Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry is entering his 17th NBA season, and over the years, we’ve seen him explore multiple roles. Be it off it with his golf swing, or traveling to spread Under Armour, or even venturing into writing a book, Curry has done it all. Amid all these pursuits, however, one thing has remained constant: his basketball game and fitness, still elite at 37. Curry credits much of that consistency to his longtime trainer, Brandon Payne, whose guidance has been crucial in keeping him at the top of his game.
In a recent interview with Mark Medina, Payne revealed that the four-time NBA champion is heading a new direction this season, which isn’t exactly what you’d expect from a player who is going toward the twilight of his career. This comes after Payne confirmed that Curry has gotten faster and stronger.
However, while it was great to hear that the veteran sharpshooter has been working on his body this summer, what impressed us the most was the new things Curry has had to learn or change with Jimmy Butler now in the mix. “For sure. There is also a different element where Jimmy plays in spaces that other teammates may not have played in spaces,” Payne said. “So it’s about being able to play off of a different type of spacing. That is going to be important for Steph.”
“They got a little bit of that last year. They got a little bit of a feel for it. But it’s going to continue to get better as they play more games in the regular season. Steph will start to recognize where the opportunities are to play off of Jimmy and play in that mid-range area with his back to the basket a little bit. I think that is certainly something that can continue to get better,” Curry’s trainer further explained.
Although throughout his career, Steph has mostly played as an on-the-ball guard, Brandon Payne stated that he’s willing to sacrifice that style and focus to also spend some time off of it, since Jimmy Butler is here. Not just that, the 37-year-old is also working on his reactive shooting this time around, as he doesn’t want any shot coming at least from his side to become a roadblock for the hunt for his fifth ring this season.
The Warriors know the clock is ticking for their front office. After dominating the last decade, they haven’t reached the NBA Finals in three straight years. Their last championship appearance was in 2022, and with Stephen Curry now 37, time is becoming a critical factor. The veteran superstar will be both willing and desperate to add another ring to his legacy before calling it a day on the basketball court.
Nonetheless, while Steph Curry continues to hone his craft and learn new skills, there’s some off-the-court stuff bothering his close ones.
Stephen Curry’s trainer during the interview also suggested that the Golden State Warriors superstar solely focus on himself and not be burdened with off-court stuff. “We try as hard as we can to focus on ourselves. We certainly keep the team dynamics in mind with what we’re doing. But the reality is, we’re really focused on Stephen Curry day in and day out to make sure that we’re doing things that Stephen needs to do to be the best version of himself for 82 games and the playoffs,” he said.
However, Jonathan Kuminga’s ongoing standoff with the franchise is something no one in the Bay Area can escape from, not even Stephen Curry. Recently, Jake Fischer of the Stein Line reported that “Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors have had no discussions about pushing back his deadline to accept the qualifying offer.” This means that not only will this cold war between the player and franchise continue, but it will also affect the team’s plans.
This includes several free agent deals the Dubs have been waiting to get past the line, all the way from Al Hoforf to De’Anthony Melton. Everyone is waiting for the front office to resolve the Kuminga situation so that they can join the organization. However, the most noteworthy name on this list is that of Steph’s younger brother, Seth Curry. The 35-year-old is reportedly close to agreeing on a deal with the Warriors as a free agent. Last season, Seth produced great numbers playing for the Charlotte Hornets.
He averaged 6.5 points along with 1.7 rebounds while shooting 47.8 percent from the field and 45.6 percent from deep. So, he could be a great addition to the Dubs, as they head into the season willing to rebound from last season’s embarrassment against Minnesota. However, Seth Curry’s arrival has been held back by Jonathan Kuminga’s contract talks, so until the front office resolves that, we won’t be seeing the Curry brothers together on the same team as the new campaign approaches.
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