Steve Kerr on Stephen Curry: "He simply isn't where he needs to be"

The Golden State Warriors will be without Stephen Curry in their return to competition this Thursday against the Boston Celtics. The duration of his absence remains undefined, after the player himself conveyed to the medical staff that his right knee is not ready to return to action.

Before the All-Star break, coach Steve Kerr was optimistic about the base's recovery, trusting that the inflammation and pain would subside in time for him to be cleared. However, upon rejoining the team on Wednesday night, Curry halted any chance of making a comeback.

"I just wasn't where I needed to be," explained Kerr. "It's a shame. We will have an update tomorrow after spending time with the medical team."

The coach did not rule out the possibility of the player undergoing a new MRI scan after consulting with Rick Celebrini, the team's head medical staff currently in Milan following his son Macklin in an Olympic hockey tournament.

Curry missed the last five games before the break due to persistent pain and inflammation in his right knee, a condition known as "runner's knee." Kerr emphasized the need for caution: "We have to be certain. He's got to be certain. It's a bit nebulous, but that's the nature of these types of injuries."

Curry himself had already warned on February 5th that the knee was "progressing in the right direction," but made it clear he wouldn't take any risks. "You have to try to eliminate all the inflammation and pain. It's something we still have to monitor and manage because if I come back too soon, it could reoccur," he pointed out.

Meanwhile, the positive news for Golden State is the imminent addition of Kristaps Porzingis. The Latvian, acquired from Atlanta at the trade deadline in a deal that sent Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Hawks, is officially listed as questionable but expressed his intention to play: "I'm ready."

Porzingis has only played 17 games this season due to physical issues, including Achilles tendinitis and an illness. During the break, he worked with the coaching staff and participated in a contact training session on Wednesday.

Kerr disclosed that the initial plan will be to use him in short stretches with limited minutes. All signs point to him making his debut coming off the bench against the Celtics, his former team, sharing the court with Al Horford, now a teammate and also a former Boston player.

"It's strange," Porzingis acknowledged about facing the Celtics. "Who would have imagined it? But that's how it goes. We obviously expected some changes in Boston due to financial reasons, but it will be weird."

Empowering Porzingis on Offense

The coach hinted that the team will seek to empower Porzingis on offense. In recent practices, they have specifically worked on offensive positioning around his post-up plays. The center was satisfied with the dynamics and his understanding alongside Draymond Green: "I love Draymond. I can see how important he is for this group."

The Warriors, with a record of 29-26, currently hold the eighth position in the Western Conference as they await their leader's full recovery and the immediate impact of their new reinforcement.

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