The Washington Post’s Michael Lee reported yesterday that the Wizards are “possibly leaning toward Davidson point guard Stephen Curry.” It is now a rumor that the Washington Wizards are intrigued by the scoring phenom whom many teams have expressed interest in, including the New York Knicks and Charlotte Bobcats. Stephen Curry was originally projected outside the top five, closer to the tenth pick. If it is true that Ernie Grunfeld is interested then the Wizards may be looking to draft more for need than just going with the best player available. This assertion contradicts Grunfeld’s statements last month about picking the best player still on the board. This could also mean that the Wizards are indeed looking to trade back in the draft, possibly around the mid-to-late lottery or even later. This is a theory fueled by Michael Lee of The Washington Post who reported that the Wizards were working out Louisville’s Terrence Williams today.
Grunfeld’s rumored interest in Stephen Curry could be for these reasons or just for the simple fact that the player is moving up the draft board. He is a difficult player to project as far as potential because of a variety of reasons. For one he is perceived as being too small to play the role of scorer in the NBA. It is the same weakness that caused big-time college programs to be hesitant about him when he came out of high school. I saw Curry play his freshman year in Charleston, SC and he was extremely small. His freshman year he was around 6 feet and maybe 155 pounds. Since his first year in the NCAA, in which he was second to Kevin Durant in freshman scoring, Curry has grown at least two inches. He looks older now but still underdeveloped. His father Dell was listed at 6’5,” 6’6” was decently filled-out later in his professional career. It is conceivable that Stephen could grow another inch or so and certainly gain muscle after joining an NBA workout program.
The deciding factor for Stephen Curry in the NBA will be how he can transition to the speed of the Association. This may sound obvious, but for a shooter it becomes a matter of getting their shot off with a world-class defender guarding them. A lack of size and especially speed can hinder a player who is incapable of creating their own offense (see J.J. Redick, Adam Morrisson, Oleksiy Pecherov). There were and still may exist questions of Curry’s exposure to quality collegiate defenses. He played in the Southern Conference which held no true competition for him in his three years at Davidson. His team was able to play against some tough squads each season including Duke, Oklahoma, and Purdue but most of his statistics were compiled against the likes of the Citadel and Elon. We all remember two years ago when Curry and the Wildcats basically made Georgetown University look like Georgetown Visitation. He has been tested to a certain extent, particularly on the stage of the NCAA tournament, however doubts still remain.
After watching Curry play over the last three years it is pretty clear that the kid has excellent athleticism for his size. He has considerable leaping ability, he can play above the rim with great hands for playing it off the glass. His quickness is understated, especially his step back fadeaway which he is consistent executing off the dribble with the left or right hand. This move is one he relies on and will absolutely need tuning to fake out an athletically superior defender.
The attribute that will probably serve him the best at the next level is his quick release shot. Curry has one of the most natural shooting motions college basketball has ever seen. He shoots effortlessly, seemingly just tossing the ball up at times. He can stroke it from long range and is effective playing off the pick and roll. It takes little breathing room for him to launch a high percentage shot, which is a skill that many small guys in the NBA have mastered. To be an effective scorer as a professional, Curry will need to model his offensive repertoire after Allen Iverson and Monta Ellis.
The one sleeping factor about Stephen Curry that could prove significant as he develops into a solid pro is his ability to pass. His skills in this department are severely overlooked because of his scoring prowess. It is not often that the leading scorer in the NCAA (28.6 ppg) is also in the top 25 for leaders in assists (5.7). 5.7 assists a game, for a player on the Davidson Wildcats is a significant number. Yes, his backcourt partner from previous years, Jason Richards, had 8 per game and led the NCAA, but that doesn’t mean it is easy. It is much more difficult to accrue assists in college as it is in the pro’s. It is much harder because the player you pass to in the NBA is more than likely going to knock down the shot. Chris Paul is brilliant at running the pick-and-roll but he many of his assists benefit from the shooting range of Peja Stojakovic and David West. In fact, CP3 averaged 6.3 assists per game in his two year college career at Wake Forest. He wasn’t surrounded by a spectacular squad but it was certainly superior to that of Curry’s Wildcats. Since becoming an NBA player Paul’s assist average has nearly doubled that of what he had in college. Stephen has impressed me this past year with the strides he has made in his court vision. He has provided for some unbelievable passing highlights that suggest he has more in store for whoever drafts him than just a sweet shot and NCAA tournament legacy.
(espn.go.com for stats)
Keywords: Ernie Grunfeld, Stephen Curry, Washington Wizards
