NBA: 2 Reasons Why Stephen Curry Will Be The Focus Of The All-Star Game

Jan 26, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) drives past Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) in the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Trail Blazers 103-88. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

From snub to starter, Stephen Curry has clearly progressed as an NBA player in the past couple of years. Not only will he be starting the 2014 NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans, but he’s going to be the focus of the entire game.

Curry is a stone-cold shooter and at 41 percent from downtown he is shooting a career-worst. That’s right, 41 percent is a career worst in Curry’s world: this gives you a sense of the type of shooter he is. Every player, additionally, in the NBA, knows that he can go into the “Human Torch” mode and hit six or seven fadeaway 30-footers to get his team back into a game. For example, he led the Warriors to a 27-point comeback win over the Toronto Raptors.

He also possesses a certain hype, where NBA All-Stars have gone out on a limb to say that he is by far the greatest shooter in the game today, and possibly of all time.

Aside from the 3-point shooting and appraisal from almost every other player in the NBA, Curry is a very exciting player to watch. He has a soft touch, drives to the basket and flips the shot high off the glass for the easy points. He can also shake-and-bake, which is quite important for an All-Star game, which typically sees every play as a highlight.

Which reasons do we have for thinking that Curry is going to dominate the All-Star game? This isn’t just a bold claim, because it can be backed up by facts and evidence.

1) Shooting Touch:

Again, it’s really no secret that Curry, despite percentages, is the best shooter that the NBA has to offer. A “Sports Science” study shows that Curry can stop on a dime and set for a jump shot in 1/3 of a second. The incredible part, however, is that he is able to get off a shot in 0.4 seconds, which is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard.

This seemingly useless information is relevant because in the All-Star game, everyone wants to be the top performer, so if Curry is hitting 3-pointers, no one else can be. The thing is, however, that no one can stop his jump shot, making it easier for him to get hot and attack the opposing “defense.” We all know that he likes to play on a big stage, for example, when he scored 54 points in the world-famous Madison Square Garden in New York.

2) Hype:

If LeBron James and Kevin Durant have tweeted about you being the real deal, or an unstoppable threat, chances are you’re pretty good playing against other All-Stars. Widely recognized as the best shooter in the NBA, one 3-pointer is all it takes for a crowd to “ooh and ahh” at Curry’s brilliance.

If he can torch Durant and LeBron for an average of 31.8 points per game against either the Miami Heat or the Oklahoma City Thunder, I’m sure that he can go to a big stage like the All-Star Game and outshine both of these players for the highlight player of the game. People are going to go to that game just to see Curry, as he gets oohs and ahhs from literally every arena in the NBA.