A great article by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Rusty Simmons about Stephen Curry learning as a young point guard when to shoot and when to pass, using a comparison to a former Don Nelson pupil, Suns All-Star Steve Nash. I loved this part of the article:
In the Warriors’ opening-night loss to Houston, Stephen Jackson was visibly upset about not getting the ball from Curry twice and Monta Ellis showed up Curry with his reaction to the last-second play. “It’s tough, because I’m sure there are streaks in a game when a guy feels like he’s being freezed out a bit, but I’ve got to make the right play,” Curry said. “I want to make my teammates happy, but the ultimate thing is to make the right decision and help us win. I think everyone will eventually respect that.”
I remember seeing a little bit of that in the Warriors’ loss Wednesday and wondered if Curry would stand his ground or defer to the wishes of his veteran teammates. The fact that he’s basically saying, “I know what you want, but I care more about doing what’s right and what will help us win,” well … that’s leadership, folks. That is a very positive sign and another impressive showing by the Warriors rookie point guard.
Read the complete article.
Marcus Thompson II of the San Jose Mercury News writes about Anthony Morrow, who attempted only seven shots in 22 minutes Wednesday. In unison, coaches and players are saying the second-year sharpshooter needs more touches. A particularly interesting quote from Don Nelson:
“He’s probably the greatest shooter I’ve ever coached. And I’ve had some good ones, but no one like Morrow. You’ve got to know where he is at all times.”
Considering how long Don Nelson has been in this league, and the number of players he has coached, to say that Morrow is probably the greatest shooter he’s ever coached is significant. One part of the article suggests that one way to get Morrow more touches is to pair him with Stephen Curry in the backcourt. I love that idea, but I don’t think you can do it at the expense of Monta Ellis and his minutes on the court. Ellis and Curry aren’t a perfect match in the starting lineup, but they’re both very good. Morrow will just have to find a way to get more touches from his role off the bench.
Read the complete article at: http://www.mercurynews.com/sports/ci_13673510?nclick_check=1
Saving the best for last . . . Sports Illustrated’s Chris Ballard attended the Warriors’ season opener to watch Curry, and left more than impressed. Here’s a snippet from his analytical article:
This may be damning him with faint praise, but he’s already the best playmaker on the Warriors. He found seams, passed off the dribble and moved the ball quickly and crisply. Young point guards are often prone to over-dribbling but Curry was mostly efficient with the ball. Twice, he tried to do too much — the second time, attempting an ill-advised look-away lob to Andris Biedrins in crunch time — but compared to the likes of Ellis and Corey Maggette and Kelenna Azubuike, he’s Magic Johnson. This bodes well not only for his future but also for the Warriors, who’ve lacked a playmaker since Baron Davis went south.
A great read, check it out here: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/chris_ballard/10/29/curry/
Look for a game day preview later today looking at Friday night’s game on the road against the Suns. Warning: the Warriors could very easily start 0-2.
