Stephen Curry: Doing More With…More?
The More With Less Narrative
Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
It’s still surprisingly difficult for some to perceive the difference that Curry makes on the Warriors because of the presence of his supporting cast.
Which is understandable, considering James Harden has been carrying the Houston Rockets for much of the season without Dwight Howard and a few other injured players, and now his team is slotted at the second seed in the Western Conference. It’s been widely considered to be two-man race to the finish between Curry and Harden, and the debate is only getting more and more heated as the season draws to a close.
The “more with less” argument is a huge factor that has kept Harden in close contention with Curry for MVP, and some continue to cite this narrative to evidence why Harden has an edge over Curry in the MVP race; however, what some don’t realize is that below the surface, Curry is doing THAT much more WITH more.
“He’s (Harden) top-3 in scoring, and that usually gets a lot of support…from the uneducated crowd.” – Amin Elhassan
For example, let’s pretend for a minute that you’re Harden, and you’re at the club with the rest of your teammates (healthy and injured). There’s a girl across the club, an absolute trophy girl, and you want to bring her home so that you can gauge her personality better (duh).
You still might be a 10 next to Howard, but when he’s not there, of course you’re looking like a 20. You’re one of the highest scoring guards in the league, and the rest of your team just isn’t on your level. They’re all solid 7’s — the ones that are injured are non-factors — and that obviously works in your favor and makes you look substantially better.
Now pretend you’re Curry (and you’re not married, about to have your second child). You have an All-Star in Klay Thompson on your right, a Defensive Player of the Year in Draymond Green on your left — even Steve Kerr is there way past his bedtime to give Curry advice on how to approach her.
This doesn’t work in Curry’s favor as much because each of his wingmen are 8’s or 9’s, maybe even 10’s by some standards; and yet, Curry is still looking like a 20. Despite having great wingmen, he’s not just held as one of the most efficient players on his team this season, but in the entire league.
Next: Curry: A Superstar Among Stars