The Golden State Warriors have been Stephen Curry’s team for more than a decade, and though at age 37, the superstar is once again the main factor in their success.
Leading the Warriors to a 9-6 record, Curry is averaging 27.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, taking on the lead scoring role while Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, and others fill in the gaps in the other areas of the game.
But despite his incredible start to the season, some believe Golden State can’t rely on Curry as much as they have so far, it they want to have a real shot at the title. Writing for CBS Sports, Brad Botkin said Curry carrying the Warriors is unsustainable, and a different way of finding wins is needed for more long-term success.
“Curry continues to author superhuman performances as a matter of routine and certainly it’s an enviable ace to have up the sleeve if you’re the Warriors,” Botkin wrote. “But they’ve already had to play that card too many times this season to defeat the good teams. It’s just not a sustainable model.”
His point was evident in Golden State’s latest game against the New Orleans Pelicans. Though they walked away victorious, with a much stronger and healthier roster, Curry only scored nine points, making just two of his 11 shot attempts. The Warriors won handily, but the performance was a major drop-off from his combined 95 points against the San Antonio Spurs in the previous two games.
How Long Can Steph Curry Carry The Warriors?
The back-to-back games against the Spurs were peak Curry, scoring 46 points, then 49 points in two wins that ended up being separated by just six total points. While Victor Wembanyama put up a good fight against Golden State, Curry’s scoring outburst helped his more-experienced team take victory on both occasions.
But as Botkin wrote, how long can the aging superstar keep that up? He cited the game against the Spurs as a reason for, despite Curry’s heroics, the rotational players on the roster still holding a big role as it relates to the team winning games.
“Again, it’s awesome that Curry is still doing this stuff,” he wrote. “(But) The Warriors still needed two huge 3-pointers from a 20% 3-point shooter in Gary Payton II to win the second game against San Antonio.”
Botkin then turned his attention to Butler, specifically as it relates to his scoring responsibilities.
“Jimmy Butler is simply not doing enough as a co-star,” he added. “He’s a stabilizing force, sure. But he just isn’t aggressive to score. It still looks like the last thing on his mind, almost until he’s forced into it.”
So far, Curry is the only Golden State player to average more than 20 points per game, and while that might not sound too surprising, it is hard to see anyone else on the roster picking up his scoring role when he’s on an off-night.
“Curry’s great, but he needs scoring help,” Botkin wrote. “If your only real formula to compete with the best teams in the league is for one guy to start throwing superhero flames, while you’ll get some amazing performances like the ones we’ve already seen so far this year, eventually it’ll be Curry and the Warriors who burn out.”
Closing In On Michael Jordan’s Record
If the straight box scores this season aren’t enough to show Curry’s scoring prowess, whether it be just this season or over his entire career, the guard is closing in on history.
After his 49-point game in San Antonio, Curry tied Michael Jordan’s record of most 40-point games by a player over 30 years old, as both have now done it on 44 occasions. When asked after the game, Curry said that he was ‘very aware‘ of his standing on the historic list next to Jordan.
While the Chicago Bulls legend was well into his second retirement by the time he was 37, Curry is still going strong. Though the two high-scoring games against the Spurs were his best of the year, the three-point champ also dropped 42 points against the Denver Nuggets in the second game of the season.
But all of this being said, it almost fuels Botkin’s point that a trend like this isn’t sustainable. Yes, Curry is continuing to do things never before seen in the history of the league, but as was evident against Wembanyama, he can’t single-handedly carry his team to four straight playoff series wins.
The expectations on Butler, Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Al Horford, and others will likely rise as the season goes on, especially if Curry continues his case for a late-career MVP award.
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