5 Things To Like From the First Round Series
By Greg Chin
Apr 23, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) scores on a three point basket over New Orleans Pelicans guard Tyreke Evans (1) and forward Anthony Davis (23) and guard Quincy Pondexter (20) during the final seconds of the fourth quarter sending the game into overtime in game three of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at the Smoothie King Center. The Warriors defeated the Pelicans 123-119 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
- Stephen Curry is On Fire
Through the first round series, Curry averaged 33.8 points, 7.3 assists, and 5.3 rebounds per game. He became a scoring machine against the Pelicans, as he upped his scoring average from 23.8 points per game in the regular season to 33.8 in the postseason. It is unlikely that he can keep up this scoring barrage, but Curry has been known to have a surprise or two up his sleeve.
More from Stephen Curry
- Golden State Warriors: History shows USA may need Stephen Curry for more than the Olympics
- Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry’s ‘underpaid’ status doesn’t evaluate his impact
- Golden State Warriors: Where ESPN experts rank Stephen Curry in MVP favoritism
- Stephen Curry embracing new approach for the Golden State Warriors
- Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry makes huge claim on GOAT point-guard debate
His increase in scoring comes from volume rather than accuracy, as he averaged 23.8 field-goal attempts per game. For those wondering, those are very “Russell Westbrook”-type figures – Curry averaged 16.8 attempts per game in the regular season. He also increased his three-point attempts from 8.1 to 12 per game. His accuracy has dipped as a result of the increased volume, but if that guarantees that Curry will average 33.8 points per game, I’m sure many Warriors’ fans will be cheering for Curry to take more shots.
It will be interesting to see how Curry fares against the opposing point guard in the next round. If they end up playing Portland, he should have an easy time going up against the smaller and defensively liable Damian Lillard. If Memphis closes out the series, Mike Conley’s injury could mean that Curry faces off against Beno Udrih and Nick Calathes.
Next: No Nerves for Kerr