Stephen Curry Returns To The Warriors With High Expectations, Low Anxiety

It’s official. Stephen Curry will return to the court for the Golden State Warriors Tuesday night for Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals against the New Orleans Pelicans.

That’s the straight news. Here’s the analysis.

As one can imagine, this is a major moment for the defending champs. The team has soldiered on for five hard weeks without their floor leader. There was some ugly basketball at the end of the regular season, followed by a 5-1 stretch in the postseason that has seen the Warriors regain some of that championship charm.

But Curry’s return is a big deal, no doubt. If this team wants to win another title, they’ll need the two-time MVP, shooting and shimmying at the front of the line. It’s high pressure. High stakes. High anxiety. Right? Wrong.

Curry could be seen at Tuesday’s shootaround goofing around with trainers and looking as loose as a high school kid about to play a pick-up game. At one point, Curry slid across the floor on his stomach and started mimicking the front crawl, followed by the breast stroke. One of the trainers ran up, sat down and the two of them started playing patty-cake.

Clearly, Curry is overcome with nerves following his layoff with a sprained MCL.

None of his teammates seem to worried, either. They’re just glad to see their buddy back in the lineup.

“Obviously, just seeing any of your guys come back from injury is always an emotional boost,” said Warriors emotional guru Draymond Green. “To see Steph out there will definitely give us a boost. Nonetheless, you gotta play the game. Everybody can come back. Michael Jordan can come back.

“If you don’t go out there with the right mentality, playing the game to win, it won’t matter. We just gotta be ready to go.”

So, how has Curry looked in practice the last few days? Wrong question.

“I try to focus on myself. Focus on us as a team. Things that we need to do better at. Things we need to do better on the defensive end,” said Green, in full deflection mode. “I don’t really focus on figuring out how one guy look. It ain’t really my job.”

So, there.

Curry didn’t talk to the media Tuesday, but he had a few things to say the other day.

“Doubtful. Questionable. Probable. Learned a lot about what those words mean this year,” said Curry. “It feels good to be back, actually playing basketball.”

“Once I get through all the checkpoints, have confidence in my self and my body, I’ll be out there. ... That’s the process that I’m all too familiar with. ... I’ve done a lot in the last two weeks, trying to build that tolerance and intensity. My knee feels pretty good. I don’t have any pain.”

“I want to be out there,” said Curry. “I want to be out there for my teammates. ... ”

A tough Pelicans team awaits Curry Tuesday night in Oakland, still smarting from a Game 1 loss. They won’t’ be too excited to see No. 30 back on the court, but I’m sure they’ll give him a warm welcome.