Considered a pretty solid defender in the NBA, Celtics back Derrick White crossed paths with an unplayable Stephen Curry in the last Finals between Boston and Golden State. He tells how exhausting it is to defend against the most formidable sniper in the history of basketball.
We obviously no longer present Stephen Curry, four-time NBA champion and two-time MVP who revolutionized the Great League through his countless 3-point banderillas.
But one aspect that is not often highlighted when we talk about greatness of the guy, that’s all that happens in the field before Steph even pulls out of the parking lot : his exceptional ability to move without the ball, his absolutely perfect physical condition which allows him to tire the defenses, the spaces he opens up to his friends without even touching the ball because he represents such a threat to the opponent… in short, all these things which remain a little in the shadows but which truly make Curry a unique player. And Celtics player Derrick White is perhaps the one who best expresses that constant fear that Steph provokes when a team comes up against him (via JJ Redick’s podcast, The Old Man and the Three).
“For 48 minutes, you wonder, ‘Where is Steph? You must be aware of where he is at all times. Does he come off a screen, does he have the ball, does he play without the ball? It wears you down mentally. Things revolve around him so much that it also opens up opportunities for others.
It’s a constant paranoid, if I may say so. […] He’s the best shooter in history, he can shoot anywhere. When dribbling, in catch & shoot. That’s what makes him different from everyone else who’s played basketball.”
Clearly, it smells of experience.
The 3-point ???? (@StephenCurry30) splashed down 7 3-pointers in Game 4 for his 4th consecutive #NBAFinals game with 5+ 3PM ???? pic.twitter.com/26K0XE0lxw
— NBA (@NBA) June 11, 2022
During the last NBA Finals between the Warriors and the Celtics, Stephen Curry displayed all his talent on the biggest of stages, and against a defense considered to be the best in the League. 31.2 points average, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 48% in shooting including 44% from behind the arc and 86% in free throwsall to guide Golden State to a new championship title and secure its first Finals MVP title.
A legendary performance for Steph, who started at a similar pace at the start of the 2022-23 season, all this when he is now 34 years old. Where can he stop? Hard to say but anyway, Curry has no intention of slowing down.
To the great misfortune of the opposing defenses…
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Source texte : The Old Man and The Three