As the 2023–24 regular season has now ended, NBA fans are looking forward to the announcement of year-end awards.
Former NBA player JJ Redick took this opportunity to give his picks on this year’s best players. For the clutch player of the year, Redick chose one of the greatest shooters in NBA history, Stephen Curry.
There has been a lot of controversy about Stephen Curry‘s credibility as a clutch player this year. NBA netizens have debated about whether the Golden State Warriors guard deserves this year’s title or not.
However, JJ Redick was clear about his vote for Curry as he explained his pick on his podcast, Old Man and Three.
He's[Curry] got the most clutch time points. He's shooting 50% from the field, and 46% from three in clutch time… Just a phenomenal clutch time performer as always from Steph Curry . JJ Reddick said
Curry’s ability to shoot from beyond the arc in a matter of seconds is truly unreal. Due to his incredible range, the four-time champion does not need much time to adjust himself on the court to shoot a perfect shot. The star’s last-second shots have ended many Warriors’ close games into victory, which is the reason Curry is the front-runner for the CPOY award.
However, some other players in the league might give Curry a tough competition for the award. Just a month ago, DaMar DeRozan took over Curry for the odds of winning the title. The main players of the top teams in the West, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and former MVP Nikola Jokic, were also ranked right after Curry on Redick’s list.
LeBron James blames Steph Curry for ‘no lead is safe’ narrative
Over the years, Curry has surprised many members of the NBA world with his clutch moments. Last month, NBA superstar and Curry’s longtime on-court rival LeBron James praised Curry for his influence on the game. The star even compared Curry to NFL star Patrick Mahomes for being the last-minute game-changer.
On his new podcast, Mind the Game with Redick, James credited Curry with keeping the crowd in their seats until the very last second of games. James and Redick agreed that 15 years ago, the audience would clear the benches early if a team had a double-digit lead, which is not the case anymore.
You know why? Because I believe in 08-09 or whenever that little light-skinned f**ker came in the league that's in Golden State, he changed that whole narrative. LeBron James said
There is some truth in James’s statement, as the NBA has seen many close games in this season alone. Teams have dominated throughout the first three quarters only to come up short in the fourth and lose the game in the final seconds. The tough competition for the clutch player award is also serving as an example of that.
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