The West semis kicked off with a couple of shocks. The previously unassailable Warriors looked vulnerable after consecutive losses at the hands of the Grizzlies. Memphis had figured out how to slow down the buzzsaw that is Golden State's offense while somehow scoring just enough to come out ahead. Strangest of all, runaway MVP Stephen Curry couldn't connect on stand still shots.
Stephen Curry can shoot again. Hurray!
After playing poorly in two losses against the Grizzlies, Stephen Curry got his stroke back.
Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Since falling behind, though, the Warriors have gotten two convincing wins by righting the basketball universe. Golden State's in complete control, heading into Saturday's game looking -- once more -- like a lock for the West finals. Stephen Curry is hitting three-pointers again.
Curry’s weird drought came after going a tidy 4-for-8 from outside in Game 1 of the series, followed by a combined 4-for-21 the next two. The newly crowned MVP went through a horrible slump in the biggest series of his career. The Grizzlies contested every look Curry got and it made him less aggressive searching for his own opportunities off the dribble. He averaged six catch-and-shoot three-point attempts per game in Games 2 and 3 -- much higher than the 3.5 he averaged in the regular season -- while his pull up three-point attempts were down. That’s not how Curry plays and his percentages showed his discomfort.
Since then he’s back to pulling the trigger off the dribble as soon as he sees a sliver of room. Curry’s ability to hit pull up jumpers is what makes him so unique. The Grizzlies contained, sure, but Curry focused on navigating with his dribble instead of taking shots he would have let fly in the past. Freeing a struggling shooter to spot up in the half court is a smart coaching adjustment in most cases, but Curry isn’t most players. Curry struggled because he got away from the most impactful part of his game.
Curry has gone 10-for-22 in the past two matchups and his marksmanship has revitalized Golden State’s attack, in particular in transition. Every Warrior has been attacking early in the shot clock, especially after misses, but Curry has been a nightmare in the secondary break since entering the league due to his ability to punish a still not set defense for giving him room. During his slump those quick threes weren’t falling. Now they’re dropping again.
With his spot up game back, Curry is again the league's most fearsome sniper but he's also gotten back on track on defense. Curry got roasted by opponents when he was guarding them beyond the arc, but no Grizzly has hit a three-pointer in the past two games with Curry on him. Memphis' incompetence as an outside shooting team is one of its biggest weaknesses but in Games 2 and 3 Mike Conley and Courtney Lee had gone 9-for-20 from outside, outgunning the Splash Brothers. Since then, Conley and Lee have gone a combined 3-for-11 and Memphis as a team has not been a deep threat.
When the debate about who deserved the MVP was raging, the case for James Harden was that without him, the Rockets were nothing special. While the Warriors are clearly a more well-rounded team, the losses against the Grizzlies proved that they are still highly dependent on the production of their best player to be a contender. Fortunately for them, Curry seems to have regained his form.
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