By Paul M. Banks and David Kay
Every Cinderella needs a Prince Charming. So when Davidson made their run to the Elite Eight in the 2008 NCAA Tournament, Stephen Curry ended up with control of the glass slipper. The baby-faced son of former NBA sharp-shooter Dell Curry became a media darling with his humble attitude, amazing scoring ability, and clutch play while in the national spotlight.
Curry’s range from the outside starts once he steps across half-court. His release is so quick and pure that it almost seems effortless for him to knock down a 30-foot shot. Curry can create his own shot off the dribble and also uses screens as well as anyone who played the college game. Any NBA team would love to have a player with his three-point ability on their roster. “I see myself as a point guard; who can move over to the two if I need to if, and can spread the defense with the way I shoot the ball,” recently told me.
The biggest concern with Curry is how his game will translate to the NBA. He is a shooting guard in a point guard’s body, and while he tried to run the point during his junior year, he never showed the consistency or ideal skill set to play that position at the next level. “I’m not the quickest guy, or the fastest but I add another element of scoring that most other guys don’t have. But I can keep defenses honest with the way I shoot the ball and open things up for my teammates to make a plays. So I feel I add another dimension to the point guard position,” Curry said.
His thin frame though prevents him from being the prototypical two-guard, making him a liability on the defensive end and sticking him with the dreaded label of a “tweener.” He is a solid athlete, but will likely struggle trying to take bigger, more athletic players off the dribble, making him a fairly one-dimensional player.
Early in the draft process, rumors began to swirl that the Knicks promised to pick Curry with the eighth overall pick. Curry has been anything but silent in his preference to play under the bright lights of the Big Apple, when the topic of playing his home games at Madison Square Garden came up at the NBA Draft combine, he told me “When I get into a situation with a lot of talented guys around me, a lot of professionals, I think it would make me a better player and make my team a lot better.”
Many, including Curry, feel the Knicks’ up-tempo offense under the tutelage of Mike D’Antonio would be a perfect match for the gunner. When asked at the combine about why he’s so attracted to the Knicks Curry responded: “the D’Antonio system, they need a point guard that can shoot, to back up Duhon and playing in the Garden with that legacy, 41 games would be fun.”
Recent buzz has Curry going as high as six to the Timberwolves with the possibility that Oklahoma City, who owns the third overall pick, is also interested in his services. That means the Knicks, and Curry may not see their supposed dream of coming together brought to fruition. At the same time, it would not surprise me to see him fall out of the top ten as there are players with more athleticism and potential, whose game better translates to the NBA. However, in the right situation (aka an up-tempo offense), Curry can be very effective in the association and not have his carriage turn into a pumpkin at midnight.