By: Ken Cheng
“That was an easy 32,” I thought to myself after Steph Curry hit his final three of an otherwise ho-hum* 104-89 win over the Heat. It happened on a gorgeously executed, 2-man, inbounds play (assisted by Andre Iguodala) with 26 seconds left, and it brought about the same sense of relief that I’ve felt numerous times this season; the game was over and Steph Curry was going to be just fine for the next one.
(* I use the term “ho-hum” very cautiously in context of this season. I’ve watched Mookie Blaylock start games for the Warriors. EVERY win is exciting for me.)
Like many Warriors fans, I’ve grown enamored with Curry’s dribble penetration game. It’s a weapon he’s relied on more brazenly this season. The combination of ball handling wizardry and around-the-rim improvisation Curry now routinely displays has even begun to rival his ability to go nuclear from
deep for must-YouTube-later entertainment*. But if I’m being honest, I prefer performances like last night’s. Curry went 7 of 10 from three, 4 of 9 from two, with 5 free throw attempts in 32 minutes of action. Curry was feeling it from outside and his shot selection reflected it. The Warriors won and when the game was over, Steph Curry was going to be just fine for the next one.
(*See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsiWRn01dj4)
Here’s where I admit something that no Warriors fan wants to talk about but has probably thought more than once during this amazing, win-filled, season: I worry for Steph Curry. There was a moment late in the 3rd quarter last night where Curry appeared to roll his ankle on a drive. He proceeded to walk it off on the court for a few seconds. On the very next play, Curry side-stepped a defender and canned a wide open three. Crisis averted. As dazzling as Curry’s floor game has been all season, the optics of my favorite 6’3, 185lb, basketball savant leaping into traffic constantly messes with my nerves.
Maybe it’s paranoia. Or maybe it’s seeing penetration aggressive guards like Russell Westbrook, Derrick Rose, and James Harden all miss significant time the past two seasons due to injury. It just makes me feel better when Curry isn’t constantly attacking the rim like he did against OKC, where he took it inside 10 times against only four 3-point-attempts. Math, as usual, tells me I’m an idiot and should calm the eff down, since Curry’s actually attempting more 3s relative to overall field goal attempts than ever before*, a pattern that’s been on-going for four seasons and counting.
(*3PAs currently comprise 46% of Curry’s overall FGAs, up from 45% last season, 43% in ’12-’13, and 41% in ’11-‘12.)
I acknowledge that my, perhaps, unreasonable level of concern over Curry’s health – which, to be fair, has held up very well during the same stretch of time I cited for those other guards – belies a greater concern for the fragility of the Warriors’ so-far-magical season. Anyone who watches the Warriors knows the team will only go so far as #30 takes them*. This is why games like last night’s – which, admittedly, felt less exciting to watch than barn burners like the OKC game – put me at ease. Curry played a minute less than he’s been averaging per game this season and 4 and 6 minutes less than he averaged in games last season and the season before that, respectively. Basketball is unpredictable and no Warriors fan should ever feel completely confident, no matter how well the team is doing in January. But last night’s easy 32 put me at ease; if only because after the game was over, Steph Curry was going to be just fine for the next one.
(*League-wide, Curry currently ranks 4th in Offensive Win Shares, 8th in Defensive Win Shares, 4th in Overall Win Shares, and 2nd in Box Plus/Minus.)