Kerr: Steph's return 'never' a question

As Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry approaches his long-awaited return from a broken left hand, head coach Steve Kerr says shutting him down for the season was never a possibility.

"He's in the prime of his career," Kerr said Wednesday, according to ESPN's Nick Friedell. "If the point is because he might get hurt, then what's the point of ever playing anything? People can get hurt any day. I guess the argument would be, 'Well, we're not going to the playoffs.' So are we not trying to entertain our fans?

"So, to me, it's never been a question," Kerr added. "As soon as he's ready, he's coming back. Our fans deserve it. We need it as a team to springboard into next year, and it's the right thing to do."

Curry hasn't seen any action since injuring his hand in the fourth game of the season. The two-time MVP is eyeing the first week of March for his return and maintains that's been the plan since undergoing surgery.

Kerr said he thinks it's important for Curry to play alongside his younger teammates, including newly acquired forward Andrew Wiggins, and added that his All-Star guard is enthusiastic to return to the court.

"Steph doesn't have to talk us into anything," Kerr said. "We know he wants to play because he loves basketball, and we want him to play because we need him for the continuity to build that momentum for next year, and then our fans are dying to see him.

"He's playing. He's almost healthy, he's almost ready, so he's playing," Kerr continued. "No discussion. He doesn't need to convince me of anything. This is a totally different deal than Klay (Thompson). Steph had surgery on his (hand), it's basically healed. He's right on the cusp (of returning). Klay had an ACL (injury). It's a totally different conversation. I think there's a big distinction there."

Golden State owns a league-worst 12-43 record entering the second half of the 2019-20 campaign.