Steph Curry isn’t 100%, but he’s as good as he’ll get

Stephen Curry hasn’t put on a Golden State Warriors jersey in a few weeks. He’s been sidelined with yet another ankle injury, sustained when he landed awkwardly in a game against the San Antonio Spurs, and rolled the ankle to the side.

Every Warriors fan wondered when Curry would return to full health. We got that answer today, and it’s a bit of a mixed bag. Curry is set to return on Friday against the Atlanta Hawks, but at Thursday’s practice he admitted that his ankle isn’t completely healthy.

So, why return, when the playoffs are still more than three weeks away? Because his ankle won’t be any healthier then than it is now.

“There’s definitely aspects of bone bruises, and ligaments, and all that stuff that happens with ankles, that doesn’t really bother you on the floor, but if you’re really nit-picky, is definitely not 100%,” Curry said. “There’s nothing that’s going to happen between now and the end of June that’s going to change that. So as long as I’m not putting myself in jeopardy . . . I’m good to go.”

While this isn’t the dream news that fans (or the Warriors) were looking for, Curry was in good spirits and seemed optimistic about the ankle. He stressed that the injury will in no way limit the way that he plays.

He’s also switching up his footwear, as he’ll sport low top Under Armour sneakers to accommodate larger ankle braces.

For head coach Steve Kerr, the decision was easy. As soon as he learned that Curry’s ankle wouldn’t get healthier by resting, he knew it was time for a return.

“If it made sense to keep him out another week, we’d do it,” Kerr said. “But it doesn’t, given the nature of his ankle.”

It could be better, but it could be worse. Time to enjoy the show . . . while keeping your fingers crossed.