La pelota fue lanzada hacia él y él la lanzó hacia atrás, solo que más alto, más suave y más recto. ¿Esto duró qué, cinco, seis minutos? Stephen Curry atrapó pases en la práctica a principios de esta semana de Bruce Fraser, entrenador asistente de los Warriors y recuperador de pelotas de Curry desde hace mucho tiempo, e hizo triples tras triples. Era claramente un concurso para ver qué brazo se cansaba primero: el de Curry, el de Fraser o el que estaba filmando.
Como seguramente ya sabrá, Curry hizo 105 triples seguidos antes, como dijo el entrenador de los Warriors, Steve Kerr, se «atragantó» con 106. Fue una demostración maravillosa de disparos, ritmo y concentración fundamentales, excepto que ahora viene la parte difícil para Curry.
Porque, ¿cuál es el desafío más grande y difícil, hacer todos esos triples seguidos o restaurar a los Warriors sin un coprotagonista de tiro?
Viernes en NBA TV: Trail Blazers vs. Warriors (10:30 ET)
En años pasados, Curry siempre podía contar con tener una compañía de ideas afines tanto en las prácticas de tiro como en los juegos. Klay Thompson y Curry realizaban regularmente «tiroteos» en las instalaciones de entrenamiento de los Warriors, a menudo mucho después de que sus compañeros se habían duchado. Y, por supuesto, los dos conspiraron para derribar a los oponentes en la cancha, donde juntos fueron los mejores tiros en la cancha trasera en la historia de la NBA.
Y durante tres temporadas extra, Curry también tuvo a Kevin Durant, ex MVP de Kia y cuatro veces campeón de anotación, para agregar más sabor a esos concursos de tiro y, lo más importante, alejar las defensas de Curry y hacer la vida más fácil. Pero ahora, como una estrella singular, Curry está solo en una isla, con Thompson recuperándose de su segunda lesión importante en la pierna y Durant en Brooklyn con los Nets.
Dado este cambio de fortuna, la cultura del baloncesto llega a ver cómo Curry se adapta a una realidad que no había experimentado desde sus primeros años en la liga, mucho antes de que su reputación y expectativas se dispararan. Como nos advirtió recientemente: «Este año es diferente».
¿Cuáles son las expectativas realistas para los Warriors esta temporada? Este parece un tema incómodo para plantear sobre un dos veces MVP y tres veces campeón; sin embargo: ¿Curry, que ahora trabaja en solitario, es lo suficientemente bueno como para llevar a los Warriors a los niveles más altos de la NBA? Los factores que actúan en su contra: la historia de la NBA y también la competencia que él y los Warriors enfrentan en otra temporada apilada para la Conferencia Oeste.
La parte de la historia es cruel, especialmente contra los guardias más pequeños. Allen Iverson en 2001 fue un caso atípico, ya que llevó a los Sixers a las Finales de 2001, donde fueron superados contra los Lakers liderados por Kobe Bryant y Shaquille O’Neal. De lo contrario, ningún guardia de tamaño normal se ha acercado jamás a ese éxito, no sin la ayuda de All-Star. Y de todos modos, pedirle a Curry que lleve a los Warriors de regreso a las Finales esta temporada, después de una ausencia de dos años y sin Thompson y / o Durant, parece poco realista e injusto.
El escenario más ambicioso tiene a Curry y los Warriors regresando a los playoffs, e incluso eso viene sin garantías. Simplemente hay demasiadas variables y demasiada imprevisibilidad en la rotación, junto con una conferencia repleta de buenos equipos, que harán que incluso un viaje de postemporada sea una aventura. Hay algunos críticos duros que podrían ir un poco más lejos y sugerir que esta temporada servirá como declaración sobre la verdadera grandeza de Curry. Si, por ejemplo, los Warriors caen en la lotería por segundo año consecutivo, esta vez con un Curry saludable, ¿sería un golpe para la reputación de Curry?
¿No debería el tirador de todos los tiempos del juego y el dos veces MVP ser lo suficientemente bueno, incluso a los 32 años, para llevar a su equipo al menos a los playoffs? Esas preguntas serán respondidas a tiempo.
