Seth Curry took the stage (via Zoom) to give media members a look into his thoughts after he was shipped to the Sixers for the 36th overall pick and Josh Richardson on draft night. He discussed his long journey to the NBA, all the way from starting his college career at Liberty through the variety of 10-day contracts and various stops around the league.
The career 44.3% 3-point shooter will make an immediate impact on the Sixers roster due to his ability to space the floor. While shooting is no doubt the calling card of Curry’s game, and the main reason he was such a prized target, Seth made sure to point out there is more to his game than just his shooting. Regardless the team will welcome the 6’2 guard with open arms as he provides the greatest threat to shoot at any time since J.J Redick.
Fit With Embiid and Simmons
It is no secret that the potential for this team ultimately lies in the hands of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Seth Curry was well aware of this and talked about how he is a “perfect match” for what the duo needs to open up space. Curry seemed excited about the idea of the dribble hand-off that was so effective between Embiid and JJ Redick.
When specifically talking about Ben Simmons, Curry referred to Ben as one of the best guys in the league on both sides of the ball. He went on to say that “creating space for him to drive” by knocking down shots is a major priority and he will “bring a different element to the team,” in this regard. Curry spoke extremely highly of both starts and he will act as a perfect complement to the pair.
Open to Playing PG?
Beyond Ben Simmons, it is still unclear who will handle the ball-handling duties for the Sixers next year. Curry was asked if he would be comfortable playing point guard and Seth had no concerns. As he stated, “I played point guard for a year in college. In the league at times and in certain moments when guys were out or coming off the bench, I’ve had a role in playing a lot of pick and roll and creating off the dribble as well.”
One of the biggest takeaways from the interview was Curry’s determination not to be boxed in as just a shooter. As he put it, “I feel like I’m a versatile player. I’m not just a spot-up shooter. That’s the main part of my game, but to have an effective career and play a long time, I have to be able to do things in all different ways.” This willingness to do whatever the team needs speaks volumes for Curry’s potential fit within the team. These are the exact answers you could hope to hear from a guy that has deservingly become a valued player across the league.
Doc Rivers Connection
It is likely Doc Rivers will have a chance to catch up with the new Sixer over his next family dinner rather than waiting for training camp to start as Seth is married to Doc’s daughter. Seth was also teammates with Austin Rivers (Doc’s son and recent Rockets free-agent signing) at Duke during the 2011-12 season. Despite these interesting ties, Curry remained confident that the dynamic wouldn’t be any different than if he were any other player. Both men have spoken very highly about each other and the basketball fit is clearly there.
There are only 14 active NBA players shooting over 40% in their career (minimum 100 attempts) and the Sixers managed to land 2 of them on draft day trades. Danny Green and Seth Curry both found their names on this list and Seth ranked number 1 in this category. Curry shot 45.2% on 5 attempts per game from deep last season with the Mavericks. He seems thrilled to have found his way to Philadelphia and the Sixers should certainly be excited about what he brings to the team.
Photo by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire
