Can Steph Curry Be Guarded By the Cavs?

Steph Curry is the star of the NBA right now. Can the Cleveland Cavaliers guard him?

Stephen Curry is an amazing players. Some of the stats about him just boggle the mind. He is shooting 75% on 3 point shots from 30 feet and beyond, 15 of 20. Those are shots you don’t want anyone taking and he is making them at a crazy rate.

The problem for teams playing the Golden State Warriors are many. With their perfect record, they have not only won games but dominated most of them. They seem to be on a collision course with the Cavs on Christmas Day, with the high expectation that they will still be undefeated at that time. They also seem to be on a collision course with the Cavs in the NBA Finals.

Curry is the head of the snake for the Warriors. While they have talent all over the floor, without Steph that would “just” be a good team. He can do so many things. He is the best shooter, ever. Yet, he can pass and make plays for his teammates. He also can finish around the rim at a surprising rate for a player of his size.

In comparisons terms: He is a better Ray Allen plus a good Steve Nash with an added Allen Iverson dimension.

Good gracious, how do you guard that combination of all time greats’ skills?

Do the Cavs even have a hope?

YES!

While that yes is the strongest we could make it, we are not as confident as it would seem. No one has been able to guard Steph in a way that has really slowed him down. Not only is Steph Curry averaging 32 points and 6 assists but he is also pulling down 5 rebounds a game.

Then, take a look at his Game Log: In 23 games, his lowest point total is 19, twice in blowout wins. In one of those games he only took 7 shots(!) and still had 19 points, the other was tied for his second lowest shot attempts at 16. He has only had 10 or more assists twice, both 10, but still is consistent enough to average 6 a game, tied for 19th best in the league.

What the Cavs have going for them is an interesting set of defenders who can give Curry a hard time. None are perfect defenders but each gives the Cavs interesting options on the best player playing today:

Matthew Dellavedova – Delly “shutting down” Curry early in the NBA Finals last year was a little overstated. However, his combination of relentless effort and physical play did cause Curry problems. Delly has only grown in confidence and ability this season. If the Cavs are healthy, Delly won’t get worn down from having to play so many minutes and may be more effective in an entire series.

Iman Shumpert – Shump was also struggling with an injury in the Finals, his shoulder wasn’t right. His quick feet and hands allows him to stay in front of Curry and disrupt his rhythm with the ball. Shump can pester Curry’s dribble, drive and pass.

Jared Cunningham – A Shump-lite defender, Cunningham can do similar things to Curry that Shumpert can. He gives the Cavs multiple frustrating defenders with quickness to guard Steph.

LeBron James – Rarely did the two best players matchup on the court in the Finals. With the burden of the offense on his shoulders, LeBron had to rest a little on defense. This year, if the Cavs are healthy, LBJ can use his size, strength and length to bother Steph for periods of time.

J.R. Smith – When engaged, JR is a good defender. He has good size and enough quickness to engage with Steph for a few possessions. His focus tends to wander at times, which could lead to backdoor cuts by Curry, but for a few possessions a game, Smith can be a part of guarding Steph.

Richard Jefferson – RJ is a long term veteran who has been a great backup to LeBron this season. While RJ isn’t an elite athlete anymore, he can still defend at a high level. His strength and veteran savvy would help him against Curry for a few possessions a game. Curry’s quickness would be harder for Jefferson to deal with but he is still a competent enough defender to switch out on him at different times during a game.

Kyrie Irving and Mo Williams – The Cavs top two lead guards are not high level defenders. Irving improved drastically last year and we could see that continue when he returns from injury. Williams hasn’t been a good defender for much of his career and has gotten a bit worse with age. Depending on who else is on the court, Irving and Williams might still have to guard Curry. Irving has a better chance of staying in front of Steph but neither are the best scenarios for the Cavs.

Tristan Thompson – TT is only noted here because he is one of the best big men switching on to guards in pick and roll situations. Thompson showed in the NBA Playoffs last year that he can stay with guards and make things difficult for them. He did a solid job against Curry in the Finals. Obviously he won’t be assigned to guard Steph but his ability to switch on defense is a big reason he got that big contract.

More from King James Gospel

No one can shut down Steph Curry. He is a great player. The Cleveland Cavaliers stand a chance of making his life difficult with the waves of defenders they can send his way. They could even counter some of the Warriors’ “Small Ball Death Squad” lineups with LeBron at center along with JR, Delly, Shumpert and Jefferson.

Irving and Williams may struggle defending Steph straight up but they balance that with far more offensive game than Delly, Shump, Cunningham and even RJ.

No one can stop him but do the Cavs have players that can slow down Steph Curry?