Steph Curry is one of the most magnificent offensive players any sport has ever seen. He revolutionized the NBA with his insane ability to shoot and started a revolution that saw three-pointers become the most valuable shot in the game. But all of this has also taken Steph’s defensive ability out of most conversations about him.
While Curry isn’t a standout defender, he is much better than he is given credit for. He proved that in Game 1 of the second round against the Memphis Grizzlies when he locked up Ja Morant on a crucial play with under 24 seconds left in the game.
Morant tried to drive past Curry and go to the rim. During the play, Curry kept his eyes on the ball throughout because he knew weak-side defenders would come in and clog his lane to the rim. As Morant tried to pivot into another move, Curry masterfully poked the ball out of his hand to force a turnover.
Steph Curry LOCKED UP Ja Morant in the biggest possession of the game 💪https://t.co/0VFCMCJXxG
— Guru (@DrGuru_) May 1, 2022
After the play, Curry was screaming at the Warriors bench and was extremely proud of the defense he had just played. He told his teammates that ‘he locked that sh*t up’, as his teammate Klay Thompson would then miss free throws on the following play, giving Morant another chance to equalize the game. However, he missed this attempt and the Warriors walked out winners.
Steph Curry screaming at the Warriors bench after that steal on Ja Morant in crunch time: "Locked that shit up, boy. I locked that shit up."
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 1, 2022
Steph isn’t someone who’s going to be in the conversation for an All-Defensive team, but he is a crafty veteran at this point. He knows the right defensive moves he can make, like how he did against Morant. Those are game-winning plays that he will have to do a little more often.
Memphis has repeatedly said they don’t run from the smoke, so Ja will be waiting to respond to Curry for saying what he said. The best way to respond is on the court and Game 2 will be crucial in deciding the flow of the series.
