It feels like forever ago that Daryl Morey stole Seth Curry from the Dallas Mavericks for the small price of Josh Richardson and a second-round pick. The journeyman NBA veteran has played for seven different NBA franchises after going undrafted in 2013, but may have finally found his home in Philadelphia. With the highest expectations he has ever had, Curry has been nothing short of terrific to start this season and is making his early case for an all-star weekend push.
For most of his career, Curry has been looked at as a pure shooting specialist. The 6’2 guard has primarily served as a rotational piece that typically came off the bench. Curry is an all-time great shooter who ranks second all-time in three-point percentage with a 44.8% career average. The 31-year-old caught fire when the Sixers needed him most last season and has carried his impressive playoff performance into this year.
During the 12-game playoff run with the Sixers last season, Curry was the Sixers third leading scorer with 18.8 points per game. He connected on a ridiculous 50.6% shooting percentage from deep on his 6.8 attempts per game. Without Curry it is likely the Sixers playoff exit would have been even more catastrophic and his consistent offensive production kept the Sixers in just about every game.
Seth Curry This Season:
Now nine games into the new season, Seth Curry has shown no signs of slowing down. With so much of the roster in a state of flux, Curry has stepped up in his role and become a calming influence on the team. Doc Rivers has shown his trust in the shooting guard by playing him a career-high 32.6 minutes per game, which Curry has more than proved has been a good decision. While the numbers pop on their own, it is even more important to note the way he has searched for his own shot rather than playing a more passive complimentary role.
He has never averaged more than 12.8 games prior to the season, but Curry has begun the year scoring an impressive 17.8 points per game. He is shooting 53.1% from beyond the arc on a career-high 5.4 attempts per game. The Duke product is first in the NBA in three-point percentage, effective field goal percentage, true shooting percentage, as well as seventh in offensive win shares and offensive rating.
There will always be a massive shadow draping over Curry that has been left by his brother and father. While he may not get the shine of some other members of his family, Seth has more than carved out a successful role for himself in the NBA. The magnitude that the sniper demands from opposing defenses is essential to spacing the floor for the rest of the team. The addition of Curry and Danny Green were instrumental to Joel Embiid’s near-MVP season last year due to this spacing.
This is all even more impressive considering the $8.2 million contract that Curry is currently on. While he will never be a great defender and he doesn’t impress as a playmaker, Seth has been a perfect match for what the Sixers needed. The value he provides on the court greatly outplays his contract and if he keeps up this level of play there is a real argument he should be in the all-star conversation. The state of the team this year has thrown a ton on Curry’s plate, but he has proved every bit ready for the opportunity.
Photo by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire
