chance to win any game<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast<\/a><\/p>\n

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