Warriors head coach Steve Kerr played with Michael Jordan for three seasons. That’s what made his comments on last Thursday about Stephen Curry so significant.
“He is the most impactful offensive player in terms of what he does to the defense maybe ever,” Kerr told reporters. “There’s guys, obviously, Michael Jordan impacted things. But the way he puts the fear of god into defenses like nobody I’ve ever seen.”
Kerr went onto say that Curry is at his absolute physical peak, teasing what could be maybe the best season we’ve ever seen from the two-time MVP.
Warriors’ Director of Scouting Larry Riley drafted Curry when he was the team’s general manager back in 2009, and agreed with Kerr’s assessment when he joined Gary & Larry on Tuesday afternoon. In fact, he went one step further.
“I do believe Steve Kerr, I think he’s right on the money,” Riley said. “If you had to guard Jordan one-on-one, okay you’re terrified, and then if you had to double team him you’re still terrified, but Steph does it in a different sort of way. He’s changed the game more so than any player in the league. I would agree with Steve and I’d go a step further and would say he’s the most skilled player that’s ever played the game, and that’s pretty much what Steve’s saying as well.”
Riley also explained why he thinks many teams undervalued Curry, who was selected with the seventh overall pick in the draft.
“I think years ago the Detroit Pistons kind’ve set a standard that you’ve got to be nasty to play this game and it seems like a lot of front offices bought into that because that was the way the game was played then,” Riley said. “It’s not the way it’s played now, and Curry came in at a time when things were changing a little bit and then he just accelerated the change.”
Listen to the full interview below. To hear Riley’s comments on Curry, skip to 3:20.