Warriors Steph Curry Closes In On 3-Point Record; ' He Changed The Outlook' Of The Game
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry is a little coy when asked if he thinks he can hit 16 3-pointers against the Portland Trailblazers at their game Wednesday, which would tie Ray Allen's record for most from distance in an NBA career.
It will be last chance to tie or exceed the mark in front of a home crowd at Chase Center before the 20-4 Warriors hit the road for a 5-game road trip.
Interestingly enough, the only player to come close to 16 in a game is Curry's teammate Klay Thompson, who is expected to rejoin the club in a few weeks after a two-year hiatus due to injury. Thompson owns the NBA record with 14 in one game, which he set in 2018.
When asked by ESPN, Curry responded: "If you've seen the way I've played, especially recently, I'm not shy about shooting the ball, so the game will dictate what that looks like. I'm not coming out with that as the true goal of how I play, but crazier things have happened."
Head coach Steve Kerr has seen the bulk of Curry's 3-pointers and took time Tuesday to talk about his star player.
"He was the guy who really pushed the envelope, individually," Kerr told reporters. "From a coaching standpoint, Mike D'Antoni changed the way the league thought about threes with his Phoenix teams around '05, '06, '07. Those teams started playing smaller guys at multiple positions, 3-point shooters, spacing the floor for Steve Nash."
"I was doing a game (as a TV analyst) for TNT and they took like 30 threes and there was a huge uproar. Was that too many threes."
Once D'Antoni's wide open style of play captured the attention of opposing coaches, Curry elevated it to a new level, particularly in terms of acceptable shot selection.
"There was a shift philosophically on the coaching front, but Steph on a personal level just lifted the bar much higher in terms of what's a good shot," Kerr said. "What's a bad shot. He was obviously the most capable player to do that with his skill set and the fact that he could do it off the dribble or off the catch."
"So much of it was his mind set. I've just never seen a guy so confident and lacking any sort of - what's the word -- discretion when if comes to shooting the ball and I say that in a good way. He changed the outlook for a lot of players and now guys are firing away from everywhere."
When asked if one deep 3-pointer comes to mind, Kerr quickly thought about one Curry shot against Oklahoma City in 2016.
"The Oklahoma City shoot (February 2016) stands out," Kerr said. "But I think Steph in a lot of ways is like Michael Jordan in that there are so many moments so they all bleed into each other and then they don't even standout because that's just what you expect."
He said that's what makes Curry so great.
"Maybe that is the true sign of greatness," Kerr said. "Maybe that's why our fans are just so enamored with Steph and fans all over the world are so enamored because they know every single night they were going to see something special. When you do something over and over again than its harder for one particular night to stand out."
An electrical charge runs through the stands every time Steph launches a shot.
"There is a sense in the arena, when the ball is in the air, that the ball is going in," Kerr said. "There's a sense from his teammates, coaches, the opponents, the fans, the officials -- I think just everybody expects the ball to go in."
"Some of it comes because of what happens before the shot even goes up. He has this magical ability to free himself up with his ball handling and his off-ball movement," Kerr continued. "It's kind of stunning because there is really nobody like him. So when he does it, there has already been an amazing athletic move that has led to the shot itself. People are already awed and then it does feel inevitable the shoot is going to go in."
If Curry doesn't break the record Wednesday, it could happen in Philadelphia against his brother, Seth, and the 76ers during their game Saturday.
"His family has played such a huge role (in Curry's success)," Kerr said. "If would be a fitting achievement if that were to happen. I don't think Seth would see it that way."