2014 Round 1 Game 6 Warriors vs Clippers Playoffs Story Lines – Stephen Curry: Not Anybody’s Michael Jordan

2014 Round 1 Game 6 Warriors vs Clippers Playoffs Story Lines – Stephen Curry: Not Anybody’s Michael Jordan (Photo: @mariojsanchez Instagram account)

One of the themes that emerged from the Golden State Warriors‘ 100-99 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers last night in Game 6 was how aggressive Stephen Curry came out, and then how he changed it up in the second half accordingly…

Lowell Cohn of the Santa Rosa Press Democrat:

Before the game, I asked Jackson why Curry doesn’t take over all the games, why he passes and sometimes acts, well, passive as he did in Game 5 which the Warriors lost.
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I said superstars take over in big games. I said Michael Jordan wouldn’t keep passing the ball to teammates in a playoff series.
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At a certain point he’d say, “Give me the damn ball.” I didn’t use the word “damn” with Jackson.
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“I appreciate that question,” Jackson said, “but this just in. Steph Curry is not Michael Jordan.”
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“He’s your Michael Jordan,” I said.
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“He’s not my Michael Jordan. He’s not anybody’s Michael Jordan. I love him to death and he’s a heck of a basketball player. At the end of the day, Michael Jordan is 6-foot-7, freak athlete, tremendous strength, cat like quickness, the ability to maneuver, get to his spots and, in spite of great defense, shoot over them.
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“Steph Curry is being trapped by a 7-foot freak athlete in (DeAndre) Jordan or a 6-foot-10 freak athlete in Blake (Griffin) along with a big time defender at the point guard position, (Chris) Paul and whoever. There are times he’s going to be aggressive. Then there are times he’s going to look to make plays. I would argue the case that being too aggressive can force turnovers also. So he’s got to use wisdom, and I have confidence that he’ll do just that.”
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On Thursday, Curry used wisdom. He got his points and he got his assists — nine — and controlled the rhythm of the game.

Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle:

If the Warriors were feeling pressure before the must-win game, it was tough to tell as Curry played air guitar to Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man” before addressing his teammates. He then went onto the court and played lead guitar, asserting his will on the big stage and hunting for shots – even when he was double- and triple-teamed.
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Curry had 24 points on a series-high 24 shots and added nine assists, putting to rest any questions about his superstar status a game after finding room for only 10 field-goal attempts. If it’s possible to come of age during a 48-hour span in the NBA playoffs, Curry seemed to do it between Games 5 and 6.
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For 30 seconds, Curry stood in the corner during pregame layups. No shots. No dribbles. No ball. He just blew on his shooting hand, getting it ready for a night during which he was going to call on it often.

Ethan Strauss of ESPN.com:

“I came out aggressive in the first quarter, but you want to try to be assertive and be the one throwing the punches out there with what you’re doing on the floor and not being passive,” Curry said after a 100-99 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers at Oracle Arena. “Whether that’s giving up a lot of shots or just trying to pick and choose where you’re going to be able to get your looks and get other guys open.”
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The “aggressive” part is exciting, but the latter part about picking and choosing might not evoke so much emotion. There’s a desire for superstars to impose their will on a game, but the game doesn’t always crumble into the fetal position just because an athlete tried hard. Sometimes the best way to win is a bit more subtle. In the second half, Curry hunted for shots less and found his teammates more often.

Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle:

But Mark Jackson made a valid point. Forget about Jordan, the buzz on what is preventing Curry from being mentioned with the big (literally) guys – LeBron James, Blake Griffin and even Kevin Durant – is that he can’t create his own shots with pure power and stupendous athleticism.
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But Curry, as he proves over and over and re-proved Thursday, has all the superstar innards, including the cranial stuff. Guts and smarts.

Jimmy Spencer of Fox Sports:

Stephen Curry was absolutely more aggressive this time around. For the second straight home game, Curry found his shot early rather than waiting. Before the game, Mark Jackson clarified something obvious with the media: “Curry is not Michael Jordan.”; His point was a response that Curry needed to force his offense more like other superstars do. Jackson’s point was taken; Curry is as good a facilitator as he is a shooter (well, nearly as good), and he’s not a freak athlete like other superstars. So while Curry was only 2 of 8 from behind the arc, he did score 24 points and tallied nine assists — and that was enough for the Warriors in the sloppy win.