Patience is a virtue: Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors

A star in the making: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors reacts in the final moments of the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center on April 5, 2013 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Getty Images)

When the Golden State Warriors signed Stephen Curry as the seventh overall pick in the first round of the 2009 NBA Draft, they knew they had landed a special talent. However, they also knew that to bring out the best in him, they needed time and patience.

Despite being troubled by numerous ankle injuries, the point guard is slowly but surely beginning to realise his potential. Curry zipped through his opponents’ defence, passed the ball like he has eyes at the back of his head and shot threes unnerving accuracy last season.

Patience does indeed pay off.

Due credit must be given to the head coach, Mark Jackson’s “process”. It’s a maxim which he uses every time he has to defend his stubbornness in the press conference. Despite enormous criticism over sticking to Curry and the sale of fan favourite Monta Ellis, Jackson stuck to “the process”. One cannot argue with him now, as the end product is as polished a guard as you can get.

Curry is a multi-faceted player. He can shoot from anywhere, can drive incredibly well, and has extremely good court vision. Shut out one aspect of his game, and he opens up another. He’s Golden State’s star guard and is the key to their offence. Is he also the key to their future?

At 25, Curry is definitely young. He’s talented, personable and has a few seasons left to reach his prime. And that is exactly what makes him all the more dangerous.

Curry’s a great scorer and an incredible shooter. His three-point shooting has already garnered him comparisons to Reggie Miller and Ray Allen. He led the league in number of three-pointers made last season, while his shooting percentage also increased consistently from his rookie year (.437) to last season (.455).

Andre Iguodala (9) and Stephen Curry (30) take a breather during a break in the action in the third quarter. The Denver Nuggets took on the Golden State Warriors in Game 2 of the Western Conference First Round Series at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colo. on April 23, 2013. (Getty Images)

The current Golden State squad comprises of: Curry, Andre Iguodala, Andrew Bogut, David Lee, Klay Thompson and Carl Landry. It’s ideally suited for a player of Curry’s skill-set. At guard, Curry is primarily a facilitator.

While Curry is not a Derrick Rose or Russell Westbrook type shoot-first point guard, he can score himself, but prefers to act as the floor general. Till last season, he didn’t have a lot of support from his teammates save Lee and Thompson. That all changed when they signed Iguodala.

An All-Star and explosive scorer, Iguodala – who was joined the team from the Denver Nuggets – will play alongside Curry for extended periods of time, and they could develop into an effective offensive two-punch.

As a shoot-first player (and that is only because he is a shooting guard/small forward), he will relieve the burden of scoring off of Curry’s shoulder. And this should help them complement each other. And as a more experienced player, Iguodala could help Curry develop further.