Curry loses ground among top shooters
Stephen Curry was the last man off the floor Wednesday night after the Warriors’ loss to the Celtics, standing in place to acknowledge all teammates as they passed toward the tunnel.
Nothing unusual there, just professionalism. There’s a lot of vulnerability in the Warriors’ performance these days, but you won’t sense it in the behavior or comments of their most tenured player. Curry projects an aura that things will be fine and mellow in the end, and that’s especially admirable in what undeniably has been a season of lost ground.
Still very much in his prime, with back-to-back MVP awards in the books, Curry now ranks well below this season’s top candidates — Russell Westbrook, James Harden, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard — and would need a late surge to catch Isaiah Thomas, John Wall and teammate Kevin Durant.
One of the great playground arguments has centered on who has the best “handle” in the league, and Curry’s ballhandling looked to be the match of Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving last season. That’s not even an issue now. Irving would be a nearunanimous choice among the league’s players, largely because Curry is far too reckless with the ball (this being his eighth year in the league, you figure that won’t change).
Last season, Curry’s threepoint percentage of .454 ranked him second to the Clippers’ J.J. Redick. Through Wednesday this season, his .397 slides him to 33rd — and brother Seth, having a spectacular season in Dallas, is fifth at .435.
Is anyone deeply concerned around the Warriors? Highly doubtful. When you’re the best shooter in the league, taking into account Curry’s astounding repertoire around the basket, you don’t suddenly turn into Joakim Noah.
But here’s what no one expected from Curry at long distance this season: 0-for-10 against the Lakers, 1-for-11 against Milwaukee, 0-for-8 against the Clippers, 1-for-11 against Denver, then an inconceivable 4-for-35 at one stretch of the recent road trip.
This is man who changed the league, and how people design their offensive strategy. It’s time he moved a bit closer to the head table.