Steph Curry's late substitution was not a big deal
Stephen Curry was taken off the floor right before Kyrie Irving hit his game-winning jumpshot. Was it a big deal that he was substituted for?
In Game 7 of the NBA Finals, Kyrie Irving hit the championship clinching shot over Stephen Curry. On Christmas Day, Curry wasn’t on the floor when Irving hit his turnaround jumper to seal the deal for Cleveland. He was subbed out right before
Of course, as with anything Curry does (or doesn’t do), the Internet freaks out. Twitter was up in arms about the substitution. How could the two-time MVP get taken out of the game during it’s most important moment?
The word “liability” was being tweeted out at an incredibly fast rate. Irving hit an amazing shot over Klay Thompson, who was draped all over him. Somehow, Curry was the one who got dragged into it.
After the game, the superstar point guard commented on Steve Kerr’s decision to pull him in that moment.
Steph Curry admits frustration on being off the floor during late Kyrie jumper pic.twitter.com/oxIp7FOHp5
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) December 25, 2016
Curry wanted to be on the floor for that play. As a competitor with a lot of pride, it makes sense. But so does the decision to pull him in favor of a longer defender in Shaun Livingston.
The Cavaliers like to use a lot of pick-and-roll. While Curry is an average defender that can hold his own against his man, he isn’t very big. He’s 6’3 and listed at 190 lbs so it’s clear why he might not be the best player to have switch out onto LeBron James or even Kevin Love.
Livingston can defend three positions with relative ease. He’s tall with long arms. He can switch screens much more easily than Curry can. The decision to take Curry out says more about the Warriors’ depth and Livingston than it does about him. Why wouldn’t you want your best defensive unit on the floor when you need one stop?
Kerr was right to put Livingston in from a basketball standpoint. There was nothing wrong with the move. However, Curry’s frustration is something worth looking at.
He’s a very low maintenance superstar, which is the reason why Golden State can function. Kerr called him out after the game about his decision making and Curry admitted some frustration with one of his coach’s decisions. Most likely, there isn’t anything there and emotions were just running high.
But narratives are going to narrative and coaches of Twitter all would have wanted Curry on the floor for some arbitrary reason.
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