When Seth Curry entered the NBA in 2013, he was seen as little more than Stephen Curry’s little brother. After all, he was only a two- to three-star recruit out of high school and averaged just 14.9 points per game throughout his college career.
Seth Curry is no longer just Steph’s little brother
Since the All-Star break, Curry is averaging about 24 points on 53 percent shooting from three.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Meanwhile, the older Curry was well on his way to leading the Golden State Warriors to consecutive NBA Finals appearances, winning back-to-back MVP awards along the way.
But Seth Curry has emerged as more than just the younger sibling in the family this season and has had an impressive stretch since the All-Star break to prove it.
After the break, the Mavericks waived veteran point guard Deron Williams, freeing him up to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers. In the six games since, the 26-year-old Curry is averaging more than 23 points per game on 58 percent shooting from the field and 53 percent shooting from downtown. He’s made 14 threes and poured in 29 points in a Feb. 27 win over the streaking Miami Heat.
During that same stretch, the reigning MVP is averaging just two more points at an uncharacteristic 24 percent three-point clip. The younger Curry may have sapped his older brother’s superpowers.
Curry’s play has helped jolt the Mavericks, who are now just two games behind the West’s eighth seed after winning six of its last 10 outings.
But he could have been helping the Kings had they not let him go over the summer.
Sacramento signed Curry to a two-year deal two summers ago but declined to pick up the qualifying offer on his contract, allowing him to freely sign elsewhere as an unrestricted free agent.
Why? Curry just didn’t want to be there, according to Sactown Royalty’s Greg Wissinger.
Curry played sparingly for the Sacramento Kings last season, but played well when he saw the floor. And then this past offseason, when the Kings lacked depth at the guard position, Sacramento renounced their rights to Curry, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent.
The Kings did this, we were told, because Curry didn’t see an opportunity for minutes in Sacramento and wanted out. The Kings obliged. Many Kings fans, including Grant Napear, defend this decision with the logic of “he didn’t want to be here, what can you do?”
The Kings have a tendency of giving away quality players for little to nothing in return.
Remember, Sacramento once had Isaiah Thomas, Hassan Whiteside,and DeMarcus Cousins all on one team back in 2011. Of course, Whiteside was believed to have poor work ethic and temperament that led to his waiving in 2011. He now leads the league in rebounding (14.1 per game) and ranks fourth in blocked shots for the surging Miami Heat.
In 2014, they sent Thomas to the Phoenix Suns for Alex Oriakhi and a $7 million trade exception. Thomas now averaged 29.5 points per game in Boston, while Oriakhi plays for Garzas de Plata in the Mexican Basketball League.
And just moments after the All-Star Game, the Kings sent Boogie Cousins to the New Orleans Pelicans for Buddy Hield, Langston Galloway, Tyreke Evans, and a pair of picks in the upcoming draft.
Seth Curry isn’t an All-Star, and its unclear if he ever will become one in the guard-heavy NBA. But he’s no longer just living in the shadow of his All-Star older brother.
Moreover, Sacramento will never reap the benefits of Curry’s development into a solid basketball player. Instead, they will watch him become for Dallas what they needed all along on their own roster — a capable ball-handler and shot-maker at either guard position.
And that is music to Mark Cuban’s ears.
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