Who could replace Steph Curry if he misses the All-Star Game because of injury?
An injury to Warriors’ Steph Curry, could open the door for the Kings point guard, De’Aaron Fox, to replace him in what would be his first All-Star appearance.
As the saying goes, one man’s gain is another man’s loss and that seems to be the case as we approach this year’s NBA All-Star Game. With news confirming that the Warriors star is set to miss the game through injury, we’re taking a look at the man who is in line to replace him in the big game.
De’Aaron Fox to return to replace Steph Curry
With Steph Curry now sidelined with an injury, reports have indicated that the Sacramento Kings’ De’Aaron Fox will be replacing him. The Kings who are currently on a 29-23 record will face the Houston Rockets on Monday night, however, they will do so without the services of Fox, who has been away from the team since last Thursday, due to personal reasons. Indeed, Fox actually missed last Friday’s 107-104 loss to the Pacers, as well as Sunday’s 136-104 loss to the Pelicans. While the All-Star nod is undoubtedly good news for Fox, one can imagine that his team is anxious to see his return ASAP.
What happened to Steph Curry?
In truth, the prognosis doesn’t look good, as Curry is now expected to miss multiple weeks with a left leg injury. According to the team, Curry suffered partial tears to his superior tibiofibular ligaments and interosseous membrane during Saturday’s 119-113 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. As yet, there has been no official word on how long Curry’s recovery will take, but rest assured he won’t be playing in the NBA All-Star Game which is scheduled for February 19th, in Salt Lake City.
Regarding how the injury itself occurred, Curry’s left knee collided with McKinley Wright IV’s knee during Saturday’s game against the Mavs. At that time, the Warriors’ talisman was on 21 points, six rebounds and seven assists – business as usual - but was ultimately forced to leave the game with 2:01 left in the third quarter.
The Kings will be well represented in the All-Star Game as they should
Assuming NBA commissioner Adam Silver makes the decision official, Fox will actually join Kings teammates Domantas Sabonis and Keegan Murray. Sabonis of course, will be making his third All-Star appearance after being selected as a Western Conference reserve. Murray on the other hand, will be playing in the Rising Stars games. It’s worth noting, that Fox was the player largely regarded as the major omission when the All-Star reserves were announced last Thursday.
The 25-year-old has been averaging 24.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists in what is his sixth season in the league, with a career-high 50.6% from the field, 33.3% from 3-point range and a career-best 78.8% at the free-throw line. Between him and Sabonis, they’ve both been a key part of a sensational turnaround under first-year coach, Mike Brown. A Kentucky product who was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, Fox will be a fitting inclusion for the All-Star team, as he continues to push his team toward the end of their NBA-record 16-year post season absence. As they currently sit third in the West, it’s looking like something that Fox and Co. will actually do.