Steph Curry is officially the old man on the Warriors’ roster.
He still has the playful energy of a rookie, but the 32-year-old is probably closer to the end of his career than the start of it. Last season was something of a lost cause for the Warriors, with Klay Thompson missing the entire year and Curry playing five games.
This season, Curry is learning how to play without his fellow Splash Brother to ease the pressure from defenses. Andrew Wiggins and Damion Lee have been consistent outside shooters for the Warriors this year but that hasn’t stopped opponents from applying a box-and-one defense on Curry, which usually results in a constant double team for him.
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“That’s the game, that’s the challenge,” Curry told Warriors play-by-play man Tim Roye on 95.7 The Game. “I knew coming in [to the season] to be kind of prepared to see everything. It’s one of those things where you kind of have to constantly remind yourself that challenge is fun. Kind of cracking that code.”
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The Toronto Raptors and Indiana Pacers each employed the tactic in the past two games, holding Curry to 31 points combined on 27.3 percent shooting. Curry averaged 30.6 points per game in the nine contests to start the year.
Raptors coach Nick Nurse first made headlines for using the box-and-one defense effectively on Curry during the 2019 Finals. The Dubs superstar even wore a hoodie that referred to box-and-one.
Curry told reporters on Tuesday that he’s been facing the scheme since his high school days but Nurse’s application on a big stage might have changed things for how other NBA teams approach him. In Year 12, Curry appears skilled as ever but he will have to continue to evolve to maintain his impressive production. Despite the recent dip, Curry still ranks third in the NBA with 27.8 points per game.
