Stephen Curry is no doubt one of the biggest names in the NBA alongside LeBron, with his 4x NBA Champion status and other accolades. However, the Golden Boy is now representing the nation, not the Golden State Warriors, on the world stage, with expectations much higher than usual. That’s why an off game like the last one against South Sudan affected his value, as he only scored 3 points with his lone field goal coming deep into the 4th quarter. Such an underwhelming performance from the NBA star compelled Anthony Slater to reexamine Curry’s status as a starter.

Recently, while appearing on ‘The Athletic NBA Show’ alongside NBA analyst and co-host Dave DuFour, they claimed that there may be times Curry “shouldn’t be starting” because Team USA needs a high-level defender who can also play offense. But the point to be noted here is that Kerr is also Curry’s NBA team’s head coach, so dropping the Golden Boy off the starters list was something that did not fit with the Warriors insider. “I highly, highly doubt that he [Kerr] will ever take him out of the starting lineup.”

But it was not because of the ‘Steve Kerr playing favorites narrative’ or due to common team advantage. Rather, he explained, “Because Steve Kerr knows very well, you know, two shots away from a Steph Curry explosion, and the game’s over. In one of these games he’s gonna get really hot. And you know, suddenly a 2-point game is a 17-point game.”

Stephen Curry showcased this phenomenon in his exhibition showdown against Serbia, where he scored 24 points, hitting 6 three-pointers in 21 minutes. That’s why Anthony Slater predicted he “wouldn’t expect him [Curry] to be out of the starting lineup.”

However, agreeing with Dave’s point, the insider did admit that if Team USA encounters a close showdown with strong opponents + Curry’s poor performance against Sudan, it might not go well. “This isn’t the Warriors where you just got paint your way through Steph Curry’s slump, which, by the way, there are Steph Curry’s ice-cold stretches for quarters, for games, for weeks. He’s not shooting that well right now, “ the Warriors insider reasoned in his argument.

As the conversation proceeded, Anthony Slater dismantled Stephen Curry‘s pedestal image in the minds of basketball fanatics.

GSW insider points out loopholes in “mythical shooter” Stephen Curry’s Splash prowess

While addressing the shooting slump that Stephen Curry is experiencing irregularly in the second half of his prime, Slater added, “I think sometimes the people that don’t maybe watch them on a daily basis. He’s like become this mythical shooter where every time he puts up a three you just think it’s gonna swish. No!”

What Slater wanted people to get to know is that no doubt, Stephen Curry had an impressive 40.8% 3-point shooting average last season, and it’s quite consistent. But the Golden Boy’s accuracy has reduced over the past three years collectively, as the 3-point attempts have increased, which is 4.8 points – 11.8 attempts compared to 5.1pts – 11.2 attempts in the 2015-16 season.

Referencing Steph’s inconsistency, Anthony Slater mentioned that the Warriors star’s 28%-from-three in a month might immediately go to 49% if he successfully administers 13 hoops from 3-pointers in a game. But it doesn’t change the fact that the problem persists. That’s why he predicted a change in Team USA’s starting lineup, because if they face a team like Germany and Dennis Schroder once again, it might become “a potential test moment for Kerr.”

So, the Warriors insider predicted that coach Steve might drop Curry early or not let him play in the second half. But removing him entirely from the starters is off the charts since, considering a player like the Splash Brother, there is no certainty when “the next flamethrower stretches right around the corner, “ as per Slater.

Again and again, it’s reasserted Stephen Curry is a player who cannot be dropped so easily. His stature as a prolific basketball star is unmatchable. But there is nothing wrong with taking precautions, and Coach Kerr better knows it well earlier than others.

Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.