Dallas Mavericks: Seth Curry Has Chance To Create His Own Path

With a new two-year, $6 million deal, Seth Curry will have the chance to expand his game with the Dallas Mavericks in 2016-17.

The Dallas Mavericks made a couple of big moves this summer by trading for center Andrew Bogut and signing forward Harrison Barnes.

But perhaps one of their most underrated moves came in the form of Seth Curry.

The three-year guard from Duke inked the biggest contract of his NBA career with the Mavs this summer and will have his best chance yet to leave his mark on the league.

Through the first two seasons of his career, he played a total of four games in the NBA–one with the Cleveland Cavaliers, one with the Memphis Grizzlies and two with the Phoenix Suns–playing a combined 21 minutes.

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Then in 2015-16, he got another chance, this time with the Sacramento Kings. Curry struggled to get playing time yet again as he played double-digit minutes in just 13 games throughout the first four-and-a-half months of the season.

Once it was clear that the Kings would not be making the playoffs, Curry’s playing time was opened up.

In the final 11 games of the season he averaged 29.8 minutes per game with 15.2 points, 3.8 assists, 2.7 rebounds and a three-point shooting percentage of 51 percent.

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His most impressive outing came against the Suns where he dropped 20 points, 15 rebounds, three assists and three steals.

So now let’s think about what his role is going to be in Dallas. He can play both point guard and shooting guard, but will likely get more shooting guard minutes since the point guard position is already filled with three reliable players.

Curry’s main strengths are similar to those of Stephen Curry, his brother. He can shoot lights out from three but some of his more overlooked abilities come in the form of his passing and defending.

The combination of those skills in one player is something the Mavs haven’t really had recently and while Wesley Matthews and Dirk Nowitzki carry the three-point shooting load, they’ve had just two players shoot better than 40 percent from three in the last two seasons: Chandler Parsons and Richard Jefferson.

It’s obvious that the Mavs and Curry are a perfect fit for each other. The team needed a player with his abilities while Curry needed a more stable situation with a better opportunity to get consistent minutes.

Mark Cuban had the following to say about Curry and his fit in Dallas (via Mavs.com):

"“He can get buckets and he can shoot,” Mavs owner Mark Cuban said while praising the addition of Curry to the team shortly after the signing was made official. “You know, he’s been in some dysfunctional situations, and I think he’ll be able to thrive with us. He can get his shot off, and he can do a lot more.”"

Curry is certainly set to thrive next year, but there’s something bigger than just his game that he’ll be looking to improve.

The name “Curry” is obviously familiar to every NBA fan as Seth’s brother, Steph, is one of the best players in the league. His personality both on and off the court makes him likable and his popularity comes from the fact that he’s one of the most exciting players in the league to watch.

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But while Steph has been making a living in the NBA by winning championships and MVP awards, Seth has been sitting quietly on the sideline simply looking for a situation that can help him get his career off the ground.

At 26 years of age, he’s approaching his prime playing condition and is getting close to that age where you start to think about whether the NBA is in your future or not.

This year is a critical year in Curry’s career for two reasons. First, he has to prove his worth as a valuable role player in the league. Second, he has to try to create a name for himself and be known as something besides “Steph Curry’s brother.”

That’s why his situation in Dallas is so key to his development in 2016-17. He has a team and personnel that is willing to support him and give him what he needs to break through and make something out of his career, whether he turns into a role player or something larger.

That could go a long way in determining how he fits in Dallas and what kind of player he turns out to be.

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For the first time in his NBA career, Seth Curry controls what happens in his future. 2016-17 is set to be the most pivotal year of his career so far.