Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry’s shooting woes and potential concern

Should there be more concern for Stephen Curry’s shooting woes and what it could mean for the Golden State Warriors? 

For much of the season, one of the biggest stories has been the play and return to dominance from the Golden State Warriors. A little more than halfway through the 2021-22 NBA season, the Warriors are second in the Western Conference standings (including second overall in the league as well) with a 36-13 record.

The Warriors have the best defense in the league, a top 11 offense and all the pieces are back in place for this team to make a real run at another championship. Klay Thompson has returned from injury and looks good enough where he’ll be a real factor for this team come playoff time.

Although, despite the Warriors’ impressive record so far this season, there’s been one thing that has seemed “off.” And it’s probably the biggest reason why the Warriors are ranked 11th on offense and not in the top 5.

It’s the play of Stephen Curry.

In 45 games this season, Curry’s counting stats seem great. He’s averaging 26 points, six assists, and five rebounds per game. His efficiency numbers, however, look like misprints when looking at his stat line.

For a player that has made his name and reputation behind efficiency (especially as he’s been labeled as arguably the best shooting in league history), Curry has been quite “inefficient” by his standards this season.

Curry is “just” shooting 42 percent from the field overall (would rank worst for him in his career in qualified seasons) and 38 percent shooting from 3-point range (also would be the worst percentage and the first season he shoots under 41 percent from 3 throughout his NBA career).

He’s especially struggled during the month of January, in which he has shot just 38 percent from the field overall and 31 percent shooting from 3-point range.

In fact, for the past two months, Curry has looked more and more like not his usual self. And it really doesn’t show up in his overall numbers, but it’s pretty clear when you look at his efficiency.

There’s no question that Curry is still one of the most dangerous players in the league. He’s a lethal scorer and when he gets in the zone, he’s arguably the most unstoppable offensive player in the league.

However, it’s also clear that something is off. I’m not sure if he’s trying to get used to playing with a fully healthy roster again or if there’s something more to it. Either way, it’s certainly something to monitor over the next couple of months heading into the postseason.

The Warriors will have high expectations heading into the playoffs. It’ll be interesting to see if Curry’s inefficient play is something that corrects itself or something that is going to be a narrative heading into playoff basketball.