What if I told you Stephen Curry is having a down season? You’d laugh as you go on to name all of the reasons why I’m wrong—26.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 5.1 three-pointers per game. Oh yeah, he also just officially became the greatest shooter in NBA history. And his team owns the best record in the league.
So, how in the world could I say Steph might be having a down season? Well, because he is. His last month or so of basketball has been one enduring slump:
- Jan. 5 vs. Mavs 14 PTS | 5/24 FG | 1/3 3P
- Jan. 3 vs. Heat 9 PTS | 3/17 FG | 1/10 3P
- Dec. 11 vs. Sixers 18 PTS | 6/20 FG | 3/14 3P
- Dec. 4 vs. Spurs 27 PTS | 7/28 FG | 5/17 3P
- Nov. 30 vs. Suns 12 PTS | 4/21 FG | 3/14 3P
While these five games stand out from the rest, they are hardly his only inefficient outings. Curry has 14 games this season in which he’s shot under 40 percent from the field and 14 games in which he’s finished sub-.500 from beyond the arc. He’s even gone on to admit how these recent shooting struggles are some of his worst.
“Tough shooting nights are whatever,” said Curry after Wednesday night’s 5-for-24 performance. “Understand the big picture of what we’re trying to do and what I’m trying to do, and that it’ll come around.”
Stephen Curry is 8-41 (20%) from the floor in his last 2 games.
It's the worst FG pct in a 2-game span in his career including playoffs (min. 20 FGA). pic.twitter.com/kheCEiSktF
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 6, 2022
The sheer volume is keeping his points per game near the top of the league, while a big shot here and there is otherwise hiding the fact that Steph is having the worst shooting season of his career. If the season ended today (disregarding his five-game, injury-riddled 2019-20 season) his current 42.0 percent shooting would mark the first time he’s ever shot under 45.1 percent and the 38.8 percent three-point clip would be his first time under 41.0. Yet, Steph is still a leading candidate for MVP and his +115 odds are the highest at Tipico Sportsbook.
Steph Curry on his recent shooting issues pic.twitter.com/IdPwB4XFeB
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) January 6, 2022
The Warriors need every ounce of that volume—efficient or not. To put it simply, his gravity alone causes so much attention that it’s opening up the Warriors’ offense. Golden State has the No. 2 scoring offense and the best record in the league despite Steph’s inefficiencies. Draymond Green aids what Steph lacks, while a guy like Jordan Poole is certainly benefitting from it all. And ask Andrew Wiggins how much better of a time he’s having in the Bay Area compared to Minneapolis.
But how long will the winning ways last? Golden State has lost three of its last eight games with a struggling Curry. Klay Thompson’s fast-approaching return could be what the Warriors need in order to get back on track. Still, whether or not Klay unlocks the former version of Stephen Curry that we once knew, we’re stuck with this weird puzzle of how the most inefficient version of Steph has the Warriors playing their best in years. It’s truly mind-boggling.
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