Eric Bledsoe on guarding Steph Curry: "It's horrible"
Eric Bledsoe on guarding Steph Curry
Eric Bledsoe is one of the toughest guards in the league. He’s been named to the All-Defensive team twice. If he says guarding Steph Curry is “horrible,” we all better believe it. Stats also prove the Golden State Warriors star is unguardable now in “tight” or “very tight” situations. That’s bad news for the rest of the NBA.
Eric Bledsoe on guarding Steph Curry
Curry and the Warriors defeated the L.A. Clippers 115-90, but the score did not reflect how close the game was until Steph got his game going. He finished the game with 33 points on seven 3-pointers which frustrated Bledsoe, who was matched up against Curry.
It's horrible because sometimes you think you got him covered. They'll get ball movement for a wide-open layup and turn it down just to look for him for a three. By the time you turn your head, you think they're gonna lay the ball up and he's on the other side of the court shooting a three. It's tough, he draws so much attention.
Eeric Bledsoe, NBC Sports
The Warriors built its system around Curry, and he delivered the goods. Part of the success of Golden State in recent years is the fact coaching staff allowed Steph to be himself and push the boundaries and definition of long-range shots. Curry’s unselfishness is also a significant reason GSW sits on top of the standings with an 18-2 record.
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Curry unguardable in tight, very tight situations
In fairness to Eric, he’s not the only one getting frustrated guarding Curry. No one in the league has put a clamp on Steph this year, and he’s been running wild, especially in “tight” and “very tight” situations.
According to NBA.com, Steph shoots 31 of 60 or 51.7 percent on 3s with a defender within 2 to 4 feet of him (tight) or 0 to 2 feet (very tight). Stats show he is even more accurate when guarded tightly compared to wide-open shots. When compared to last year, Steph shot “only” 37.7 percent in tightly guarded situations. This is solid proof that SC30 is unguardable right now; no matter what the defense gives him, it does not affect him at all.
Is this the best version of Steph Curry? He has improved his rebounds, steals, and assists compared to last season. Does it make sense that a player in his 12th season is still becoming better and more efficient in shots considered bad attempts?
Well, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Steph Curry show where we are all witnesses of epic performances no other player in the history of the sport has ever been able to deliver.
