Stephen Curry is known as the best shooter of all time, and it’s not particularly close. He has a career 3PT percentage of 43.3%, and he can hit almost any kind of 3PT shot the mind can think of. There are few if any players that are as lethal as Stephen Curry when left wide open from the 3PT range.
There is no question that his teammates are particularly aware of Curry’s shooting abilities, and that they’re looking to get him the ball when he’s open. During the Golden State Warriors’ recent game against the Denver Nuggets, Otto Porter Jr. passed up an open corner 3PT shot in order to get Stephen Curry a 3PT look instead.
There’s no question that Otto Porter Jr. is a spectacular 3PT shooter: he shoots 40.2% from beyond the arc for his career. However, it seems as though he felt as if Stephen Curry taking a wide-open shot is a better option for the Golden State Warriors.
When asked about the play by the media, Porter Jr. explained that he saw Stephen Curry open, and didn’t think twice about giving the ball to him. Porter also quipped that it was a “bad idea” for the defense to leave Curry open.
“I looked, and they left Steph wide open. I was like me, okay, but Steph, you gonna leave him open? Bad idea, buddy.”
Otto Porter Jr. on passing up an open corner shot to get it to Steph 💯 pic.twitter.com/Vee5UMGHrG
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) October 7, 2021
Just a great drive by Wiggs. Try to be in the corner to be available. Two guys actually came to me, thinking I was gonna make that shot. I looked, and they left Steph wide open. I was like me, okay. but Steph, you’re gonna leave him open? Bad idea buddy.
There is no question that the Warriors system relies on getting Stephen Curry the ball in his spots. While most corner shooters would have simply knocked that down, Porter made a great play in order to get the best shot possible.
The new-look Warriors will have a lot of great shooters on the roster, something that Stephen Curry stated “will help” the Warriors “this year offensively”. There’s no question that there was little spacing on the team last season, and they ended up missing the playoffs entirely. Otto Porter Jr. will certainly be a part of their plans, and it’s definitely great to see a knockdown shooter who is also capable of making the right pass to an open Stephen Curry. Hopefully, their success thus far in the preseason will translate when the regular season starts.