Mientras tanto, Curry es, con mucho, la opción más exitosa y probada de los Warriors, con el debido respeto a Draymond Green (quien se espera que haga su debut en la temporada el viernes después de perderse los primeros cuatro juegos por una lesión en el pie). Las defensas ya se han ajustado y aprovechado la oportunidad de lanzar trampas y dobles equipos a Curry, estrategias que habrían sido costosas en el pasado con Thompson y Durant alrededor. ¿Pero ahora? Curry tiene un promedio de 26.5 puntos por partido y 7.0 asistencias, pero no disfruta de la misma libertad que antes. Está disparando solo el 41,3% en general y el 31,5% en triples, lo que significa que se ve obligado a trabajar más duro para su tiro. Sí, es un tamaño de muestra pequeño, por lo que no es necesario sacar conclusiones rápidas; sin embargo, esas son extrañas para un jugador con marcas de tiro profesionales del 47,6% y 43,4%, respectivamente. «No hay excusa, solo por las expectativas que tengo para mí y los tiros que tomo, siempre creo que voy a hacer», dijo Curry sobre los disparos rudos. “No creo, quizás uno o dos de ellos llamaría malos tiros. El resto de ellos en los que confiaba y en los que siento que puedo hacer. Y es sólo cuestión de seguir con el programa «. A diferencia del momento histórico que pasó en la práctica levantando ese número récord de triples, hay múltiples defensores en la parrilla de Curry cuando comienza el juego.
The ball was tossed his way and he tossed it right back, only higher and softer and straighter. This went on for what, five, six minutes? Stephen Curry caught passes in practice earlier this week from Bruce Fraser, the Warriors’ assistant coach and long-time Curry ball retriever, and made 3-pointer after 3-pointer. It was clearly a contest to see whose arm would tire first: Curry’s, Fraser’s, or the one filming.
As you surely know by now, Curry made 105 3s in a row before, as Warriors coach Steve Kerr said, he “choked” on 106. It was a marvelous display of fundamental shooting, rhythm and concentration, except now comes the hard part for Curry.
Because, what’s the bigger and more difficult challenge, making all those 3s in a row, or restoring the Warriors without a shooting co-star?
In years past, Curry could always count on having like-minded company both at shooting practice and at games. Klay Thompson and Curry regularly conducted “shootouts” at the Warriors’ workout facility, often long after teammates had showered. And of course, the two conspired to shoot down opponents on the floor, where together, they were the finest shooting backcourt in NBA history.
And for three bonus seasons, Curry also had Kevin Durant, a former Kia MVP and four-time scoring champion, around to add more flavor to those shooting contests and most importantly, draw defenses away from Curry and make life easier.
But now, as a singular star, Curry is alone on an island, with Thompson recovering from his second major leg injury and Durant in Brooklyn with the Nets. Given this change of fortune, the basketball culture gets to see how Curry adjusts to a reality he hadn’t experienced since his first few years in the league, well before his reputation and expectations soared.
As he warned us recently: “This year’s different.”https://watch.nba.com/embed?id=1275364&autostart=false&mute=trueWhat are the realistic expectations for the Warriors this season?
This seems an awkward topic to raise about a two-time MVP and three-time champion; however: Is Curry, now working solo, good enough to haul the Warriors to the highest levels of the NBA?
The factors working against him: NBA history, and also the competition he and the Warriors are facing in yet another stacked season for the Western Conference.
The history part is cruel, especially against smallish guards. Allen Iverson in 2001 was an outlier as he took the Sixers to The 2001 Finals, where they were overmatched against the Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal-led Lakers. Otherwise, no normal-sized guard has ever come close to that success, not without All-Star help. And anyway, asking Curry to lead the Warriors back to The Finals this season, after a two-year absence and without Thompson and/or Durant, seems unrealistic and unfair.
The most ambitious scenario has Curry and the Warriors returning to the playoffs, and even that comes without guarantees. There are simply too many variables and too much unpredictability in the rotation, coupled with a conference thick with good teams, that’ll make even a postseason journey an adventure.
