Stephen A believes Steph not having Warriors co-star is ‘his fault’ originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Former NBA veteran-turned-basketball-analyst Kendrick Perkins brought up an interesting topic about superstar Steph Curry and the Warriors on Saturday’s edition of ESPN’s “NBA Countdown.”
“When I’m looking at the Warriors, I’m looking at Steph. He’s the only superstar in the league that doesn’t have a certified No. 2 [scoring option],” Perkins proclaimed to the panel of analysts. “Why is that? You look around the league, [LeBron James] has one [Anthony Davis], Kevin Durant has one [Devin Booker], [Nikola Jokić] [has Jamal Murray].”
Perkins is right. Golden State doesn’t have a second marquee star at Curry’s hip.
Curry used to have Klay Thompson, and the pair won four NBA championships over a decade together. But the current Dallas Mavericks wing declined — largely because of age and injuries — and evidently left the Bay. Durant joined Thompson and Curry for three seasons in the Bay, but he left, too.
The 2024-25 Warriors have a mix of role players besides Curry, though none are needle-movers and have timelines that don’t necessarily align with the 36-year-old sharpshooter. This is where Perkins’ ESPN colleague, Stephen A. Smith, chimed in, and interestingly blamed Curry for Golden State’s missing star power.
“That’s partially [Curry’s] fault,” Smith said. “He’s cooperative. Let’s call it what it is. He’s the one that was quoted saying, ‘Look, I wouldn’t be hasty. We don’t have to make a move.’ I’m not punishing him, I’m just answering the [‘certified number two’] question directly. I have nothing in this game.
“At the end of the day, that’s what [Curry’s] doing. You’re not being a headache. You’re not being cantankerous.”
Oddly enough, Smith might be right.
Curry is one of the world’s rare undramatic superstars. The 11-time NBA All-Star doesn’t cause a raucous when the Warriors are losing, nor does he skip team flights or request trades when things don’t go his way.
But Curry’s professionalism might cost him and his franchise a chance at winning another ring before his career inevitably comes to a close. Smith implied that Curry should take a page out of James’ handbook while he still has the chance.
“You’re not saying, ‘Damn it, this is not enough. I’m not happy with this. I need more.’ We know LeBron’s going to do that,” Smith said. “That’s what he does religiously. He makes it an annual thing for ‘em. That’s not Steph. Period.”
Curry is on record for saying his clock is ticking and that he knows the Warriors have been playing like a “mid” team. However, to Smith’s point, the guard should consider being even louder about his gold-blooded desires.
After all, the 36-year-old still is averaging 22.6 points, 6.3 assists and 4.9 rebounds. Curry has a lot of gas left in the tank.
With the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline approaching, Curry should kick the tires with Golden State’s management about making a move for at least an attainable star such as Zach LaVine or Jimmy Butler, for the opportunity to make a deep playoff run, or at minimum, to shake things up.
Golden State, bearing a 22-22 record while trailing the Los Angeles Clippers by three games for the Western Conference’s sixth seed, isn’t a contender as currently constructed.