Stephen Curry’s Slump: Warriors Staff Firmly Disapproves Steve Kerr’s Fatigue Claim

The Golden State Warriors kicked off their East Coast trip with a 123-112 win against the Washington Wizards. With this victory, the Warriors have now won nine of their last 11 games, improving their record to 30-27. While Stephen Curry is the one carrying the team on most nights, that was far from the case on Tuesday. He had a third straight rough shooting game, going only 6-for-21 from the field and 4-for-16 from beyond the arc to muster 18 points in 30 minutes of playing time.

Over the last three games, he has just shot 17-for-54 from the field and 8-for-37 from downtown. Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr assessed that this slump was likely the result of the season catching up to him, coupled with the fact that the Warriors have had a rough schedule recently. “Every player goes through it, you know, just feeling a little fatigued, a little heavy-legged,” stated Kerr after Curry went 10% from beyond the arc during the Warriors’ loss to Denver.

However, Steph did not agree with his coach. According to him, these are just the standard ebbs and flows that are natural for an athlete. Assistant Coach Bruce Fraser also echoed similar sentiments when he told 95.7 The Game, “I wouldn’t attribute fatigue as much as just you know, there’s a human element to this and you know, he’s always capable of having a big night.” 

Steph Curry’s current streak of shooting less than 36% from the field for a third consecutive game is only the fifth time this has happened in his entire career. To put it in perspective, Steve Nash experienced 18 streaks, Kobe Bryant had 14 such streaks, and Trae Young has already encountered 10. This remarkable consistency underscores why he has been regarded as the greatest shooter of all time for years. Fortunately, the Warriors are performing better now, and they do not need to depend on Steph to win games.

The Golden State Warriors are on a roll

Apart from Curry’s mini-slump, the Warriors have been on a tear. The gamble to switch out Klay Thompson for Brandin Podziemski has paid massive dividends. In the five games that Klay has come off the bench, he has led the team in scoring in three of those. This is huge after he spent the first half of the season struggling to break out of his slump. Moreover, Chris Paul’s return to the lineup had an immediate impact. After two months of inactivity due to a fractured left hand, he instantly stabilized a bench unit that outscored Washington’s 59-15.

Therefore, the team can now rely on other players while Curry figures it out. With their recent victory, the Warriors have surpassed the Lakers to secure the 9th spot in the West. If they maintain this level of performance every night, they’ll soon transform into a legitimate playoff threat.

Read More: Stephen Curry’s Warriors’ Future Possibly Sealed After Steve Kerr’s $35 Million Contract Extension