Steve Kerr Sets Expectations for Steph Curry’s Workload This Season

Anyone hoping to buy tickets to see point guard Steph Curry this season should look at the schedule first, because the Golden State Warriors are going to be careful with their 38-year-old star from the start.

Head coach Steve Kerr spoke about the approach after practice on Thursday, and he said the team is scaling back Curry's overall workload while still trying to keep him in rhythm and ready to play 32 to 34 minutes a night.

He called it a different approach, as the staff has been holding Curry back in camp with his knee in mind.

"We are purposely ramping up Steph more slowly this year, this training camp, than he's used to," Kerr said. "In the past, by this time he was already in such good playing shape and rhythm because of his routine and his work ethic."

He also asked fans to check the schedule before buying tickets, since the Warriors plan to rest several veterans and not just Curry, and the staff will map things out week by week.

That plan got an early scare on Sunday, when Curry rolled his right ankle during the open practice at Chase Center and left early.

Kerr said afterward that Curry told him he was fine, and ESPN lists him as day-to-day with a right ankle sprain ahead of Wednesday's opener against the Lakers in Los Angeles.

I like this plan, since last season showed how much the Warriors lean on Curry, who averaged 26.6 points in 30.9 minutes a game but played just 43 games as runner's knee kept him out for a long stretch late in the year.

Golden State finished 37-45 and then got knocked out in the play-in tournament.

Help is thin right now, as forward Jimmy Butler is still working back from the torn ACL in his right knee that he suffered in a Jan. 19 win over Miami, and his return is still months away.

Center Kristaps Porzingis is out with health issues too, while center Al Horford is 40 and forward Draymond Green, who still means so much to how this team plays, is 36, so Kerr has more than one veteran to look after when he plans minutes.

The Warriors will find out fast how serious they are about this plan, because after the opener at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday, Golden State hosts Memphis at Chase Center on Friday and then plays at Phoenix on Saturday in its first back-to-back of the season.

I would sit Curry in one of those two games even if he feels great, because one win in October is not worth the risk with a sore ankle and a knee that already cost him so much of last season.

Fans who bought tickets for one of those nights might not love that choice, but Kerr gave them a fair warning, and that is better than a surprise on game day.

Last season ended in the play-in after his knee cost him that long stretch late in the year, and I would much rather see Curry miss one game this week than go through that again.