Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry Continues to Exceed The Hype
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Superstar point guard Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors wasn’t even an All-Star in 2012. Although it seems like Curry has been among the league’s top scorers for years now, his rise has been meteoric and came rather recently.
Through his first three seasons, Curry made the world aware of his incredible 3-point shooting, but couldn’t overcome his reputation as an injury-prone player with bad ankles and no defense. That reputation seemed to be solidified during the 2011-12 season, when Curry missed all 26 games with ankle issues.
Warriors fans, who are used to things not going their way, tempered their expectations of Curry, worrying that he might be the next Penny Hardaway or Shaun Livingston – point guards with amazing talent but who couldn’t get past their injuries.
Instead, Curry went on a tear the following season, averaging almost 23 points per game while shooting 45 percent from three. However, Curry was still primarily a scorer who looked for his own instead of initiating his teammates’ offense. In addition, he was an absolute turnstile defensively.
Enter 2013-14 Curry, the playmaker. In addition to averaging 24 point a game, Curry ranked in the top five in assists per game, allowing his teammates to feed off of his ability to draw the defense. Curry posted career-highs in free throw attempts per game and 3-pointers attempted per game, as well as improved his mid-range shooting and ability to finish at the rim.
Could this be the season of MVP Curry? His career-high scoring output, fantastic rebounding and improved defense have made Curry a more well-rounded player than anyone thought he could be. Curry keeps redefining his ceiling, so who knows what’s next?
Alex Moss covers the Golden State Warriors for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter @Manus_BaldSpot or add him to your network on Google. You can also find his own blog at manusbaldspot.weebly.com.
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