Insider recalls the doubts surrounding Stephen Curry before 2009 Draft, he answered them all with the Warriors
Stephen Curry stands among basketball’s greatest players.:format(jpeg)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/1815105/20121015_lbm_aq2_361.0.jpg)
His Hall of Fame resume includes two MVP awards, one Finals MVP, and four championships with the Golden State Warriors.
The NBA community also recognizes him as the greatest shooter of all time.
However, substantial doubts surrounded Stephen Curry before entering the league. His wife Ayesha even believed he might end up as a high school basketball teacher rather than achieving superstar status.
NBA insider reveals positional and defensive concerns of Stephen Curry from 2009 draft
NBA insider Jeff Goodman recently detailed the specific questions that dropped Curry to seventh in the 2009 draft.
The Warriors selected him after teams passed due to concerns about his NBA translation.
“He was drafted behind Jonny Flynn, just so we know. There were some good players, too. Blake Griffin went first that year. So it wasn’t Steph. The big thing with Steph coming out of Davidson was, number one, is he a point guard? Is he a point at his size?” Goodman explained.
“Everybody’s thinking, well, he’s got to be a point guard. And it’s funny because if you told Steph, ‘hey, you know what? We need you to run the team and just make people better’ I think he could have done it.”
The primary concerns centered on his positional fit and defensive limitations. Teams questioned whether his Davidson success would translate against elite NBA competition.
“Number two, can he guard anybody? And he couldn’t. Coming out of Davidson, he could not guard anybody. He turned himself into an above average defender over time. But I mean there were a lot of questions about Curry coming out of Davidson that whether he would translate to the NBA,” Goodman added.
Curry systematically addressed every pre-draft weakness throughout career
Curry methodically answered each concern raised during his draft evaluation. He developed into one of the league’s premier point guards despite initial positional questions.
While not a traditional playmaker focused on setting up teammates, Curry consistently averaged seven to eight assists per game throughout his prime seasons.
His ability to create opportunities through gravity and off-ball movement revolutionized the position.
Defensively, Curry transformed from a liability into a competent contributor. His career average of 1.5 steals per game demonstrates adequate defensive impact, while his improved positioning and effort made him serviceable rather than exploitable.
Curry’s journey from seventh pick with significant questions to all-time great represents one of the NBA’s most remarkable development stories, validating his dedication to addressing perceived weaknesses.
