Patience is a virtue: Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors

A star in the making: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors reacts in the final moments of the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center on April 5, 2013 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Getty Images)

When the Golden State Warriors signed Stephen Curry as the seventh overall pick in the first round of the 2009 NBA Draft, they knew they had landed a special talent. However, they also knew that to bring out the best in him, they needed time and patience.

Despite being troubled by numerous ankle injuries, the point guard is slowly but surely beginning to realise his potential. Curry zipped through his opponents’ defence, passed the ball like he has eyes at the back of his head and shot threes unnerving accuracy last season.

Patience does indeed pay off.

Due credit must be given to the head coach, Mark Jackson’s “process”. It’s a maxim which he uses every time he has to defend his stubbornness in the press conference. Despite enormous criticism over sticking to Curry and the sale of fan favourite Monta Ellis, Jackson stuck to “the process”. One cannot argue with him now, as the end product is as polished a guard as you can get.

Curry is a multi-faceted player. He can shoot from anywhere, can drive incredibly well, and has extremely good court vision. Shut out one aspect of his game, and he opens up another. He’s Golden State’s star guard and is the key to their offence. Is he also the key to their future?

At 25, Curry is definitely young. He’s talented, personable and has a few seasons left to reach his prime. And that is exactly what makes him all the more dangerous.

Curry’s a great scorer and an incredible shooter. His three-point shooting has already garnered him comparisons to Reggie Miller and Ray Allen. He led the league in number of three-pointers made last season, while his shooting percentage also increased consistently from his rookie year (.437) to last season (.455).

Andre Iguodala (9) and Stephen Curry (30) take a breather during a break in the action in the third quarter. The Denver Nuggets took on the Golden State Warriors in Game 2 of the Western Conference First Round Series at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colo. on April 23, 2013. (Getty Images)

The current Golden State squad comprises of: Curry, Andre Iguodala, Andrew Bogut, David Lee, Klay Thompson and Carl Landry. It’s ideally suited for a player of Curry’s skill-set. At guard, Curry is primarily a facilitator.

While Curry is not a Derrick Rose or Russell Westbrook type shoot-first point guard, he can score himself, but prefers to act as the floor general. Till last season, he didn’t have a lot of support from his teammates save Lee and Thompson. That all changed when they signed Iguodala.

An All-Star and explosive scorer, Iguodala – who was joined the team from the Denver Nuggets – will play alongside Curry for extended periods of time, and they could develop into an effective offensive two-punch.

As a shoot-first player (and that is only because he is a shooting guard/small forward), he will relieve the burden of scoring off of Curry’s shoulder. And this should help them complement each other. And as a more experienced player, Iguodala could help Curry develop further.

They will obviously form the core of the team and will be surrounded by the likes of Bogut, Lee and Landry to form a potent front line. Curry’s passing skills, if combined properly with his teammates, could be devastating.

The Warriors also have a few great youngsters in their roster. Thompson is yet another budding star in the making. His multi-positional play proved highly beneficial to the Warriors playoff run last season, and the sophomore will be hoping to better his game this season.

Harrison Barnes is another youngster looking to make a name for himself. While he is still raw, he showed flashes of brilliance last season and would do well to fit well as a role player in this upcoming season. And with Jackson’s “process”, he might develop into a star too. After all he was also the seventh overall pick of his draft.

Curry #30 of the Warriors celebrates against the Denver Nuggets during Game Six of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs. (Getty Images)

What’s next for GSW?

The Warriors enter this season as title contenders. And why shouldn’t they?

They have two brilliant talents in Curry and Iguodala. And they will be ably supported by Thompson, Lee and Bogut. While Barnes will be a good backup for both Thompson and Iguodala, they have veterans Landry and Jermaine O’Neal coming off the bench to replace Lee and Bogut.

Defensively, they’re quite strong too. Curry is a decent perimeter defender and managed to record around 1.6 SPG. Iguodala and Lee are excellent defenders as well.

Iguodala holds his opponents to just 9.9ppg while guarding them. Lee holds them to 14.7. Together, they can probably stop most of the league’s forwards. While Bogut isn’t exactly the most physical defender, Landry and Lee will be able to make up for his deficiencies on defence.

Overall, this team has improved a lot from last season, thanks to Curry’s potential, Jackson’s “process” and Iguodala’s acquisition. Having a bunch of up and coming youngsters doesn’t hurt their chances of making it to the NBA Finals either.

Curry’s NBA career is similar to Michael Corleone’s in The Godfather. Nobody expected him to step up and rise to the occasion, but not only did he prove his doubters’ wrong, he has earned his position as the key player of the Warriors.

Despite unrelenting opposition, the Warriors stuck with Curry because they realised his true potential early on. The process has worked and the star has arrived.

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