For the first 12 minutes of these 2022 NBA Finals, Stephen Curry looked like his old video-game self as he poured in six consecutive 3-pointers in a historic first quarter. I haven’t combed the data, but having watched pretty much every minute of Curry’s season, and career, I can virtually assure you that, excluding the All-Star game, he didn’t splash anything close to six straight 3-pointers at any point in what was probably the worst shooting season of his life. These flurries that used to be routine are now fewer and farther between.
That’s not to say Curry still can’t torch you on a given night. He can. It’s just to say that if you play disciplined, physical defense and track him with multiple switching defenders everywhere he moves, these days, you seem to have at least a marginally better chance of coming out alive.
Most importantly, this allows the Celtics to stay big with their lineups. If Curry would’ve just kept pulling up for 3 after 3 like was in the first quarter, Boston might’ve had to rethink some of its lineups, particularly those that included Robert Williams III, who brings so much to the table and is so important to have on the floor for normal minutes.
