Steph Curry is the greatest shooter ever and firmly in the top-10 pantheon of greats. He's the all-time leader in 3-pointers made, a four-time champion, and a Finals MVP. He's done it all except win in the play-in tournament.
No need to play the blame game, but it hasn't been Curry's fault that he and the Warriors are 0-3 in their play-in appearances. Curry has lost with 39 and 37-point performances. He's come up big while the team has fallen short. The Memphis Grizzlies were one of the squads that sent the Warriors to Cancun since the play-in's inception.
Curry has a chance to right that wrong with Memphis and Golden State going to war for the seventh seed Tuesday night with a berth for the right to play the young Houston Rockets on the line. Curry isn't alone this time; he's got a proven play-in star for backup.
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Don't fear this game, Warriors fans, because Steph Curry isn't
The Warriors were the No. 1 defense over the last 31 games. Curry is an above-average defender and a passable team defender overall. He makes the offense go, and with him on the court, their 120 offensive rating would be good enough for the top five in the league.
This year's potential Defensive Player of the Year, Draymond Green, captains the defense—he's been by Curry's side for the play-in losses, but Jimmy Butler adds a fresh dynamic.
Butler has been an essential piece of the Warriors top defense over the last 31 games. His play-in experience will come in handy. Butler and the Miami Heat were play-in bound in the previous two seasons. Both years ended with Butler willing the Heat to a postseason berth. He's a bit older, and that will he once displayed may be gone today. That's fine because now he's playing with a bonafide legend in Stephen Curry.
The duo scored 30 a piece in the heart-pounding regular season finale against the Clippers. James Harden and Kawhi Leonard ultimately outdueled Curry and Butler, but the Grizzles don't have these 2010 staples on their roster.
Ja Morant has found his rhythm lately, and Jaren Jackson Jr. has played at an All-NBA level all year. Firing your coach right before the win-or-go-home games began was certainly a choice. That said, maybe Memphis gets a jolt.
The Warriors shouldn't take the Grizzles lightly because they have coaching continuity and the better star duo, but Warriors fans don't be afraid. The big 30-point game with a barrage of triples from the great Steph Curry will land you in the playoffs this year. The zero wins in the play-in will be scrubbed from Steph's resume.