By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
A sudden change of scenery for both Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. From making it to the NBA Finals five years in a row to being excluded from the bubble set up in Orlando for a late conclusion of the 2019-20 season. Curry has bounced back enormously to start the 2020-21 season and Warriors head coach Steve Kerr points out the positives gained.
“I think the break was good for Steph. I think all of our guys, following that five-year run, all the guys who were part of that run were exhausted,” mentioned Kerr prior to Saturday’s meeting with the Brooklyn Nets and Kevin Durant, NBA Finals MVP in the 2017 and 2018 championship runs.
“It is really hard to describe to people how emotionally tiring it is going into season after season of getting to the finals and competing for a title,” he attempted to explain, “It’s obviously what every player dreams of. Nobody would trade it for anything. But when you do it for five years in a row, there is an exhaustion that sets in.”
Kerr, 55, himself as a player was no stranger to championship campaigns and has remained in the familiar successful path despite shifting outside of the court.
Curry, 32, was sidelined for most of the 2019-20 season. He managed to recover from surgery but his return to action was cut short by the coronavirus pandemic. This season, he has been averaging 29.9 points, 5.9 assists, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per contest over 27 appearances.
“He returned really locked in and focused,” Kerr added on his player, “He came into this season with an edge, feeling like he has a lot to prove. He is playing at an incredible level. The layoff did not hurt.”
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