It’s pretty clear what Seth Curry has meant to the Nets since his arrival before the NBA trade deadline. Even on Friday as he still dealt with soreness in his left ankle, Curry was as clutch as ever for Brooklyn.
In a crucial victory against the Portland Trail blazers, Curry scored a season-high 27 points, 3 assists, shot 75% from the field, and 78% from the three-point range.
Curry made consecutive three-pointers in the early minutes of the game.
“He’s just a really good NBA player,” Nets coach Steve Nash said. ‘He’s an elite shooter who can score off the bounce, can handle in pick-and-roll, and has a high IQ. He adds a lot to our team. Obviously, we needed all of his points.”
The Nets guard was inserted back in the starting lineup after missing the previous three games due to an ankle injury. Curry said that he felt no worse after playing 38 minutes in his return, but admitted he’s been managing the pain with his ankle.
Curry said that the ankle soreness had been something that he had been dealing with prior to the trade that brought him to Kings County. There is a plan in place so Curry can continue the season.
“It’s a plan put together with the training staff, coaches, and just figuring out how it goes,” Curry said. “I know it’s something that’s not going to go away. As long as it’s not getting worse, I should be good.”
27 PTS | 7 3PM @sdotcurry didn't skip a beat in his return to action ? pic.twitter.com/Neecs38pE0
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 19, 2022
Curry has been a huge asset for the Nets since the Ben Simmons-James Harden trade. Playing alongside Future Hall of Famers in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have helped his game as well.
Curry is averaging 16.8 points in the 12 games that he has played for the Nets and is shooting 47.6% from beyond the arc, which is a new career-high. According to StatMuse, Curry is leading the league in three-point percentage.
Curry has been a consistent sharpshooter during the course of his career. He shot better than 45% from beyond the arc on 4.4 attempts from 2018 to 2021 while playing for the Dallas Mavericks and Philadelphia Sixers.
Curry is regarded as one of the best snipers in league history. He ranks second all-time in career three-point percentage (44.71%), trailing current Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr.
“It’s my job to step on the floor, be aggressive, knock down shots,” Curry said on Friday. “And like I said, just try to create space for (Kevin Durant), make the game easier for him. Just keep the game simple. You shouldn’t be able to run two, three guys at a player the entire game without having to pay for it. I think we did a good job of taking advantage of it tonight.”
