Yeah I do have a bit of a man-crush on Steph Curry. And sure the cynics will say that on paper this trade doesn't make a lot of sense, maybe for either team. But I believe it does make sense. Maybe not for the Warriors but who cares. Let's put that aside because frankly we're entering a lockout and there's nothing better to do than exploring hypotheticals.
Stephen Curry is a natural shooting guard. Slightly undersized at 6'3 or 6'4 with the right shoes on, he gets away with it because of his slick ball handling and his ability to get a shot off with the smallest window of opportunity. I remember when he was drafted BIll Simmons wrote that "Steph Curry could get off a three point shot from inside a telephone booth. He just needs a split second and then BOOM, Dan Marino quick release and he's poured in a three before you know what just happened. He's got a silky smooth shot. Easily one of the most attractive in the game right there next to Ray Allens.
Why would this make sense for the Celtics? I think the C's could still make a really legit run at a Championship with Steph Curry playing the two. That backcourt of Rondo, Curry, and Pierce would complement each other beautifully. Rondo can attack and orchestrate for everyone, Curry can run off screens and get his own shot, and Paul has ways to score that he hasn't even tried yet. It would look a whole lot like how our offense does now with Ray Ray except that Curry is a whole lot younger, and is probably better at creating his own looks.
With Curry in the starting lineup I think that would have an affect on two different players. I believe Rondo would look to take an even more aggressive role on offense. Looking for his own shots, perfecting that mid range jumper, and getting himself to the free throw line to control the pace of the game. And the other player who would be affected is Paul Pierce. Although he's been doing an excellent job of this since the formation of the Big 3, I think he'd be an even better closer. With Stephen Curry maybe even averaging around 20 or more a game, P Twice would really be able to pick and choose his spots. If that meant taking it to the hoop and getting to the line he could do that. If that meant buckling down on Lebron, he could do that. If they needed another spot up shooter, he could pour in some threes. And if the team needed a late bucket you know he's always good for one.
But I'd also like to focus on how this would affect the C's matchup with the Heat. Of course everyone is going to say that the Dwyane Wade vs Stephen Curry is over before it starts. But that's not true. What does Wade have to do to stop Ray? He's got to not be a lazy bum, and chase him around screens instead of going under them. If he does that then he sticks his hand up and hopes for the best. All due respect to Ray, but with Curry it wouldn't be as easy. We'd be able to set onball screens for Steph. He could put some moves on Wade one on one. It just adds a whole different flavor to the offense. Of course it would be a lot to ask for Stephen to cover Wade but the kid works hard. Stopping D Wade has a lot to do with the help that his man receives anyways. Its a two, sometimes three person job. And no one can shut down Lebron but Paul does as good as anyone in this league covering him. Plus we will always have the point guard matchup advantage unless the Heat somehow land Chris Paul.
Too bad there hasn't even been a whisper of this going down and it would never really happen in real life. It didn't even work on ESPN's trade machine because Ray's contract is too large for the Warriors to take on. But it's fun to talk about though and theorize. That's about all I'll be able to do for who knows how long.
No comments:
Post a Comment