The Warriors breathed a sigh of relief on Friday after receiving an encouraging update on Steph Curry's ankle injury.
Golden State is expected to share an official update on Saturday, but a source confirmed to NBC Sports Bay Area's Monte Paul that the team received “positive news” regarding Curry's MRI and that the expected timeline for his return is about 7 to 10 days.
Dr. David E. Augie of Stanford Medicine spoke to NBC Sports Bay Area to further discuss the injury and what the rehab and potential recovery process could look like for Curry.
Dr. Augie indicated that Curry's injury was likely “mild” given his expected quick return to the field.
The Warriors star suffered an ankle injury late Thursday night against the Chicago Bulls. He limped off the field before going to the Warriors' locker room for further evaluation.
MRI results revealed no structural damage, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Friday, adding that the timeline for his return will depend on how his ankle responds over the next few days.
Dr. Augie said age should not factor into Curry's rehabilitation, as the sharpshooter will celebrate his 36th birthday next week in the middle of his 15th NBA season.
“As long as the ankle is stable from any injury, even from a mild sprain, and as long as the stability of the ankle is maintained, it is still at the optimal age at which it should recover very well,” Dr. Augie said.
The two-time NBA MVP has officially been ruled out of Saturday's game against the San Antonio Spurs at Chase Center, but Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic report, citing sources, that “there is optimism that his absence will not be long,” adding that the level of optimism stems from How Curry's ankle responded overnight.
While this is certainly good news for Dub Nation, the Warriors will have to play it safe with their star guard as he works his way back onto the hard court in the final stretch of the regular season.
“The most important thing is [to wait] “For full evaluation from the physical therapy team and team providers,” Dr. Augie said. “Make sure there are no structural issues. Make sure you keep the strength and stability of the ligaments well.
“And they'll probably just have him do drills and test the ankle with or without tape, and as long as he's in good shape, they'll probably allow him to accelerate his rehab very quickly, allowing him to come back very quickly.”
With 20 games remaining in the regular season, Golden State (33-29) currently sits in ninth place in the Western Conference and is 3.5 games behind the Phoenix Suns, who currently hold the sixth and final spot in the playoffs.
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