SAN FRANCISCO — The question stumped Steph Curry.
Who would he place all of his money on in a game of one-on-one: present-day Steph or the 2016 version, when he was the unanimous NBA MVP?
Speaking to FOX Sports in the hall of the Warriors’ practice facility last week, Curry laughed and looked up at the ceiling, taking a few seconds to contemplate.
“Damn, that’s a good question,” Curry said. “I mean, it’s pretty even still. Yeah, it’s still even. I might be able to cover more ground back then. But I could probably take my 2016 self to the block. So, it would be a good, even match.”
Curry turned 35 last month and had a brilliant season — 29.4 points, 6.3 assists and 6.1 rebounds per game. But a year after winning another title, the Warriors struggled to finish much above .500 (44-38) and are now facing an entirely new challenge: No defending championship team has ever recovered from a 2-0 deficit in the first round. Four other teams have fallen short, three getting swept. The Warriors face the Sacramento Kings in Game 3 Thursday.
Can Curry summon the magic?
There’s no denying that he is just as dangerous as he was seven years ago. After Game 1, Kings star De’Aaron Fox weighed in on the challenge of guarding him.
“Did y’all see that clip of JR Smith talking about Delly?” Fox asked, referring to when Smith said on a podcast that Matthew Dellavedova “almost died” while guarding Curry during the 2015 NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“”That s— is real.”
Curry has devoted himself to making Father Time as ineffective as possible at slowing him down.
He has gained about 15 pounds of muscle since 2016 to be able to withstand bumps from defenders, compensating for any microscopic losses in speed. He has poured himself into pregame workouts and post-game recovery regimens, trying to gain every possible advantage.
But despite leading the Warriors to six NBA Finals appearances and four championships over the past eight years, he has never been down 2-0 in a series. He’s well aware of the potential ramifications of not being able to dig his team out of the hole.
Simply put: It could be the last dance for the Warriors’ dynasty.
Draymond Green, an integral piece who has been suspended for Game 3 following an altercation with Domantas Sabonis, can become a free agent this summer. Warriors general manager Bob Myers’ contract is up in July. And Klay Thompson has just one year left on his deal, and reportedly expects a max-level contract extension this offseason.
