What to expect in Steph Curry’s return

By now you’ve read the news. The paper boy on his little bicycle has sped down your street, tossed the newspaper into the part of your lawn where your dog micturated not ten minutes prior, and sped off.

The news: Steph Curry is back.

More than four months after suffering a severe fracture in his left hand, the two-time MVP is returning as the Golden State Warriors take on the Toronto Raptors on TNT.

It’s must-watch TV for Warriors fans, and basketball fans in general. But what can we expect?

A [redacted] load of hype

I’m excited. You’re excited. The Warriors are excited. Hell, the Raptors are probably excited.

You can expect a ton of hype for Curry, starting with increased coverage from NBC Sports Bay Area leading up to the game, and surely a million mentions and videos on the TV broadcasts, as well as an erupting Chase Center every time Curry touches the ball.

I mean, come on, y’all. Get hyped.

Can it hurry up and be 7:30 already?

A little bit lack of rust

We all know how good Curry can be, and in due time he’ll get there.

But he hasn’t played in an NBA game in 127 days, and rust doesn’t just magically disappear.

Except . . . I originally wrote out this segment assuming Curry would be prone to rust. Then I looked back at the 2017-18 season. After missing 11 games early in the year, Curry returned to torch the Memphis Grizzlies with 38 points in under 26 minutes, on 10-13 shooting from deep.

Later in the year he missed 16 straight games, and 22 out of 23, and returned (in the playoffs) to drop 28 points in 27 minutes, shooting 5-10 from distance.

So forget the rust thing. Get ready for some vintage Curry!

Or maybe some rust. Honestly, who cares. It will all be great.

An excited Warriors team

All of the young Warriors have spoken up about wanting to get to play with Curry, from recent 10-day contract Mychal Mulder saying he hopes their time overlaps (it will!), to Andrew Wiggins praising Curry.

Everyone’s excited to play with Curry, and you can expect the team to be bringing a lot of energy.

Minutes restriction

A quick negative. Curry hasn’t played since October 30, so it’s unlikely his endurance is up to par. You just can’t simulate NBA games, even in a G League practice.

So expect a light minutes restriction.

Something to prove

Curry’s been out a while, and the Warriors haven’t played well. After five years on top of the league, the narrative has shifted, and perhaps it’s leaving the Warriors, and Curry behind.

Steph won’t like that. We know that behind his kind smile and corporate polish, Curry is a full-of-swagger, arrogant, stone-cold killer, who likes to remind opponents and opposing fanbases that he’s better than they are.

You can expect that to be on display. He’s ready to remind people that he’s back.

Fun

Look, we’re all here because we love the Warriors, so this is a safe space to admit that the team hasn’t been very fun this year. There’s only so much you can take.

This game will be fun then. Whatever Curry does, this game will be fun.

Enjoy it. He’s back.