Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry will make or break his legacy in the NBA Finals. The Warriors need Curry to be the legend he’s believed to be.
Superstars are made during the regular season, but legends are made during the playoffs. That’s no more true than for Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry, who has become a superstar, but is still tiptoeing the line of legendary status.
During the 2017 NBA Finals, Curry can finally cement his legacy as one of the greatest point guards and players in Association history.
Curry is one of 13 players to win multiple league MVP awards, and one of 11 who have multiple league MVP awards and an NBA championship. He’s a four-time All-NBA honoree, a four-time All-Star, a scoring champion, and a steals leader.
Perhaps most importantly, Curry has changed the face of the NBA with his efficiency and volume as a 3-point marksman.
True as that all may be, Curry has left something to be desired during the Warriors’ previous two NBA Finals appearances. In 2017, he’ll have a chance to rectify the past and solidify his legacy as a legend of the sport.
Curry is as influential a force as anyone in recent memory, but he needs to do what he didn’t do in 2015 and 2016: dominate the NBA Finals.
2015 NBA Finals
Statistically speaking, Stephen Curry played well during the 2015 NBA Finals. He averaged 26.0 points, 6.3 assists, 5.2 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 4.2 3-point field goals made over the course of the six-game series.
Impressive as those numbers look on paper, there’s a reason Curry wasn’t voted Finals MVP—in fact, he wasn’t even second on the ballot in what was a six-game series.
The harsh reality is that the quality of the numbers were dampened by the context provided to them. Curry produced well, but his points weren’t coming within the flow of the game.
He spent the first half of the series padding his numbers in garbage time, including the explosion in Game 3 that was a prime example of him doing too little, too late.
Seven of Curry’s 22 points in Game 4 were scored after the Warriors had taken a commanding 10-point lead. He undeniably dominated Game 5, but it was Iguodala and Draymond Green who took on the featured roles during the decisive Game 6.
Curry certainly didn’t play poorly, but when the standard is MVP—an award he won that very regular season—he certainly didn’t live up to the hype.
2016 NBA Finals
One could fairly state that Stephen Curry played at a high enough level to help the Golden State Warriors win in 2015. He certainly didn’t deserve the Finals MVP award, but he produced solid numbers and was on the victorious team.
During the 2016 NBA Finals, however, Curry was thoroughly outperformed by the opponent at his position—and there are no excuses for that.
If numbers are your preference, then note that Curry averaged 22.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 4.6 3-point field goals made per game during the 2016 NBA Finals. Those may be solid numbers for most, but they’re atrocious with context.
Curry shot 40.3 percent from the field and no-showed Game 7 with 17 points and two assists on 6-of-19 shooting from the field and 4-of-14 shooting from 3-point range.
Considering Curry won a second consecutive regular season MVP award in 2015-16, this Finals was tough to stomach. It’s entirely understandable for an injury to hinder him, but back-to-back Finals with underwhelming performances is tough to accept.
Fortunately, Curry will have an opportunity for redemption during the superstar-studded 2017 NBA Finals.
2017 NBA Finals
A year removed from his no-show, Stephen Curry is healthy and will have a chance to prove he can get it done on the grandest of stages. He has more superstar-caliber support than just about any player in NBA history, and that’s removed any room for excuses to be made.
LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love may be standing on the other side of history, but Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, and Klay Thompson are by Curry’s side.
Curry and Durant have won the past three regular season MVP awards, and Thompson is one of the best two-way players in the NBA. Green is a frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year and Andre Iguodala won Finals MVP over Curry in 2015.
Simply put: the Warriors have far too much talent for any excuses to be made in Curry’s favor, especially after the way the 2015 and 2016 Finals transpired.
In 2016, Curry will have an opportunity to redeem himself against Irving. He was essentially dominated by a rising star at his position, and will now have the opportunity to prove it was a fluke.
The Warriors have a bright future and the potential for many more NBA Finals appearances, but Curry’s legacy will be heavily influenced in 2017.
Must Read: Every NBA team's Mount Rushmore
It’s time for Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors to either put up or shut up in the 2017 NBA Finals.