Steph Curry reminding us he’s still one-of-a-kind
Blame Dell Curry, Charlotte Hornets fans.
He’s the one who inspired his sharpshooting son to recapture his 2015-16 ways on Wednesday night, when the Golden State Warriors’ back-to-back MVP buried 11 three-pointers and scored 39 points in a 126-111 win at Oracle Arena.
As Steph Curry took the floor before tip-off, he fired a pass to his father, the former NBA player-turned-Hornets broadcaster who was standing out of bounds near the Warriors bench. Dell stepped into a deep 3 from the left wing that banked in, with father and son howling at the hilarity of it all and both wearing ear-to-ear smiles.
“Not that hard!” Dell yelled Steph’s way afterward.
And boy did he make it look easy — again — before heading to the bench for the entire fourth quarter.
Ever since Curry hit the low point of his season on Christmas Day, when the Warriors fell 109-108 to the Cavaliers in Cleveland and the story line about Curry’s demise was officially sparked, he has played a whole lot more like the hoops wizard who was taking over the NBA at this time a year ago. The before and after, for those who haven’t been paying close attention as the league-leading Warriors (42-7) have gone 15-2 since, is a sight to behold.
Three-point percentage in the 16 games since Christmas Day: 46.2% (39.7% in the 32 prior games).
Overall shooting percentage since Christmas Day: 49.2% (46.5% before).
Points per game: 27.6 per game after Christmas Day (24.1 before).
The loss to the Cavs, as it turns out, may have been a gift for Curry after all.
When it comes to Curry and the perception of his game, the curse of last season is that — especially with Kevin Durant having joined on last summer — there was only one way to go. He was never going to surpass the 402 three-pointers he hit during their unprecedented 73-win campaign, nor would it be prudent to even try.
But it was just two seasons ago when he made history by hitting 286 three-pointers, a number that pales in comparison to the 338 he’s currently on pace to tally. That, it seems, is largely lost in this discussion. And make no mistake, Curry hears plenty of the noise that surrounds him.
Anyone who heard him speak in those moments after the loss to Cleveland could tell that a change was coming. After months of Durant dominating and Curry playing the sideshow role on most nights, the typically reserved Curry spoke openly of wanting to be involved in more pick-and-rolls within the Warriors’ offense. He vowed to be more aggressive and assertive with his game, knowing full well that the narrative surrounding him was closing in.
Was last season a fluke? Not even close. He was and remains a one-of-a-kind, transcendent talent, a 28-year-old player in his prime who deserved every last vote he received en route to becoming the league’s first unanimous MVP winner. This season is different. It’s more nuanced, more complicated, all of it part of the Warriors’ attempt to restock their roster after crumbling to the Cavs in the Finals last June.
Steph Curry is still Steph Curry. And nights like these, made all the more special because his father was around to both see it and spark it, remind you of that reality.
Source:-Â http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/columnist/sam-amick/2017/02/02/stephen-curry-reminder-trascendent-warriors-hot-streak/97386070/
