So, as it turns out, Steph Curry's value to the Warriors involves a lot more than his scoring and playmaking. The Athletic's Warriors insider Anthony Slater took note of the team's recent slide with their superstar shooter on the bench due to injury, and it's not pretty:
The Warriors are 3-8 in their last 11 games. They just fell to 1-6 without Steph Curry. They're now 22-24, on a steep recent descent. Warriors currently only one game ahead in the loss column of the Pelicans, Kings and Thunder.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 27, 2021
But Slater also noticed also noted an interesting little statistical nugget that has stood out in recent games without Curry:
Seven straight quarters of 30+ points against the Warriors defense.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 27, 2021
Slater went further while covering the team's most recent tilt against the Atlanta Hawks, who, it should be noted, are comfortably in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
“Warriors just aren't trying very hard on defense,” Slater tweeted. “A second late on rotations. Little physicality. They're floating passes. They're jogging into sets. Down 20 at home to the Hawks in the first half.”
What is surprising about Steph Curry's absence is that his defense is notoriously a historical weak spot in his game. But if this coverage and analysis means anything, it reflects how the Warriors felt without the greatest shooter of all time, and the team's leader, on the court with them.
Now, it should be noted that Curry hasn't been a true negative on defense this season. While not necessarily strong on that end of the floor, Curry actually posts a positive +/- on the defensive end, with 0.2. He is tied with Draymond Green in steals, outpaces the larger Andrew Wiggins in rebounds per game (5.8), and has posted a defensive rating of 111, just below the team's 110.2 rating this season, good for 9th in the league.
But aside from the stats, what we are seeing is the impact of Steph's absence as both a team defender and attitude setter. He is a player that doesn't necessarily make plays on the game's less glamorous side, but makes few mistakes. Moreover, Steph Curry is a winner and a verified assassin that lifts up the morale of the players around him.
Simply put: without the Chef in the lineup, every dish in the kitchen suffers.
