Golden State Warriors: Can Kings doing anything to limit Stephen Curry?

If the Sacramento Kings wish to continue in their remarkable 2022-23 season, they know they have to get through Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry. Few others will terrify the fearless Kings, but as shown in last year’s postseason, the reigning Finals MVP remains a one-man wrecking ball to opposition defenses.

2022 Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart was no match for the mastery of Curry in last year’s Finals, which now poses the question of how on earth the Kings will be able to limit his influence now.

Do the Sacramento Kings have the capacity to limit Stephen Curry, or will the Golden State Warriors maestro burn through another playoff opponent?

The fact is that Sacramento doesn’t possess the sort of high-level perimeter defender who can run with Curry for 40+ minutes. Second-year guard Davion Mitchell is their best option — he came into the league known for his tenacity and instincts on that end, and holds the best defensive field-goal percentage of any King guard outside the now injured Matthew Dellavedova. He’s still a bench player averaging just 18 minutes per game though, leaving a big workload for others even if Mitchell does get the assignment for regular stints.

For any opposing team, attempting to restrict Curry is a joint-effort no one individual can conquer alone. With years of experience working with the 35-year-old, Kings coach Mike Brown is preparing to throw anything and everything at Curry throughout the course of the series.

"“He’s a guy that, if you show him the same thing over and over again, he can kill you. Even if you change it up, he can kill you. He’s a tough cover for anybody”, Brown told the Sacramento Bee on Thursday."

Curry has lit up the Kings in his four appearances against them this season, pouring in an average of 33 points, 6.5 rebounds and five assists on a highly efficient 58.4% from the field and 50% from three-point range.

There was a distinct difference in the way they guarded him over the last two games though, throwing double-teams and blitzes that restricted his field-goal attempts — he took just 31 shots over the last two in contrast to 46 across the first two. The two-time MVP remained efficient with 27 and 25-point performances, but it’s probably an indication of what the Kings will seek to extrapolate into a seven-game series.

The issue for Sacramento is finding a ploy that’s new to Curry, that’s he’s never seen or experienced before. He has the knowledge, skill and expertise to counter anything, and the Kings best hope may be that their league-leading offense proves enough to outscore their opponents in a fast, high-tempo style of play.