As Stephen Curry Nears His Return, the Adjustment Process Will Be a Two-Way Street

Golden State Warriors fans rejoice: the two-time and unanimous MVP still has his sights set on suiting up at Chase Center once again this season. 

Stephen Curry, who has been limited to just four games this season after suffering a broken hand back in October, still has March 1st against the Washington Wizards penciled as his targeted return date to the court. 

As the end of the season draws near, there are plenty of storylines to keep watch on in Golden State. How does Andrew Wiggins continue to adapt to the Warriors system? Where do the Warriors’ odds of the top pick stand ahead of the draft lottery? Which young players carve themselves a role to return next season? 

But Curry’s return likely becomes the top storyline for the near future, and it is key to acknowledge that number 30 running the point once again will be an adjustment that goes both ways. Many of these Warriors haven’t played alongside the two-time MVP for a sufficient amount of time, and it goes vice versa.  

The readjustment will be a two-way street. 

For starters, these young Warriors that are carrying the load have not played alongside someone of the caliber that is Stephen Curry, or rather they haven’t had enough experience. We’re not referring to the likes of Draymond Green or Kevon Looney, instead, we’re eyeing Andrew Wiggins and Marquese Chriss, just to name a few. 

Wiggins is already looking more and more comfortable in the Warriors system, taking advantage of any opportunity to cut and slash to the hole. Chriss has looked more and more like Golden State’s future starting center, converting any lobs to easy buckets. 

Imagine what they can do when they have opposing defenses diverting their attention to arguably the greatest three-point shooter ever? 

But before they can reap the benefits, they need to adjust to his playstyle. Simply put, Stephen Curry moves, moves, and does not stop moving. It will take time for Wiggins, Chriss, and others to acclimate and play off him. The spacing that Curry generates helps maximize the opportunities of those playing alongside him, but Wiggins and Chriss have never fully experienced this in real action. 

So while we can envision the end product in our heads, a friendly reminder that there will likely be some occasional growing pains along the way. But those bumps will make the final result that much sweeter. 

And speaking of Wiggins and Chriss, let’s not forget that these players were either not present or played an even smaller role the last time Stephen Curry suited up. October 2019 feels like decades ago. 

Back when Curry was in uniform, he had D’Angelo Russell as scoring option number two. Even more astounding, we weren’t talking about a Curry-to-Chriss pick-and-roll lob threat, we were hyping up a Curry-to-Willie Cauley-Stein duo. Remember that? Well, now neither Russell or Cauley-Stein is around anymore. 

Case in point: there are still new faces that Curry will need to adjust to on the court. And just like was the case at the start of the season, he’ll need to leverage these remaining games on the schedule to build that chemistry and rapport with his new teammates. The chemistry with Wiggins will be an obvious connection to monitor, but don’t overlook those with Chriss and others as well. 

And the x-factor to throw in: there will officially be no Klay Thompson in action this season. So while we know the type of spacing these Warriors are infamous for constructing, Stephen Curry will have to do so without his fellow splash brother. 

If we know Steph as well as we do, then we know he’s up for the challenge. But that doesn’t mean we should dismiss the notion of some adjustments needed to be made by both the two-time MVP and his new teammates. 

The close of the regular season will be about carving the path for what is to come: a return to contention come next season.