Posted on 02/04/2016 10:29:19 AM PST by SeekAndFind
Stephen Curry put together one of his finest performances Wednesday night, scoring 51 points on 68% shooting while going 11-for-16 from 3-point range, as the Warriors beat the Wizards 134-121.
Even more impressive is that Curry accomplished this feat relatively quickly — he played just 36 minutes and dumped in 25 points in the first quarter alone.
The climax of his game-opening explosion came on a broken play off an inbounds that Curry turned into another dazzling highlight.
After a Draymond Green layup, the Wizards inbounded the ball quickly to try to push the pace. As they got the ball to John Wall, Curry managed to tip the pass, creating a scramble for the loose ball. Wizards forward Jared Dudley dived for it, momentarily stealing it from Curry, but as he did so, he popped the ball into the air. Curry then grabbed it, collected himself, turned around, and took a shot.
And he did it from 28 feet out.
No other player has this kind of license to shoot. But Curry has earned it.
As ESPN Stats noted, Curry shot 6-for-8 from shots from 27 feet out Wednesday night, and he is 50-for-99 (50.5%) on those shots for the season. The rest of the NBA is shooting 24% on such attempts.
It has been said before, but the NBA simply hasn't seen a player like this. Curry's shooting ability alone is historic, but when combined with his ball-handling and his range, it creates a one-of-a-kind player. As former NBA coach Doug Collins noted on the ESPN broadcast during the game, Curry's balance and his ability to calmly collect the ball then shoot it shows off a different kind of athleticism than the NBA is used to seeing.
Curry dazzled all night, showing off all of the above-mentioned skills.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
Larry bird was the most awkward great player around- his style was awkward, clumsy looking at times, but he pulled it off brilliantly- He was like a ‘big oaf’ while playing, but he was incredibly accurate and driven- it was an odd combination of great playing and awkward style that I think led many to not really realize just how great a player he was- He’d shoot off the ‘wrong foot’ all the time (yet sink them one after another’ fall away shots that looked awkward- etc-
I watched the Boston team growing up- it was great fun- great rivalries back then- and I never really understood just how great Bird was until recently watching his games on youtube- What a player!
He is in that higher eschelon of BB players that can determine the outcome of a game simply by asserting their will to win.
Magic
Bird
Maravich
West
Cousy
...and others not so great.
Why, then was he great?
His will to win ant any cost. Those type of players are very few and far-between.
Maybe Curry can get there but, it is certainly something you attain very early in life.
San Antonio is having a historic season. They are on pace to win 69 games this year, and only one NBA team in history has ever won more. Of course that was Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in their greatest and most dominant year ever... And yet even San Antonio isn't making any news because they are FOUR full games behind Golden State!
The Golden State Warriors, even with numerous injuries to starting players this season, are winning over 92% of their games. Not only are they on pace to destroy the all-time record for wins in a season, but Stephen Curry is on pace to obliterate his own NBA records for three-point shots made.
In the NBA this year, the Oklahoma City team that is about to put their name among the greatest seasons ever, are in third place.
And he is a genuinely decent guu
Makes up for the pain of the other Ken
It sucks that Virginia Tech (Dell’s alma mater) passed on Stephen.
Klay Thompson is on pace to set the all-time NBA record for three pointers made in a season for any human not named Stephen Curry... and nobody is even noticing.
RE: I’m boycotting the NBA until they get more white players.
LOL, is half white good enough for you? Stephen Curry is half white.
The one thing I think Curry suffers from in comparison is that Bird, Magic and Jordan played pretty much every night against real good defenses, modern NBA has very little defense compared to that time period.
Obama is half-white.....just sayin’.
I was at the annual celebrity golf tourney at Lake Tahoe a couple of years ago... on the tee of the Par 3 17th hole, some fans had set up a large toy Basketball goal a good 50-60 ft from the tee. Every time a celeb got on the tee, they’d throw the ball to them and chant until they tried a shot.
Most everyone missed horribly... very few even hit the backboard.
Steph took the ball, took a quick look, and FLUSHED IT... with his hand held high in the air.
The people there (mostly drunk) went BANANAS!!!!
Kobe ain’t in my top 20 because we must discount MJ’s shadow...
I’d push MJ closer to the bottom of the top 10 (my opinion, is around 6, no worse than 8) simply because of his initial forays against my “Pissed-ins”.
Joe Dumars shut him down.
Joey D’s will to win was better than MJ in those first few playoff series. MJ learned from Joey D and, ultimately moved from an ACC all-star to an NBA all-star.
Funny, though I have tremendous respect for him as a player, I don’t even put Joey D in my top 100 of all-time NBA players.
Because the defenses were so much better, thats what makes Jordan so special...
I think you have voiced my opinion regarding Curry. Yes, he can shoot out the lights but, correspondingly, there is no “defensive nemesis” that he needs to overcome to be considered great.
Bird/McHale/Paris/Ainge/DJ/Ainge with Paxson off the bench. Makes the playground boys shudder!
I saw Jordan, Bird, Dr. J, Magic, McHale and others...and now live in the Bay Area. I still think Bird was the best overall player and an incredible rebounder,scorer and passer, but I love Steph and Klay too...all really, really good scorers and defenders. Draymond Green is really a superstar, but gets overshadowed by Steph.
I have developed a strong personal aversion toward Steph Curry. As good as he is as a shooter he is otherwise an arrogant snot. I would like to take his right index finger, which he frequently waves in the air, and put it into one of his bodily orifices. One where the sun doesn't shine.
Tons of people overlook Dennis Rodman because they think he is kook.
He’ll never make the HoF
but, the Worm could hawk the ball. 20 per game at the peak of his career with DET and CHI. Awesome.
For all the fuss about lack of defense and/or defensive menaces, let’s look at the recent Warriors/Spurs game. For context, the Spurs are the best defensive team in the league by a lot. The difference in points allowed per game between the Spurs and the #2 team (currently the Celtics) is the same as the difference between the #2 team and the #16 team (the Grizzlies). Kawhi Leonard is the reigning defensive player of the year, and players on average shoot 6% worse against Leonard. In that game, facing the best defense in all of the league, Steph Curry scored 37 points in 28 minutes, 7 points higher than his season average. Kawhi couldn’t stop him, and Tim Duncan (a better defender at 39 than Kawhi at 25) was out with an injury. I know it’s only one game without the best player on the Spurs, but numbers don’t lie.
Jeez people... The best ever... The Big O.
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