Stephen Curry Hopes To Return Ahead of May 9 Projection

Back-to-back MVP winner to-be Stephen Curry missed the Golden State Warriors’ last game against the Houston Rockets with a sprained right knee. He sustained the injury on April 24, after slipping on a wet spot in Game 4 and was given a two week recovery timetable. Barring a setback or some serious progress, this places Curry back around Game 4 of the Warriors’ Western Conference semifinal series with the Portland Trail Blazers.

However, Curry is working hard to return ahead of schedule. As you know, timetables are not concrete. He could be back sooner; he could be back later. Curry told Ethan Sherwood Strauss of ESPN that he was "feeling better" last night:

"Feeling better but just got a ways to go," Curry said Friday. "I always have an optimistic view, no matter what it is. I hope to get back sooner. I haven't talked to the doctors, athletic training staff, all the experts. That two-week timeline was, as Bob (Myers, GM) says, an educated guess."

When Curry makes his return will likely depend on how the series goes. If the Warriors are winning handily, the team may opt to play it safe, but if the Blazers threaten, we may see Curry sooner than later. Still, the Los Angeles Clippers and Blake Griffin (quad) are a cautionary tale. Sometimes having a star back ahead of schedule is not worth the long term consequences.

The Blazers and Warriors tip off Game 1 on Sunday, May 1, at 12:30 p.m. PDT.

***UPDATE***

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has not ruled Curry out of Game 2.

Steve Kerr on Steph Curry: "I'm not going to rule him out for Tuesday (Game 2 against Portland) but there's obviously not much of a chance."

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) April 30, 2016