There are some harsh critics who might take it a bit further and suggest this season will serve as a statement about Curry’s true greatness. If, for example, the Warriors fall into the lottery for the second straight year — this time with a healthy Curry — would that be a blow to Curry’s reputation? Shouldn’t the game’s all-time all-around shooter and two-time MVP be good enough, even at age 32, to lead his team at least to the playoffs?
Those questions will be answered in time. Meanwhile, Curry is by far the most accomplished and proven option on the Warriors, with all due respect to Draymond Green (who is expected to make his season debut Friday after missing the first four games with a foot injury). Already, defenses have adjusted and pounced on the opportunity to throw traps and double-teams at Curry, strategies that would’ve been costly in the past with Thompson and Durant around.
But now? Curry is averaging 26.5 ppg and 7.0 assists, but he isn’t enjoying the same freedom as before. He’s shooting just 41.3% overall and 31.5% on 3-pointers, meaning he’s forced to work harder for his shot. Yes, it’s a small sample size, so no need to jump to any quick conclusions, yet those are alien to a player with career shooting marks of 47.6% and 43.4%, respectively.
“There’s no excuse, just for what my expectations for myself and shots that I take I always think I’m going to make,” Curry said about the rough shooting. “I don’t think — maybe one or two of them I would call bad shots. The rest of them I was confident in and ones that I feel I can make. And it’s just a matter of sticking with the program.”
Unlike the historic moment he spent at practice hoisting that record number of 3-pointers, there are multiple defenders in Curry’s grill when the game starts.
Stephen Curry drives to the basket against two defenders during the Warriors’ win over the Bulls.
The teammates that surround him are, for the most part, dealing with transition and it was uncomfortable early. Kelly Oubre, an athletic swingman, is playing for a stable and winning franchise for the first time in his career. Same for Andrew Wiggins, who’s also — still — dealing with the outsized expectations stemming from his No. 1 overall Draft status and his massive contract, both of which are swallowing him up. Then there’s James Wiseman, the rookie center who’s showing teases of being very good, but again, there’s plenty of games and growing experiences that lie ahead.
Oubre has missed 20 of his 21 shots from deep as he struggles to fill the Thompson role and stretch the floor. Wiggins is once again bedeviled by lapses of inactivity and costly disappearances. Wiseman, while off to an impressive start, isn’t commanding high-alert respect from opposing defenses just yet.
“We’re learning and growing,” Curry said. “Mostly just because of different personnel and that’s OK right now. We’re learning and growing so I think you got to be honest with yourself. Around the first two games it was terrible and disjointed. As we continue to grow week to week we can add a little bit. We just have to make sure our effort and competitiveness is there, and that will help us get through these early growing pains … it will come.”
The work for the Warriors begins when Curry surrenders the ball. There’s almost 10 points separating Curry from the Warriors’ second leading scorer this season, a drop-off that might continue the entire season. It’s an imbalance that Curry has never seen with the Warriors, even in the early days when at least he had Monta Ellis around.
In that sense, Curry could find himself in a similar place as James Harden, pre-Chris Paul and pre-Russell Westbrook … and Westbrook in his MVP season after Durant left OKC … and Derrick Rose in his MVP season in Chicago. Those high-scoring and overloaded guards, lacking a dangerous shotgun rider, managed to lead their teams to the playoffs. Those examples would be reasonable standards for Curry in 2020-21.
It’s an interesting basketball phase for Curry. He has two more years on a max contract that he’d like to see extended after he turns 35, always a tricky age for players not named LeBron James. He won’t have Thompson until next season, and even then, nobody knows what to expect from a player who’s had surgery to repair a knee and Achilles. Also, if Warriors’ ownership is spoiled by all those championship runs, will there be wholesale changes if the Warriors struggle this season and next?
Those are issues for the future. For now, Curry must reach a comfort zone between a golden era that produced three titles, and a more tempered reality caused by a crucial missing player and the simple fact that great moments don’t last very long, not in today’s NBA. As Kerr mentioned often during the Warriors’ championship runs, they weren’t living in the real NBA world.
Just as the NBA is about to learn a lot about the transitional Warriors, there’s also lots to learn about their star, now riding solo, caught up in this new and barely familiar basketball life.
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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for more than 25 years. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
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