Heading into the season, managing the health of the Golden State Warriors' older stars was an obvious priority, especially when it came to Steph Curry. The Warriors legend signed an extension with Golden State before training camp began, but there were still some health concerns coming into the season following last year's issues.
During the summer, it was revealed that Curry could still be dealing with lingering knee problems from last season.
“There's at least some lingering concern about the knee. From what I've been told, it can be managed, but it has to be managed and that's a new thing for Steph because people always say he is the most conditioned guy in the League and now he has to manage a knee. I guess we'll find out, but from what I understand, he and his trainers have devised ways to kind of work around that and sort of support that whole possibility of the knee not being as great as he wants it to be. So, I'm curious to see how it turns out, but Steph seemed pretty confident that he'll be able to go out there and put out 70+ games," NBC Sports' Marcus Poole said.
Because of this, Curry is likely to sit out at least some back-to-back games throughout the season. That will be the case on Sunday night.
“The Warriors say Stephen Curry will not play on Sunday against the Clippers for injury management,” NBA insider Brett Siegel wrote.
However, veteran Draymond Green will also sit out the first game of a back-to-back on Sunday against the Los Angeles Clippers.
“Steph Curry and Draymond Green will both rest tomorrow night on the front side of a back-to-back against the Clippers. Injury management. That should clear them to face the Suns on Monday night,” ESPN’s Anthony Slater wrote.
This is likely to become a regular occurrence throughout the season, as Golden State has several key players who are nearing the end of their careers. Fortunately, the younger players have shown they can hold things down, making these decisions easier for the coaching staff.
The Warriors don't want to wear down Curry and Green too early in the season, so managing their workloads is a smart move. Golden State will look to win its fourth consecutive game Sunday night despite being without both Curry and Green.
