“I mean, he's Steph Curry” - Grant Hill not surprised by Golden State Warriors talisman’s hot start to the 2021-22 NBA season
Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors is off to a great start to the season as he emerges as one of the favorites to win the NBA MVP. Hall of Famer and NBA TV analyst Grant Hill explained why some people are still surprised by Curry's performance despite him being a two-time MVP and a three-time NBA champion.
After the Warriors' 126-95 win over the Orlando Magic, NBA TV's Game Time hosts Grant Hill, Kristen Ledlow, and Candace Parker discussed Curry's amazing start to the 2021-22 NBA season. Ledlow pointed out that Curry and the Warriors were out of the playoffs in the past two years, which has caused some people to be surprised at how good they are right now.
Hill explained why Steph Curry and the Warriors were counted out in the offseason. He also mentioned that the two "off years" were good for Steph and the Warriors, as evidenced by their 20-4 start this season.
"You're surprised but you're like, 'Whoa, whoa, whoa.' I mean, he's Steph Curry. He's done this before. You know, in a weird kind of way, they lost in the 2019 NBA Finals against Toronto. And then the following year he got hurt early. And then we had, obviously, the pandemic, the bubble. Golden State wasn't in the bubble," Hill said.
"You're surprised but you're like, 'Whoa, whoa, whoa.' I mean, he's Steph Curry."
@realgranthill33 on Steph Curry's hot start this season. #Gametime https://t.co/DI4V2YJdfp
I think that time off actually might have been, in a weird kind of way, good for him," Hill added.
Steph Curry is averaging 27.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 1.8 steals per game this season while shooting 43.9% from the field and 41.6% from the three-point area. Curry has led the Golden State Warriors to a 20-4 start to the season, the best in the league.
Before this season, the Warriors missed the playoffs two years in a row. They were ravaged by injuries in the 2019-20 NBA season, while their depth was a problem last season. Despite not making the playoffs, Curry came in third in MVP voting behind Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid.
Steph Curry inching closer to NBA three-point record
One of the biggest storylines of the first two months of the NBA season is Steph Curry's quest to break Ray Allen's record for most three-pointers made in league history. Curry needs just 16 three-point shots to break Allen's record of 2,973. He will likely break the record on December 11th against the Philadelphia 76ers.
However, it's not far-fetched to think Curry can make 16 shots from beyond the arc in one game. The current record for most three-point shots made in one game is 14 by Curry's teammate, Klay Thompson. The two-time MVP's personal best for a game is 13, doing it last November 7th, 2016 against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Steph Curry sets an NBA-record w/ 13 3-pt FG Monday vs Pelicans. Prev. Record: 12 (Kobe 1/7/03; Donyell Marshall, 3/13/05, Steph, 2/27/16) https://t.co/KJRZwyw8VE
The Warriors' next game will be on December 8th against the Portland Trail Blazers. It's worth noting that the Blazers are Steph Curry's favorite opponents. He's averaging 28.1 points per game against Portland, which is his highest among all 29 teams. Curry also scored a career-high 62 points in a win over the Blazers last season.
Regardless of when Curry breaks Allen's record, he will go down as the greatest shooter of all time. He's already considered the greatest by many players, coaches, and fans, but breaking the record will only make it official.