There's no doubt that Dillon Brooks had a major hand in Steph Curry's struggles on Saturday night. The Memphis Grizzlies loud-mouth hounded Curry across the floor in the Golden State Warriors' 133-119 loss to their Western Conference rivals, sometimes refusing to willingly cede him air space even on dead balls.
The result? Curry needed 15 shots to score 16 points, tied for his third-lowest total in any game this season. The effects of his incessant off-ball movement and imminent shooting threat didn't ripple like they normally do, either. Facing one of the league's best defenses, the Warriors were actually more efficient offensively when the reigning Finals MVP was on the bench.
Don't give Brooks, Jaren Jackson Jr. and company too much credit for Curry's lackluster performance. As Steve Kerr saw it, his labors were more the result of inevitable fatigue than Memphis' dogged, physical defense.
“I thought the schedule kind of caught up a little bit to Steph. Back-to-back, third in four nights, lot of travel. First game he's had since he's been back that he didn't shoot well,” Kerr said after the game. “Brooks did a good job defensively. But all in all, it felt like Steph's legs just weren't quite there tonight.”
Curry wasn't just playing on the second leg of a back-to-back on Saturday after notching 37 minutes in Golden State's ugly yet close-fought loss to the Atlanta Hawks. The Warriors were also playing their third game in four nights, the first of which Curry erupted for 50 points on 20-of-28 shooting in one of the most jaw-dropping efforts of his career.
Heavy legs were unavoidable for Curry and Golden State's other veterans, basically. It's telling that Jonathan Kuminga and Jordan Poole, both in their early 20s, were the Dubs' most effective players on Saturday. Curry and Klay Thompson certainly weren't themselves; even noted iron man Kevon Looney looked a half step slow.
Unfortunately for the Warriors, Steph Curry isn't getting any younger. Andrew Wiggins' return and Gary Payton II's season debut would help ease his burden on both ends, though it's unclear just how productive either would be upon first getting back on the floor—if that happens at all.
In the mean time, Golden State can take solace that its done with back-to-backs this season. But Curry's age and nightly wear-and-tear are factors the Warriors will have to continue monitoring as the stretch run continues either way.
“It's gonna happen,” Kerr said of Curry's fatigue. “At 35, there's gonna be some nights where—especially on a back-to-back with a lot of travel involved, flying cross-country, all that stuff—sometimes it catches up to you when you're a little older. But he'll be fine.”
Follow Us
Subscribe