Before his 30-point effort in the Warriors' Game 4 loss to the Rockets on Monday night, Steph Curry was mired in a slump the likes of which the two-time NBA MVP has rarely seen.
During the first three games of the Western Conference semifinals, Curry was averaging 18.3 points per game while shooting 35.2 percent from the field and a ghastly 25 percent from the 3-point line. While Curry responded in Game 4 by shooting 12-for-25 en route to his 30-point night, he still struggled from distance, making only four of his 14 3-point attempts.
Why has Curry's shot gone missing when the Dubs need it the most? It could be the dislocated finger on his non-shooting hand he suffered in Game 2. It could be the Rockets' physical style of defense. Or, according to Jalen Rosen, it could be due to ... Kevin Durant?
The ESPN NBA analyst riffed about Curry's slump on Monday's edition of "Jalen and Jacoby," and he floated an idea that Durant's dominant play in the playoffs has thrown Curry off his game.
"I got a theory of what's contributing to Steph's struggles," Rose said. "This has become Kevin Durant's team and he's got to adjust. Physically and mentally. When KD first joined the squad, last time I checked, (Curry) had just won the MVP. The only unanimous one in the history of the game. And everybody, including myself, was upset that KD had the nerve to join the team that knocked him out of the playoffs after they were up 3-1. At that time, it was Steph's squad. Since then, they've won two championships. Who's the Finals MVP? Who's the person each night when we go into games saying, 'Ain't nothing we can do about that? He's the most unstoppable offensive force in the game.'
"This year, in my opinion, it's officially become Kevin Durant's team." Rose continued. "And I'm not talking about what the fans perceive. I'm talking about, when we're in the huddle and it's about to be a game-winning play, they giving the ball to who? Exactly."
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Rose went on to explain how Durant's incredible level of play has caused the Warriors to change how they operate offensively and how it has impacted Curry's game.
"So, now all of a sudden the dynamics of the team changed. Like the number of shots per game changes. Who you going to run a sideline out-of-bounds play to changes. Who's the guy you going to go to in game-winning situations changes," Rose said. "So now, Curry's rhythm ain't what it used to be because those looks are going to KD. So now, he has to play the kind of role that Eric Gordon is playing for Houston. He has to make open shots when he gets them.
"The Golden State Warriors, when they became the dynastic situation that we now see, they surrounded the 3-point line with shooters. And they constantly drive and kick off of pick-and-roll action. Now, with KD: Elbow, block, mid-range. They have to diversify their attack because this guy can score from anywhere on the floor. Now Steph's look comes a lot different, and when he misses a couple it can't be like, 'Oh, he missed a couple time to get a couple more.' It's like, 'OK, time to go to KD.'"
While Curry has found himself getting poked and prodded from all angles ever since his terrible Game 3, Rose's analysis might have merit.
Durant has been playing at an all-world level ever since Game 3 of the Warriors' first-round NBA playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers, and the Warriors' offense has become more reliant on Durant as Curry and Klay Thompson have struggled. With Durant locked in and dueling with James Harden, the Warriors don't have the luxury of trying to get Curry a number of looks if he's off. They risk falling into a hole if they force-feed the cold hand.
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But Game 4 showed Curry might be starting to break out of his slump, and all-time great shooters rarely stay cold for long.
The Warriors will need Curry to be at his best in Wednesday night's crucial Game 5 at Oracle Arena. A third straight loss to Houston, coupled with another bad game from Curry, might spell the beginning of the end for this iteration of the Warriors.
