There always have been questions regarding Stephen Curry. Is he athletic enough? Can he play the point? Can he guard anyone?
It's why he didn't have a single ACC scholarship offer coming out of high school, and why he wound up going to Davidson. It's also why guys like Hasheem Thabeet, Tyreke Evans, Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn were all taken before him in the 2009 NBA Draft.
Now in his sixth season, the questions have turned into answers as Curry has turned into arguably the top point guard in the NBA. He and LeBron James are the only players in the NBA to rank in the Top 10 in both scoring and assists.
When I saw Curry in college, he was arguably the best long-distance shooter in the country, and he managed to shoot a high percentage (41 percent in his three collegiate seasons) despite being double-teamed for most of his career.
He's concluded each NBA season making at least 42 percent of his attempts from deep.
So we reached out to a trio of NBA point guards to go "Players vs. Player" with Curry, and asked how to guard Curry, what are his strengths and weaknesses and how would you attack him?
We began with maybe the most difficult question of all because his long-range shot has been the one area that has never been in doubt.
1. How do you stop him at the 3-point line?
Michael Carter-Williams: "You have to stay attached to him when he comes off screens. You can't let him get into a rhythm. My length helps because I can have a high contest."
Jrue Holiday: "You can't really stop him. Obviously, you slow him down. He likes 3's a lot so you try and run him off the line. You either just got to play it right or have him make a mistake."
Derrick Rose: "You can't. You just have to contest, That's the God's honest truth. He's got a God gift with his touch."
Curry was deadly in just about every facet in college, but there were some skeptics who weren't sure about his court vision. I remember watching him down at LeBron Camp in Akron playing against the pros, and that's when I was sold that he would be a high-level point guard in the NBA because of his ability to excel in the pick and roll. Combine his shooting ability with his court vision and passing, and it was a no-brainer.
2. How do you contain him in pick and roll?
Carter-Williams: "With our team, we force him to one side. I always go over screens. Obviously, you'd never go under. Otherwise, it's like a layup for him. He's also got the ideal team for his skill set. He's got other guys that knock down shots, and guys that roll to the basket and get layups."
Holiday: "You need help from the big, a big that's mobile and that can move because obviously his handle is pretty tight and he can pretty much go around most of the bigs in this league. Double-team him and corral him. If you're not close enough in corralling him, he's probably going to just pull up and shoot. And he can make it with his eyes closed."
Rose: "Double-team. That's it. Double-team and make sure he sees bodies."
In college, Curry was a marked man who often went up against teams that were far more talented -- especially in the NCAA tournament. In the NBA, he's got a bunch of weapons around him. Obviously, he's the guy opposing teams start with when they scout Golden State. But there's more to the Warriors than just Curry, and that's why he is dangerous even when the ball isn't in his hands.
3. What's another important facet in trying to keep him under control?
Carter-Williams: "Finding him in transition. You have to locate him. When he gets over halfcourt, he'll kill you if you don't find him."
Holiday: "Make it known that you're there. That you're present. You're kind of physical with him. That he knows you're always there. Most of the time, especially when he gets going, it's just him and the basket. No one else is on the court. He doesn't see anybody. It's literally like he's working out. It's him, the shooting coach and the rim. It's automatic.
Rose: "He's a good passer. I think you've got to play good team defense."
The major issue NBA folks had with Curry coming out of college had to do with whether he could guard anyone. He's slight (6-foot-3 and 190 pounds), and not explosive athletically. That's where many thought he would be taken advantage of, and while it happened early in his career, Curry has improved significantly on this end of the floor. He's got a high IQ and quick hands, which helps explain why he leads the NBA in steals.
4. What do you try and exploit with him on the defensive end?
Carter-Williams: "I try to use my length, get by him and finish over the top of him. That's another way to try and throw him off his game. Make him work hard on the defensive end. Try and see if you can affect his offense with his defense."
Holiday: Try and be aggressive the same way he's aggressive. Obviously, he's a very good offensive player. If there's any way you can try and go back at him, it's on the defensive end. Try and attack him, get to the basket area and make a play that way."
Rose: "Go back. Go back at him. Make sure he's not resting on the defensive end and conserving energy while he's in the game."
It's not easy to find a glaring weakness with Curry these days. He does just about everything at a high level on the offensive end of the floor, and he's made strides on defense.
5. What's his weakness right now?
Carter-Williams: "Right now you can make the argument that he's number one. People questioned his dribbling, but it's underrated. He's able to finish at the rim, and can make floaters -- and is one of the toughest, if not the toughest."
Holiday: "Defense. Relative to everything else."
Rose: "It's all relative. That's what everyone says when you have a player like that. Nobody plays great, great individual defense. It's more like a team defense. You can pick on him and say defense, but that's bull."
I think Curry has a similar makeup to that of Kevin Durant. Both are laid-back off the court, but ultra-competitive on the court. Neither talks a ton, but leads more by example. Both have always yearned to take the big shot and aren't afraid of the moment.
6. What about his mental makeup?
Carter-Williams: "He's so level-headed and doesn't get frustrated. He doesn't show a lot of emotion. If I was him and make some of the shots he makes, and puts up the numbers he puts up, I'd be going crazy. But that's not him. He shows emotion from time to time, but it's not often."
Holiday: "I think he shows a lot of emotion -- especially when he knocks down 3's or makes a nice pass. He shows it pretty well. Not over the top. Gets him going, gets his team going, gets the crowd into it."
Rose: "He's not a rah-rah guy. It's all about hooping with him. He just wants to win the game and you can tell he cares about his teammates. They have a real close team and you can tell."
Many NBA executives didn't think Curry would be more than just another guy in the league due to his somewhat average athleticism. However, he's got sneaky athleticism -- and uses angles extremely well.
7. How much does his athleticism hurt him?
Carter-Williams: "Even though he's not super-athletic, he's quick and that makes up for him not being as explosive as some of the other point guards."
Holiday: "He doesn't need to be because he knows how to play. There are plenty of [NBA players] who aren't athletic or are coming to the end of their career. Chauncey Billups was the hardest player I had to guard in 2009-10. It's tough to guard him and It wasn't like he was jumping higher than me, or faster than me. He was a smart player. It would be awesome to have athleticism, too. Not saying Steph's not athletic. He has basketball IQ."
Rose: "He's not the most athletic person on the floor, but that's what makes the game so unique. You don't have to be athletic, you see guys that get older in this league who find ways to still be effective. If anything, I think the way he's playing now is only going to help him for the long term."
Chris Paul, a healthy Rose. Now maybe John Wall, Kyle Lowry and Damian Lillard. There are so many quality point guards in the NBA right now. Few would have predicted that Stephen Curry might lead that list.
8. Where do you rank him among the top point guards?
Carter-Williams: "I'd put him No. 1 with what he's doing for his team. They have the best record in the NBA, and he does everything -- he scores, he passes. He has such an effect on his team."
Holiday: "It's tough. For sure, he's at the top of the list."
Rose: "He's up there. He's got the best record. You've got to put him up there at one."
D Rose kept it 100
