Adjustment
Stephen Curry hit five of 13 three-point attempts in the Warriors’ match yesterday, not quite close to his career norm. Yet, it’s fair to argue that he finally broke out of an uncharacteristic shooting slump; in his previous three outings, he had an aggregate four-of-31 clip. For a while against the Knicks, it didn’t seem as if he would; he shot just two of six from beyond the arc in the first half, and the fact that the Garden eschewed “music, video, or in-game entertainment” — ostensibly for fans to “experience the game in its purest form” — had little to do with it. By the end of the third quarter, though, he found his touch, sinking three of four treys that included back-to-back daggers to break the set-to open.
For the season, Curry is hitting four of every 10 attempts from three, more than respectable relative to the National Basketball Association average and in light of the frequency of his tries. Needless to say, it’s a big reason for the Warriors’ ascendancy on offense vis-à-vis even other members of the acknowledged elite. Parenthetically, it also happens to be his worst mark by far since being chosen seventh overall in the 2009 draft. In large measure, it’s because he had to make adjustments to his style of play following the arrival of fellow scoring champion Kevin Durant.
To be fair, Curry looked to have reached a suitable comfort level heading into the All- Star break; whereas he moved to defer to unhealthy proportions early on, he became more aggressive as the 2016-2017 campaign progressed. Unfortunately, the freak injury suffered by Durant last week has compelled him to once again shift gears. And because the Warriors no longer have depth, defenses have naturally honed in on him.
Not coincidentally, the Warriors’ accuracy from deep is directly connected to Curry’s own; year on year, they’re 340 basis points down. Still, the seemingly staggering number hasn’t stopped them from asserting their might; their pace and offensive rating have actually gone up even while maintaining their leagueleading stinginess at the other end of the court. Which is why his response to queries on both his hitherto-errant shooting and temporarily increased burden have stayed the same: “We’ll be all right.” And, given his performance yesterday, he appears to be on the mark, literally and figuratively.
Curry looked to have reached a suitable comfort level heading into the All-Star break; whereas he moved to defer to unhealthy proportions early on, he became more aggressive as the 2016-2017 campaign progressed. Unfortunately, the freak injury suffered by Durant last week has compelled him to once again shift gears. And because the Warriors no longer have depth, defenses have naturally honed in on him.