The Golden State Warriors are expected to be without perennial All Star Steph Curry for at least a couple of games after Curry sprained his ankle in Sunday’s 112-104 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
This isn’t the first time that Curry has dealt with ankle issues, and we’ve documented many of his previous foot injuries on the blog. Although Head Coach Steve Kerr suggested that the injury was likely “mild to moderate in nature,” they are bracing for the possibility that they’ll be without their best player for at least a few games.
Curry first injured his ankle with three minutes left in the third quarter. He hobbled to the bench and attempted to stretch his left ankle a bit for the remainder of the third quarter. Curry appeared to be none worse for the wear a couple minutes later, as he checked back into the game with eight minutes left in the fourth quarter. However, as he attempted to fight through a screen, he rolled his left ankle again and was in clear discomfort. He hobbled off the court with a much more noticeable limp and was helped to the locker room with assistance from teammate Gary Payton Jr.
The Warriors have more depth than in years past, but the loss of Curry will certainly hurt the Warriors in the short term. In the first three games this season, Curry is averaging 18.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.7 assists while shooting 40.7% from 3-point range. Assuming the reports are correct, Curry will likely be sidelined about a week with his latest ankle ailment.
Dr. Silverman Comments
It’s been a while since we talked about Steph Curry’s ankles on the blog, and it’s unfortunate but not unexpected that we’re back here again. Curry likely has instability in both of his ankles due to his past injuries and the natural wear and tear that he puts on his ankles during the season. He has worked hard to strengthen his ankles after previous injuries, but we suspect that this offseason played a bit of a role in his latest injury.
Curry typically takes some time off during the offseason, and while he continues to work out and perform basketball activities, this serves as a crucial recovery period for his ankles. This offseason looked a little different than most, as he and Team USA competed in the Olympics. The team played five exhibition games as part of a pre-Olympics showcase, and then the team won all six of its games during competition to bring home the gold. It’s only 11 games over the course of a month, but when you factor in the competitive practices and the time it took away from his normal offseason routine, it’s easy to see how Steph may have come into this season with a little more wear on his tires than in previous years. Couple that with pre-existing ankle damage, and it’s not shocking that he rolled his ankle early in the season.
Fortunately the injury is considered pretty mild, but don’t be surprised if Golden State is overly cautious with Curry over the next few weeks. That’s not to say that he’ll miss way more time than expected, but the Warriors will want to do what they can to help Curry make the strongest recovery possible. Rushing him back too soon significantly increases his likelihood of a subsequent injury, and we saw that showcased on a smaller scale after he rolled his ankle again upon returning in the fourth quarter on Sunday. We expect the team to play things slow with his recovery and his minutes as he returns so they can ensure he can handle the rigors of another full season.
Hopefully this is the last we write of Curry and his ankles this season, and we wish him the best of luck with his recovery.