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The Golden State Warriors have advanced to 1-2 this NBA season after defeating the Chicago Bulls on a last-second shot from reserve guard Damion Lee. While it may feel good to finally get a win under their belt after a rough 0-2 start, they still face the challenge of getting their key guys to make more shots.
Two-time MVP Steph Curry hasn’t shot well from beyond the three-point line averaging 25.7% per game. Far from the usual 43.3% he normally shoots which made him the premier shooter in the league.
Additionally, swingman and rising star Andrew Wiggins has struggled shooting from the field overall. This season, he is shooting 32.7% while normally posting 44.0% a night over his career.
Even more so, the newly acquired Kelly Oubre Jr. has struggled the most for the Warriors shooting 0.0% from beyond the three-point line and 17.5% from the field. This is far from the career season he had last year while with the Phoenix Suns. Previously, Oubre Jr. shot 35.2% from the three-point line and 45.2% from the field.
Regardless of how Oubre Jr.’s struggles have been, the Warriors haven’t given up on him. Not only has their coach Steve Kerr discussed the relatable struggle he’s facing, but their star Curry has also made it a point to keep encouraging him and telling him that slumps like this happen.
What Curry Told Oubre Jr.
GettyKelly Oubre Jr. #12 of the Golden State Warriors dribbles against Joe Harris #12 of the Brooklyn Nets.
As previously stated, Curry is struggling alongside Oubre Jr. but is ensuring that he keeps his teammate in better spirits. After the Warriors’ close win over the Bulls, Curry detailed the conversation he had with his teammate about how to keep going and play his game.
“I told him after the game, we were all celebrating [Damion Lee’s] shot, it takes a lot for a guy to have the energy on defense and impact the game at the end like he did in the third quarter with a bunch of steals and deflections,” per NBC Sports’ Josh Schrock. “No matter how he shoots the ball, he can always find another way to impact the game and eventually, he’s going to figure it out. I didn’t tell him this, but I haven’t seen — obviously we know how he’s shooting — every time I give it to him or every time he’s open and he takes a shot, everybody is throwing up the three hands because we’re ready to see that first one go in and hopefully there’s a flood after that.
“He can’t lose confidence. He has to take those shots. But he also has to impact the game in other areas that athletically he can do. He did that tonight and that’s all you ask for from a guy going through a shooting situation like this until he turns it around.”
Curry’s Confidence Hasn’t Fluctuated
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Curry knows that there are ebbs and flows to the game of basketball and slumps happen. What separates the good from the best are those who press on, don’t lose confidence, and keep their play high regardless of their personal stats.
With that, Curry reinforced that there is no doubt in his mind about his shooting and that the morale and momentum from this game could propel the team in their next game.
“I missed a lot of open ones which — hopefully doesn’t continue to happen,” Curry said after the game. “But the rest of them are just trying to find my rhythm. There’s no excuse, just for what my expectations for myself and shots that I take I always think I’m going to make. I don’t think — maybe one or two of them I would call bad shots. The rest of them I was confident in and ones that I feel I can make. And it’s just a matter of sticking with the program.
“You can talk about how many games I played in a calendar year, but I feel like I can shake that off pretty quickly,” he said. “That’s just a mindset thing, so that’s why in the fourth quarter it turned around and hopefully that carries momentum into the next game. The last thing you can do is just stop shooting no matter how frustrated you get.”
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