Warriors pleased with Stephen Curry's progress in recovery from injured knee

SAN ANTONIO - As he moved around the court, Warriors guard Stephen Curry kept sinking shots into the net. It did not matter the distance. He attempted 3-pointers from the corner.

He hoisted jump shots from the elbow. He took more shots from the top of the key.

As he completed a shooting workout at the end of Saturday's practice with Warriors assistant coach Bruce Fraser, Curry made nearly all of those attempts in typical Curry fashion. It marked one of many reasons why Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Curry “is coming along well” after completing his first non-contact practice since suffering a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee on March 23. But when the Warriors play Game 4 in a potential close-out contest against the San Antonio Spurs Sunday, Kerr forewarned, “don't expect him to be Willis Reed.”

Reed, the former New York Knicks center, famously returned in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals and helped spark the Knicks to an NBA championship against the Los Angeles Lakers after nursing a torn muscle in his right thigh in Game 6. Curry has missed the last 10 regular-season games and the Warriors' first three playoff games, and will be re-evaluated again next Friday.

“It's going to take some more time, but he's coming along well,” Kerr said. “That's the main thing.”

Curry participated in the Warriors' closed practice that Kerr said consisted of “drill work and defensive segments.” Once practice became open to the media, Curry worked with Fraser in a shooting workout. Afterwards, Curry had his left knee covered with a brace and ice. Curry did not speak to reporters afterwards, leaving the rest of the Warriors to offer their own impressions.

“You never know what a guy's pain tolerance is or how he's feeling,” Warriors forward Kevin Durant said. “But from his movements, he looked good to me.”

The next step: when will Curry advance to contact drills? The Warriors will evaluate him on Friday, mindful that they could begin the Western Conference semifinals against the New Orleans Pelicans as soon as Saturday. That hinges on if the Warriors beat San Antonio Sunday - New Orleans swept Portland in their first-round series on Saturday.

Yet, Curry could advance to full-contact drills before that evaluation.

That decision falls to Warriors head performance therapist Chelsea Lane.

“I don't even take part in those conversations. She tells him what he can do and then he does it and then he's on his own. I don't even ask,” Kerr said. “If he's out there, he's going to go. If we start doing something with contact, I don't have to ask him. He just knows he's not supposed to (participate). When they tell me he can play, then I'll put him out there.”

For now, the Warriors are just embracing Curry's return. Kerr mused that Curry “had a nice hair cut” before noting the joy both Curry and the Warriors feel for having him actually practice for the first time in almost a month.

“Steph is one of those guys that really enjoys to play. So to see him out there in practice and get back to the normal routine, I'm happy to see him out there,” Durant said. “He's excited to be out there. The next step is obviously him playing full court. We're looking forward to that as well.”