SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors had deliberate on treating Friday’s preseason finale towards the Los Angeles Lakers as one final check drive earlier than subsequent Wednesday’s season-opener in Portland. However an damage to famous person level guard Steph Curry made Golden State name an audible.
Curry, 36, sprained his proper index finger throughout apply on Thursday, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr mentioned. The damage is minor, however dominated Curry out for the sport nonetheless.
“Not severe,” Kerr mentioned. “Simply precautionary.”
As an alternative of the preseason finale serving as a precursor to the common season, the Warriors will cut back the minutes on their regulars. Draymond Inexperienced is barely anticipated to play the primary half, Kerr mentioned, a call made after Curry’s damage.
The Lakers, on the second evening of a wierd preseason back-to-back, are additionally definitely not treating Friday as a costume rehearsal. Los Angeles sat LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and D’Angelo Russell.
“That is positively not a costume rehearsal,” Kerr mentioned. “I feel we had deliberate on it, however with Steph going out, it modified our pondering.”
Curry jammed his proper index finger per week in the past in final Friday’s preseason contest towards the Sacramento Kings. He left that recreation and didn’t return, as a substitute figuring out within the second half on his personal within the weight room.
Curry returned after one missed recreation and put collectively his greatest evening of the preseason, registering 16 factors and 6 assists in a win over the Lakers in Las Vegas.
Total this preseason, Curry is averaging 11 factors in 18.3 minutes per recreation, capturing an uncharacteristic 28% from behind the 3-point arc.
For Friday’s contest, De’Anthony Melton changed Curry within the beginning lineup, becoming a member of Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Draymond Inexperienced and Trayce Jackson-Davis. Kerr mentioned the crew nonetheless hasn’t decided on the beginning lineup for the season-opener.
Kerr wished to see Curry play with that unit as soon as extra, however must accept one recreation of tape on that mixture. This complete preseason has been an experiment in lineup trial and error for Kerr and the Warriors as they attempt to fold in three new veterans and generate extra factors in transition, extra 3-pointers and extra defensive-minded teams.
The common season would be the true check, however the Warriors have achieved a lot of their targets within the preseason. At 5-0 coming into Friday, they’re the one undefeated preseason crew within the league.
“I like successful, in order that half has been good,” Kerr mentioned. “I like that we performed quick final recreation, and that’s what we’re in search of, significantly from (Wiggins), (Kuminga), and Trayce. When these guys run the ground exhausting each methods, we’re a unique crew. That’s what I’m in search of. We’ve finished a very good job in camp of including some new issues, getting extra organized offensively and dealing on various things. I like the place we’re, however we nonetheless have a variety of work forward of us.”
