In 2009 the Golden State Warriors used the seventh overall pick of the NBA Draft on Davidson College guard Stephen Curry. Aside from being the son of former NBA guard Dell Curry, Steph Curry made a name for himself in college as he led tiny Davidson to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in 2008. In three years at Davidson, Curry averaged 25.3 points per game. But after dominating lower-tier talent at Davidson in the Southern Conference, the jury was out as to whether or not Curry could do it on the NBA level.
In Curry’s first season with the Warriors he averaged 17.5 points per game as he was named to the NBA’s All-Rookie First Team. Last season Curry helped the Warriors qualify for the NBA Playoffs for the first time since 2007. Just like he did in college Curry was able to shine on the big stage. The Warriors were able to defeat the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs in six games. For the series Curry averaged 24.3 points and 9.3 assists per game which was highlighted by a 30-point, 13-assist performance in the second game of the series.
In Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the eventual Western Conference Champion San Antonio Spurs, Curry went for 44 points and 11 assists. The Warriors would go on to lose to the Spurs in six games, but Curry served notice to everyone in the NBA that he is going to be a problem. For his five-year NBA career Curry is a 46 percent shooter from the field and he can make the people around him better.
This season the Warriors came in as a legitimate contender for the NBA Championship with Curry leading the way. The Warriors current record of 26-17 is good enough for them to be the sixth best team in the stacked Western Conference. But playoff seeding means absolutely nothing to a team like the Warriors that have a guard like Curry that can explode for 40 points on any given night.
This season Curry is averaging 23.5 points per game which is seventh in the NBA and he is averaging a career high in assists with 9.2 that currently places him second in the league for that category. Even on a stacked team like the Warriors, Curry has still managed to have 10 games this season in which he has gone for at least 30 points. The last instance came this past Friday in a 127-121 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder as Curry dropped 37 points and 11 assists. Curry’s exploits have not gone unnoticed as he is currently one of the top players in the fan balloting for next month’s NBA All-Star Game.
What makes people flock to Curry and appreciate his skills is that he can heat up at any moment as he truly is instant offense. Curry is also a tremendous finisher in games and his scoring ability can set up his teammates for easy baskets which brings a delight to Warriors head coach Mark Jackson.
The scary thing about Curry is that he is only 25-years of age and he can still improve his game in many ways. Last season Curry led the NBA in both three-point field goals made (272) and three-point field goals attempted (600). Curry connected on 45 percent of his field goals last season as he has garnered a reputation as one of the best three-point shooters in the game. Curry’s scoring ability also means that the Warriors are never out of a game. Curry’s game is truly something to marvel at.
Source:Basketball-reference.com
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