‘16-‘17 Seth Curry is finally here
Back when the Mavs inked Seth to a new deal in July, the hope was Carlisle and Luka’s brilliance could help him rediscover the magic Curry captured in ‘16.
That year, he averaged career highs across the board. Points, assists, steals, minutes, etc…. His advanced metrics were up as well.
But through the first 20 or so games, that same rhythm had been absent. He was shooting under 40% from three for the first time in basically his entire career. His minutes were spotty at best, and he just really didn’t have a feel for where he needed to be. It was a strange sight for such an efficient player.
However the last handful of games make it seem as if Seth is ready to find his groove, the Detroit game being the next official stepping stone.
Ever heard the term “regression to the mean?” That’s what this was. Obviously the opposite of regression, but the point still stands.
He finished with 30 points on an efficient 11 of 15 shooting, 6 of 9 coming from deep. It’s the second time he’s hit 19 points or more in the last 5 games.
Sure, he only comes off the bench and doesn’t even play 25 minutes a night. But his shooting gives this team and offense a different dimension, as evidenced by their scoring totals in his big games. They’ll need him to bring more of the same going forward.
The Matador came to put on a show
Okay, okay, I know we put this nickname to bed, but in the spirit of playing in a Spanish speaking country it seems appropriate.
This might have been Luka’s best performance of the year, which is really saying something.
He’s proven he can dominate even when the three point shot isn’t working at a high clip (only 32% on the year). But when he has that working like it was tonight, he’s one of the most dynamic offensive forces ever.
Maybe that’s premature, but his skill level for a player his size is astronomical. He was literally out there pulling playground moves on seasoned professionals. The “ohhs!” and “ahhhs!” seem to push him to test his limits even further.
“I’m glad the fans got to see a performance like that,” His head coach said of his 41 point triple double. “This is getting routine, he’s doing this a lot.”
A scary sight for the rest of the league, no doubt.
The Mavericks already historic offense will get even better.
It’s hard to say that a team with what is literally the most efficient offense of all time can serve to get better. They score 117.9 points per 100 possessions, a full two points higher than the second place Curry-era Warriors.
And yet, the Mavericks don’t have a single high volume 3 point shooter on the roster (3 or more per game) shooting better than 40%. This for a team who has fully embraced the modern philosophy of launching as many long balls as possible (40.5 per game).
It makes you wonder how with those shooting splits, they’ve got such an explosive offense.
Think about when KP finds the shooting touch we all know he has. He’s only at 33% on the season and he’s getting better looks than he’s ever had. Curry is sure to raise his number to north of 40% before too long, as he’s never been below that benchmark during a full season. What about Luka? He deals with some inconsistency there, not unlike most youngsters, But what if he gets to even an average 35% with his volume? What possibilities could that unlock?
This offense is so good, but there’s still a lot of meat left on the bone. It’s exciting to think of where they could get to eventually.
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