TORONTO _ The three men stood at the scorer's table following Wednesday's practice. The Warriors' star (Stephen Curry), their head coach (Steve Kerr) and their lead trainer (Rick Celebrini) then discussed a topic that nearly every Warriors fan has asked.
After missing the past 10 games with a strained left groin, can Curry return when the Warriors (15-7) visit the Toronto Raptors (18-4) on Thursday?
"I feel like I'm ready to play," Curry said.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr shared the same sentiment after Curry scrimmaged on Monday, completed shooting workouts and participated in what Kerr called "a pretty light practice" on Wednesday evening without any reported setbacks.
"He looked great the last several days scrimmaging, shooting the ball and with his movement," Kerr said. "To me, he looks like he's ready to go."
Unfortunately for Curry, Celebrini did not share Kerr's opinion. Celebrini's take matters. The Warriors hired him this past offseason as the team's Director of Sports Medicine following Chelsea Lane's departure to Atlanta.
"We rely heavily on Rick. Rick is really good at his job," Kerr said. "He knows what he's talking about. He thinks it makes a lot of sense to wait and give him two more days to be extra cautious."
Therefore, Curry will return when the Warriors play against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday. That left Curry expressing more frustration about not playing against Toronto than showing more excitement about returning against Detroit.
"There's a lot of smart people taking care of us and trying to protect us from ourselves in certain situations," Curry said. "Obviously in three weeks or so, I'm itching to get back and excited the end is near. I love coming to Toronto so it's disappointing not playing."
The Warriors also will nurse absences to Draymond Green (sprained right toe) and Alfonzo McKinnie (sore left foot) on Thursday in Toronto. Kerr projected that Green will begin practicing on Friday and then return "later on this trip" following Saturday's game in Detroit. The Warriors will then play in Atlanta (Dec. 3), Cleveland (Dec. 5) and Milwaukee (Dec. 7).
Most of the focus centers on Curry's return, though, for obvious reasons. Before injuring his left groin against Milwaukee on Nov. 8, Curry averaged 29.5 points while shooting 51.5 percent from the field and 49.2 percent from 3-point range. Though the Warriors have won three consecutive games, they have gone 5-5 during Curry's absence.
"If this were a playoff game, he would absolutely be playing," Kerr said of Curry. "But it's November."
That partly explains why Kerr agreed with Celebrini's decision not to give Curry an early holiday present. Hence, Kerr recalled having a conversation with Celebrini that played this way.
"We're never going to look back and go, 'Man I wish we played him in Toronto.' But the opposite would definitely be true," Kerr said. "We could look back and say, 'What were we thinking? Why didn't we give him another couple of days?' Caution is the word of the day."
In Curry's mind, 'frustration' might be the word of his day.
Kerr observed that Curry stated his case and "was dying to play" to play against Toronto. One of the main reasons? The Raptors have the NBA's best record after acquiring a formal Finals MVP (Kawhi Leonard) to mix with the league's best passer (Kyle Lowry) and plenty of bench depth. That led Warriors guard Klay Thompson to say the Warriors-Raptors game "might be a preview of June" in the NBA Finals.
"That was a big part of it," Curry said. "No better test than the best team in the East right now. It's November and a lot of time left before things ramp up in the playoffs and seeing how things shape up. They're a talented team obviously and have proven that this year."
Curry also said he "feels a lot of nostalgia" after his father, Dell, played for three seasons with the Raptors (1999-2002). Then, Curry attended Raptors games. During those contests, Curry played H-O-R-S-E with his brother, Seth, at the team's practice facility adjacent to the Raptors' arena. Curry also played a video game console in the arena's concourse during Raptors games. Lastly, Curry's wife, Ayesha, has family members who live here.
Those emotions aside, Curry reported feeling ready to play since Monday. Then, Curry participated in a scrimmage for the first time since his injury. Curry said he felt "symptom free." Curry added he felt a "different vibe" leading into Monday's game against Orlando at Oracle Arena.
"You feel like you know how your body feels. You wake up and get excited and you think you're maybe further a long than you maybe are," Curry said. "But in terms of the rehab process and all that type of stuff, you want to get out there as soon as possible. When you get that close, every game that you have to wait is tough."
Curry's frustration likely won't last soon given his pending return on Saturday against Detroit. The Warriors sense he is ready.
"He wasn't limping. He wasn't grimacing," Warriors forward Kevin Durant. "He wasn't laboring on anything. He looked good."
Durant is not a doctor, though. Nor did he pretend to be. But Celebrini is, whom Curry credited for his "very detailed and thorough approach." Kerr added Celebrini is "very practical" and "does a phenomenal job" after previously working with Major League Soccer's Vancouver Whitecaps FC and as a consultant for the NFL's Seattle Seahawks, the NBA's Dallas Mavericks and the NHL Players Association. Celebrini was also a personal trainer for Hall-Fame point guard and Warriors consultant Steve Nash, who played 19 NBA seasons despite nursing a chronically troublesome back throughout his career.
"Rick is very detailed. He pushed me in terms of the work I put in the last three weeks. He made me a little uncomfortable at times, in terms of trying to be better on the back end of an injury than you were going in physically," Curry said. "I'm pretty sure that played into why I'm not playing (against Toronto). It's a very detailed approach in making sure that once I hit he court, I'm ready for not just that return, but for the rest of the season as well."
