13-of-39 overall shots and 7-of-29 from beyond the arc in the first four games of Team USA at the Paris Olympics. Reading these numbers, would you believe it was the stats of the all-time three-point scorer, Stephen Curry? Hard to believe, right? But it was indeed what went down in France. The Warriors legend admitted to the struggles during the pre-Olympic preparations. However, after the four-game shooting slump, Curry was more irritated than angry.

“You’re always annoyed. You want to make shots,” said Steph. But just as the Curry faithful knew and have seen over the years, ‘The Chef’ cooked when it mattered the most. However, it seems like a certain ex-ESPN host thinks the whole situation could have turned into a mess.

Doug Gottlieb, the Green Bay Phoenix head coach, has quite an interesting take on Steph and Steve Kerr’s relationship. “I think Steph Curry plays no matter who the coach is. But I definitely think the leash he had is different because Steve Kerr is the head coach. Steve has seen all the amazing things, and he knows that Steph Curry has undeniable self-confidence that he believes the next shot is going in whether he missed the first 50 or not. But he was to the point of like, ‘We want to get him out of there? We sure want to do this?'” he said in the latest episode of Doug Gottlieb Show. 

Now, bear in mind, this is Doug Gottlieb’s opinion. Having found success in collegiate basketball and the professional scenes (despite going undrafted in the NBA), and now, as a coach, we can assume that Gottlieb is perhaps speaking from experience. However, what we do know for a fact is that both the coach and his star player have gone through everything there is in the 10 years they have been together. From the rise of a dynasty to the recent fall, they have done it all.

So, what could possibly be a reason for Gottlieb’s curious take?

Steve Kerr might have just escaped a Jayson Tatum controversy with Stephen Curry at the Olympics

This isn’t the Warriors, nor is Stephen Curry the main guy. Kerr is Team USA’s head coach. The 9x champ is responsible for a roster filled with undeniable and quite frankly, overflowing talent, that includes Olympic veterans. Hence, even if Coach Kerr were to switch his best player from a starter to come off the bench (hypothetically), technically, it wouldn’t be wrong. And why?

Simply because Curry was an Olympic rookie, trying to find his rhythm, and at that point in time, there were players who were shooting better than him. And of course, they had more experience on the Olympic stage than our ‘Golden Boy’. We have already written more than enough on the backlash Kerr received after not playing Tatum in the tournament opener against Serbia and then again in the semifinals. Imagine the chaos if the man had to do the same with Stephen Curry!

So, even if Kerr did think, as Gottlieb says above, the ‘Bay Area God’ showed up with his phenomenal shooting just in time to save his Dubs coach. However, in the words of the 2016 NBA COTY, “Steph is Steph. I’ve seen him have tough nights before and then he gets 40 the next night.” Clearly, Steve Kerr knows the 10x All-Star too well.

Well, what do you think about Doug’s take? Do you think that Steve Kerr might have thought about issuing a DNP to Steph? Or did the Dubs coach have complete faith that ‘Chef Curry’ would get to cooking soon? Let us know in the comments.

Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Asia Avinger.