ShareThisOAKLAND, Calif. - If he had a vote for NBA Rookie of the Year, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry would vote for Sacramento Kings counterpart Tyreke Evans, too. The size. The stats. The courage in late-game situations. The ability to thrust his powerful body into the lane, and somehow, squeeze inside for reverse layups.
"I can't think of anyone in a long time who gets to the basket better then Tyreke," Curry said after his club's 114-97 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Monday.
But after Evans? In the rookie race? Game on. Golden State's Curry sees himself as a worthy runner-up. He won't say this -- so I will -- but he could even make a powerful argument that he's the most instinctive and effective playmaker among his rookie peers.
Jonny Flynn is wildly inconsistent in the Minnesota Timberwolves' triangle offense. Milwaukee's Brandon Jennings has regressed since his 55-point eruption against these same Warriors, his shooting percentage dipping to 38.7 percent. Evans? We won't even go there. In terms of size, talent and sheer physical gifts, the No. 4 draft pick belongs in an entirely different conversation.
But Curry, at 21 the oldest of the lottery point guards, is establishing himself as one of the league's most promising youngsters and a legitimate starter.
Size isn't proving to be a terminal impediment after all. Though unimposing at 6-3 and 185 pounds, the former Davidson star has the overall talent and balanced, fundamental skill set to counter whatever physical deficiencies exist.
His performance against the Bulls was a microcosm of these past four weeks. In 43 minutes, he struck for buzzer beating three-pointers, converted open jumpers and slithered inside for layups, finishing with 26 points on 9-of-18 shooting. He tied a career high with 10 rebounds and passed for six assists.
"(And) he's small, but he's just tough enough that he gets steals and more rebounds than you think. ... I don't know any rookie point guards better than him. The understanding, the defensive concepts - he's the total package."
Nelson, by the way, is among a growing list of NBA coaches who aren't convinced that Evans is a point guard, but who swear it doesn't matter. They place him in another category. They think the guy is a big-time star, love the combination of size, strength and skills, and expect Geoff Petrie and Paul Westphal to figure out where he is most effective.
There is no such debate about Curry, though. Curry is a scoring point guard with terrific playmaking instincts. While shooting guard Monta Ellis is an explosive, athletic marvel at 6-3, 180 pounds, the ease of Curry's game makes him a pleasure to watch and undoubtedly a delight to play with.
He gives up the ball on the break, finds shooters in rhythm, pushes the pace, seizes openings to the basket. He feels the game, and his decision-making is improving by the week.
Curry's steady development is even more noteworthy considering Stephen Jackson's preseason theatrics, Ellis' chilly reaction to Curry's draft selection, and most recently, the task of directing a squad that has been decimated by injuries; the Warriors' only three reserves active for Monday's game were recent NBA Development League callups.
"I'm learning as I go," Curry said, "and I'm trying to learn from my mistakes."
And while he concedes the rookie race to Evans, he turns on his computer nightly to check out the box scores.
"I want to see how the four of us point guards are doing," he admitted, grinning. "I'm close friends with Jonny, and I know Tyreke and Jennings a little. After Tyreke, though ... (laugh) I think it's among the three of us."
(Contact Ailene Voisin at avoisin(at)sacbee.com.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
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