After looking like a superhero in Game 1 against the San Antonio Spurs, scoring 44 points and hitting six three-pointers, Stephen Curry has come back to earth a little bit. He’s still averaging a little over 20 points a game in the last three, but the Spurs have clearly found a way to slow him down a little bit.
Part of that success can be attributed to the defense of Danny Green. Curry’s numbers when Green has been guarding him are way below his average. Green has accepted his new role as Steph Curry’s shadow and is excited for the opportunity to continue.
"It's a great (challenge) man," Green said. "We treat him like a mini Kevin Durant. Obviously he's not as tall or as lethal attacking the rim, but he can finish, has floaters, has all types of stuff, a quick trigger. He's a scorer – a true scorer. I respect him. You've got to respect him. He's one of the best scorers we have in the league now. And for me to be able to guard him that tough – they have me guarding him and telling me to step up to this challenge – is big for me. I'm defending the way they tell me to defend him. You know, long story short, just stay connected to him. Stay in his airspace and try to make him uncomfortable. That's all."
Of course, even though the Spurs have slowed Curry a little bit, that obviously doesn’t solve the Warriors. Golden State is 2-1 in the games since Curry’s 44-point performance, finding other guys like Klay Thompson and Jarrett Jack to step up.
The Spurs’ ability to slow down Curry is going to be key in whether or not they win the series, but it can’t be their only focus. They’ve got lots of work to do elsewhere if they want to advance to the Western Conference Finals.
