The Hoop Scoop: Stephen Curry Starting Right Where He Left Off

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Chris Goodman, Columnist

Stephen Curry. A.K.A. The Human Torch. A.K.A.the best shooter ever.

Whatever you want to call him is fine. You can really describe his game with three words: Flat out ridiculous. The ball-handling skills, the silky smooth jumper, and the circus passes make him must watch TV. You watch in disbelief as he pulls up from what looks like the parking lot and swishes it, making it look so smooth, so easy. A player with this much skill is a once in a generation type of player, so it’s no surprise the 2014-15 NBA MVP picked up right where he left off. The scary thing is, he got a lot better.

Curry showed out on opening night. Big player, big stage, big performance. He lit up the New Orleans Pelicans in the first quarter by pouring in twenty-four points. Yes, you read that right: twenty-four in one quarter. He proceeded to score sixteen more throughout the game to finish with forty points, seven assists, six rebounds, and a Warriors win.

Next game vs the Houston Rockets Curry went off again for twenty-five. He also grabbed seven boards and dished out six assists. Once again the Warriors got the win.

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image courtesy of FOXSports.com

Golden State faced New Orleans for the second time in their next match-up, and from the start, it was clear the Pelicans had not adjusted their game plan to guard Curry. In the third quarter alone Curry torched the Pelicans for twenty-eight points, including an insane behind the head pass with three defenders draped all over him. Believe it or not he actually outscored the whole Pelicans team in that quarter 28-26. Curry ended the game with fifty-three points. Fifty-three points. Let that sink in. At this point getting buckets like this is just a day in the office for Curry, and Dub Nation, as the Warriors like to call themselves, got the win again.

I bet you could predict what happened the next game. Curry scored 30 points again. Warriors won. You know, the usual. By scoring thirty this game Curry scored the most points through the first four games of the season with 148, since Michael Jordan scored 156 in 1991-92. Any day you and Michael Jordan are put into the same sentence it is a good day.

This season Curry is proving that he is not just a jump-shooter. Whether it’s the over-the-head no-look passes, the intense defense, or the improved ability to finish at the rim over taller defenders, Curry is showing that even at a mere 6’3, he is just as hard, if not harder to guard than a more physically imposing player such as LeBron James.

Teams have no answer for Curry right now and double teams and going over screens are just not enough to contain him. If they can’t find a way to guard him come playoff time, just be ready for another MVP trophy for Curry, and another banner to be hanging in Golden State at the conclusion of the season.