Steph Curry’s targeted return: March 1

In less than two weeks, Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry will be reevaluated by the team’s training staff to determine the progress of his fractured left hand. When that glorious February 1 day rolls around, we’ll finally have a more clear timeline as to when the two-time MVP will be returning to the court.

While the team doctors will ultimately decide when Curry gets back to action, the point guard and the team have set a target date. According to Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic, the six-time All-Star has circled March 1 on the calendar. From Thompson’s Sunday column:

The question is not if Stephen Curry is coming back this season, but when. And, from what I’ve been told, you might want to clear your schedule for March 1. The Warriors host the Washington Wizards that night.

That’s not set in stone, of course. More like a target date. But expect a return by the face of the franchise before next season.

It would seem that early March is a reasonable expectation for Curry, given how quickly he’s rehabbed his hand following two surgeries. The superstar is already doing a lot of full basketball drills, including shooting. If you didn’t know he had an injury, you wouldn’t be able to tell.

March 1 is the 61st game of the season for the Warriors, meaning Curry would be back for 22 games if he returns on that date. He’ll also likely be in full game shape, since the hand injury isn’t impacting his conditioning, so he may not even be on a minutes restriction.

Still, with the team out of the playoff race, there’s no need for them to work Curry into the ground, so you can expect that his minutes will be a little light even when he returns.

But damn will it be good to see him back on the court.