Warriors Analysis: What Would a Curry-Nash Backcourt Look Like?
Before the Golden State Warriors became NBA champions, they were a struggling franchise, even after two of their best seasons under coach Don Nelson.
They were becoming a destination franchise with Monta Ellis and Stephen Jackson leading the charge. After two disappointing seasons and looking like the same old Warriors, their franchise changed in almost in an instant with the drafting of reigning MVP Stephen Curry.
But this pick almost didn’t happen.
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Valley of the Suns
The Warriors and the Phoenix Suns had a proposed deal that would have sent All-Star Amar’e Stoudemire to the Warriors for Stephen Curry, along with other players. The General Manager of the Suns at that time was Steve Kerr, the now-head coach of the Warriors and his best player was Steve Nash, a two-time NBA MVP. Kerr’s plan was to either pair Curry with Nash or groom him to be the heir apparent when Nash’s skills were diminishing.
The deal never got done but with the signing of Nash as a player consultant for the Warriors makes us wonder what could happened in Phoenix.
If the Suns would have paired Nash and Curry, they would undoubtedly have the best shooting backcourt in NBA History. Curry has definitely improved since his rookie season but one thing that has been a constant on his career has been his shooting ability. Nash would spoon feed Curry as the shooting guard, and all Curry would have to do is catch and shoot while Nash would do the rest.
The Suns that season averaged over 110 points per game, which is no surprise because their coach was Alvin Gentry, the same Alvin Gentry that was the Kerr’s associate head coach last season. That Suns team made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals, eventually losing to the NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers.
With the addition of Curry and the loss of Stoudemire, would they have earned the same result? That remains to be seen but their team would have lots of fun to watch.
That Suns team did not play much defense, and with Nash and Curry in the backcourt, they might have played even less. The Suns just wanted to outscore their opponent, never worrying about their defense, which may have been why they never won a NBA championship under Mike D’Antoni or Gentry.
June 14, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) and guard Klay Thompson (11) celebrate after a scoring play against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second half in game five of the NBA Finals. at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
The current Warriors, on the other hand, won a NBA championship because they played defense, along with the sharp shooting of their backcourt, Curry and Klay Thompson. The dream backcourt of Curry and Nash might have been able to shoot better than Curry and Thompson but in every other statistical category, the Warriors championship backcourt would reign supreme. The Warriors backcourt are better defensively, rebounders, clutch performers and have a better collective group around them.
With the addition of Nash as a consultant, not only will it improve the backcourt’s game but also the entire team as a whole. Nash’s experience will improve the team’s already stellar shooting ability and his guidance will only benefit this franchise.