Statistically speaking, Stephen Curry having a down year after the Golden State Warriors added Kevin Durant seemed like a given.
For Curry, though, pointing out his so-called down year as such and only focusing on numbers isn’t getting anyone anywhere. In an interview with Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding, he stressed how much this “down year” has helped him grow as a player:
“I think it’s comical that people were saying I’m having a down year,” Curry said. “To go black and white and say I’m not having as good a season as I was having last year based on just five points a game or shooting percentage or whatnot…there are other things that you try to do other than just the eye test to try and help your team win. This year has taught me that, for sure. The accolades and the attention and all that stuff, the hype is cool. But it’s really how you feel about your own game.”
If only most of the analysis out there took the same approach.
Yes, Curry only averages 25.2 points per game compared to 30.1 a year ago (which was also a career high). Yes, he’s shooting 46.7 and 40.4 percent from the field and deep, respectively, compared to 50.4 and 45.4 last year.
No, this isn’t such a big deal.
Curry was bound to come down from his best year as a pro, not to mention one of the best regular seasons by a team…ever. Sprinkle in the addition of Durant and it all makes plenty of sense.
The NBA is smarter than most leagues when it comes to on-court analysis and its approach to off-court situations. Curry asking fans to look past simple stats and take in the whole picture isn’t asking too much.
And to credit the NBA and its fans, the majority will see the truth in what Curry has to say on the topic. Calling this a down year is doing a disservice—it’s anything but.
About Chris Roling
Chris is an Ohio University E.W. Scripps School of Journalism graduate and associate editor here at TSD. He also covers breaking news and the NFL at Bleacher Report and resides in Athens (OH) with his wife and two dogs.
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