After the Golden State Warriors beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 120-111 on Thursday, a reporter asked Kevin Durant if Stephen Curry was underrated as a defender. Curry had five steals in Game 5, and he has spent most of this series sticking with Russell Westbrook as closely as possible.
Westbrook, seated next to Durant at the podium, laughed when the question was asked. Durant did not exactly answer in the affirmative.
"Uh, I mean, getting steals, uh, I don't know if that's just, um -- that's a part of playing defense. You know, he's pretty good, but he doesn't guard the best point guards. I think they do a good job of putting a couple guys on Russell, from Thompson to Iguodala, and Steph, they throw him in there sometimes. But he moves his feet pretty well, he's good with his hands. But, you know, I like our matchup with him guarding Russ."
It's not Durant's job to praise Curry's defense, and Curry is not an elite defender. I'd argue, though, that the MVP is indeed underrated on that end. He can get in trouble against bigger players, but he has put a ton of effort into improving on that end since he came into the league.
No one will call Curry a stopper, but watch how he competes with Westbrook, who has a significant advantage in athleticism:
Here is EVERY Westbrook FGA, AST, TO, & Foul Drawn while Steph Curry has guarded him in the Western Conf Finalshttps://t.co/KBRvSVfvtE
— BBALLBREAKDOWN (@bballbreakdown) May 26, 2016
When Curry went to the podium, a reporter relayed Durant's remarks to him. Curry did not deflect the question.
"I got a great teammate that's obviously a better defender on the perimeter," Curry said. "I like the challenge. I'll do my job the best I can. That's what I'm out there to do, so, in those situations, I don't get too caught up in the one-on-one matchup. My job is to follow the game plan, and I've done that the last four years of my career, trying to elevate my defensive presence and do my job."
To Curry's credit, he has spent much more time guarding elite point guards in the two years he's been under Steve Kerr. The Warriors wanted him to face those challenges, and he has done that. Of course, it is incredibly difficult to do what he does offensively and check the Westbrooks of the world on every single defensive possession. Most coaches like to give the best players different looks over the course of a game, and it would be silly not to take advantage of Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala's defensive prowess.
In the NBA, slowing down superstars is a team effort, and that's as true in Oklahoma City as it is in Golden State. The Thunder are switching all over the place and sending help to Curry, just like the rest of the league does. It would be wise if we all took a page out of Curry's book and avoided getting caught up in any one-on-one matchup.
