“Stephen Curry joins Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal as 4th quarter Kings”: Why narrative of Warriors MVP coming up short in Finals is fabricated

Arjun Julka | 02/06/2022
"Stephen Curry joins Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal as 4th quarter Kings": Why narrative of Warriors MVP coming up short in Finals is fabricated

Warriors superstar Stephen Curry is the only player other than Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal to average 10+ PPG in the fourth quarter of multiple Finals.

The all-time leader in 3-pointers, Stephen Curry, may potentially be on his way to creating history as he makes his 6th Finals appearance in the last 8-years. Despite having three championship rings, the Warriors guard lacks a Finals MVP in his trophy cabinet.

One of the biggest criticisms of Curry’s career has been his inability to step up during the Finals, especially come clutch time, exposed heavily during the 2016 NBA Finals, where the Dubs blew a 3-1 lead against LeBron James and the Cavaliers.

While Curry did have a couple of poor showings in the Finals, the notion of him disappearing in crunch moments doesn’t hold any evidence. In his 5-Finals appearances so far, Curry has averaged 26.5 PPG, 6.2 APG, and 5.7 RPG.

Steph has a higher PPG than the likes of Kobe Bryant, Elgin Baylor, and Julius Erving in the Finals.

Also read: “Stephen Curry is willing to put the ball in the hands of the hot player”: Vince Carter breaks down the GSW MVP’s off-ball movement while calling him an “unselfish superstar”

A recent statistic reveals that the Warriors MVP is one of the only three players other than MJ and Shaq to average 10+ PPG in the fourth quarter of multiple Finals.

Stephen Curry is as clutch as Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal in the Finals.

A generational talent, Steph Curry has been a revolutionary player, changing the dynamics of the NBA. Widely regarded as the greatest shooter the game has ever seen, Curry is a threat as soon as he passes the half-court.

There has never been a player guarded by multiple double-teams such as that employed on Curry. Nevertheless, there is yet to establish a defense that puts the clamps on the eight-time All-Star. While there is tons of pressure on Steph going into the 2022 NBA Finals.

It’s a golden opportunity for the Warriors superstar to solidify his legacy with the only thing missing from his all-time great resume, a Finals MVP. Making it the perfect time for Curry to silence a rather fabricated narrative consisting of him disappearing during crunch time.

It will be interesting to see if Coach Steve Kerr has an answer for the multiple double teams to be thrown at Curry by the no.1 defensive team, the Celtics.

Also read: “Team Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole beat Team Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins”: NBA Twitter reacts to Warriors’ jam session ahead of Finals

 

Post Edited By: Arjun Julka
2022 NBA Finals Michael Jordan Shaquille O'Neal Stephen Curry

About the author

Arjun Julka

Arjun Julka is a NBA author at The SportsRush. Basketball isn’t just a sport for this 26-year-old, who hails from Mumbai. He began watching the sport after stumbling upon a court in his society, helping him identify an undiscovered passion for the game of hoops. Now an ardent fan, Arjun supports Stephen Curry and the Warriors but also enjoys watching Giannis Antetokounmpo own the paint. When it comes to the GOAT debate, the TSR author feels LeBron James is yet to receive a lot of his due but cannot deny marveling at Michael Jordan’s resume.

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