Steph Curry has been playing with a look that he has never had in his career before since January. The two-time MVP returned from an 11-game absence due to a shoulder injury and returned with an eye-catching, full-length sleeve.
Curry suffered an injury to his left shoulder on Dec. 14 against the Indiana Pacers. He returned on Jan. 10 wearing the aforementioned contraption in the Golden State Warriors' 125-113 loss to the Phoenix Suns.
“Chef Curry” played 31 minutes and finished with 24 points, hitting just 8-22 shots, including 5-15 from behind the arc.
Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.
The subpar shooting begged the question of his comfort level while wearing the accessory. Curry had this to say about how he felt while wearing it (via Anthony Slater):
"It gives (his shoulder) support and keeps it warm. It allows me to feel composed, in terms of everything, trying to strengthen my shoulder. Keep it right.
"The fact that I don't want anything on my right arm, for like, the flow and the rhythm (as he makes his shooting motion) of shooting the ball. We tried pretty much everything when I was going through my workouts, coming back and that was the one.
"It looks wild but that was the one that felt the best in terms of giving my shoulder the right support and feel throughout the game."
Since returning from the said shoulder injury, Steph Curry has averaged 29.4 points, 6.3 assists and 6.1 rebounds. He is hitting 49.3% of his shots, including 42.7% from behind the arc.
Before wearing the accessory, he averaged 30.0 PPG, 6.8 APG and 6.0 RPG. He shot 50.0% from the field, making 43.4% of his three-pointers. The new look has slightly affected his output overall.
Curry has insisted that the shoulder has completely healed but has become accustomed to wearing the sleeve. He hasn’t removed it throughout the season.
Steph Curry struggled a little in the Golden State Warriors' loss to the LA Lakers in Game 1
Jarred Vanderbilt, Austin Reaves and Dennis Schroder combined to make life difficult for Steph Curry in Game 1. The trio helped limit the NBA’s all-time leading three-point shot leader to 27 points on 24 shots.
Curry’s three-pointer late in the fourth quarter capped off a searing 14-0 blast that tied the game at 112. The LA Lakers, however, responded with Russell’s bank shot and crucial free throws by LeBron James and Dennis Schroder to ice the game.
With his team down 117-114, Steph Curry couldn’t even attempt a potential game-tying three-pointer as Vanderbilt and Reaves double-teamed him. Jordan Poole’s 28-foot attempt failed to go in before Schroder’s free throws ended the Golden State Warriors' night.
Steve Kerr will need to adjust to how the LA Lakers are playing defense against Steph Curry. The Golden State Warriors may need to have more ball screens to free him up and get him going early.
You may also like to read: LeBron James vs Steph Curry Finals record-Taking a closer look as the two GOATs face each other again
Warriors Nation! You can check out the latest Golden State Warriors Schedule and dive into the Warriors Depth Chart for NBA Season 2024-25.