Stephen Curry squandered opportunity for greatness
Stephen Curry had a chance to cement himself as one of the best we’ve ever seen with a great Game 5 performance. He failed.
Every great has defining moments.
Images that are passed down from generation to generation that build the legend of the player every time the story is told. What separates the greats that we acknowledge every so often and the ones we talk about all the time are their performances in big moments. It’s why we talk about Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson more than Patrick Ewing. It’s what separates Isaiah Thomas from Chris Paul.
As a two-time MVP, Stephen Curry has already made himself a lock for the Hall of Fame. He’s the greatest shooter of all-time and he’s the best player on the team with the winningest season in league history. He’s the defining figure in a changing game, the face of an era defined by uniqueness.
Curry had an opportunity to propel himself further up the ladder of basketball greats. He had the chance to climb up a few rungs while knocking down someone who sits at the top. After a marvelous Game 4 performance in which he scored 38 points in a win, Curry had a chance to win Finals MVP with a big Game 5. Draymond Green‘s suspension only upped the stakes, providing more adversity for Curry to overcome.
He didn’t.
Now, I don’t think the Finals MVP is necessarily a barometer of greatness. It’s such a small sample size that players can get hold or go cold and win or lose the award. A player is still great without that award. It’s so arbitrary that over the course of a handful of games, narratives are created and players are boosted or torn down. Curry had a fantastic series, averaging more points than he did during his MVP season, but a poor Game 2 gave people the idea that he had a horrible Finals series.
Curry had an opportunity to, not only win Finals MVP, but to take down the King. And he failed. He scored 25 points, but that pales in comparison to Kyrie Irving‘s 41 and James’ 41. He could have followed up a magnificent 38 point performance on the road by exploding in the friendly confines of Oracle Arena and sealing his second consecutive NBA championship. But he didn’t.
It was a chance for Curry, the league’s first unanimous MVP, to dispel all narratives that he’s a poor postseason performer. Instead, he was outplayed by his opposing point guard. Instead, Klay Thompson was the best player on the floor for Golden State. Instead, he let James, his opposition at the top of the NBA and the antithesis of everything that Curry stands for, stand out as the best player in the world.
Curry is still the most explosive offensive force in the Association. He’s the Warriors’ best player and, despite the temptation of recency bias, the best player in the world. He was a deserving unanimous MVP, an award based on the regular season.
He’s also still hurt. He’s also the focus of every defense he goes up against. He crosses half court and has at least two guys on him. Players are allowed to have bad games and, even, series. It doesn’t make them less great. James had a horrible 2010 NBA Finals, but he’s still one of the best ever.
If the Warriors can close out the Cavaliers, the Finals MVP is wide open. Curry, with a huge Game 6, can claim the award.
Most importantly, as basketball fans, we should all want him to do well. When Curry is hitting his threes and making highlights on every single possession, basketball is a lot more fun. We want the best of the best in the NBA Finals. We have it in Curry vs. James. We just need them both to play well at the same time.
Curry, still, needs to show up.