CLEVELAND — LeBron James has imposed his will on the NBA Finals. He has created a blueprint for how a superstar impacts a game at this level, dominates the ultimate series.
Now Stephen Curry needs to do the same for the Warriors.
He needs to flip the switch and go into takeover mode. It would be ideal for the coaching staff to give him the green light, but if not, he needs to take it anyway.
The Warriors need Curry to play like the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in all-important Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night. The Warriors trail James’ Cleveland Cavaliers 2-1 in the series and desperately need to win this game.
How big is Game 4? In the history of the NBA Finals, no team has ever recovered from a 3-1 deficit to win the championship.
We saw in the fourth quarter of Game 3 on Tuesday night what it looks like when Curry gets in the zone. The fear he struck in the Cavaliers, the trouble he caused their defenders, the confidence he gave his teammates — it was a trailer of what it would look like if he took over this series.
It’s not about how many shots Curry makes or misses. Nor about his assist-to-turnover ratio. No one is talking about LeBron’s inefficiency, instead prepping the sketches for his carving on the NBA’s Mount Rushmore.
This is about Curry playing as if he knows he belongs in that elite class of players. The Warriors need him to impose his will on the Cavaliers. Now more than ever, in this crucial Game 4, the Warriors need Curry to be the Baby-Faced Assassin. And not wait until they’re down 20 points.
“I challenge myself,” Curry said Wednesday. “I do have to play better and play more consistent and do more to help our team win.”
Curry doesn’t have LeBron’s experience of starring on the NBA Finals stage, and at times it has shown.
But Curry does have experience leading these Warriors. He does have a track record of carrying this bunch. Throughout the playoffs, Curry has changed the tenor of every series by putting on his cape and taking over.
Down 20 in the fourth quarter of Game 3 at New Orleans, he led a comeback with 40 points and seven 3-pointers as the Warriors stole hope away from the Pelicans in the first round.
Down 2-1 in the Memphis series, he put together a gem of a Game 4 with 33 points and four 3-pointers as the Warriors surged away from the Grizzlies.
Up 2-0 against Houston after two epic duels with James Harden, Curry stepped on the gas and led the Warriors to a road rout of the Rockets, scoring 40 on 12-of-19 shooting including 7-of-9 from beyond the arc.
Curry almost did it Tuesday night, trimming 19 points off the Cavaliers’ lead in 12 minutes.
Now Curry needs to do it in Game 4. How?
Step 1: Go after Dellavedova.
The narrative of this series is how Cavaliers backup Matthew Dellavedova has been shutting down the MVP. It’s not entirely true.
The former Saint Mary’s College point guard from Australia is playing good defense, but he’s getting a big assist from the Warriors’ insistence on sticking to their system.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr prefers motion and ball movement. Curry is unselfish and buys into the system, drawing double-teams and passing to open teammates and trusting them to hit open shots.
The Warriors should keep the ball in Curry’s hands and allow him go one-on-one against Dellavedova — forcing the Aussie to defend in open space in plain view of the referees. And don’t let a few good defensive stands be a deterrent. Do this all game.
Step 2: Lead the team emotionally.
Curry isn’t much of a verbal communicator. But his mood, his body language, his disposition is contagious.
Tuesday, after the Cavaliers’ lead reached 20, Curry picked up his head. His frustrated demeanor was replaced with a straight face and a cold stare.
He came down and immediately drilled a 3-pointer. Then forced a steal. Then dropped in a pull-up jumper, after which he drew an offensive foul. Then his penetration set up Leandro Barbosa’s jumper.
In a span of a 1 minute, 34 seconds, Curry changed the team’s tone. He forced his teammates to lock in by suggesting with his play he would go it alone if need be.
If Curry is relentless, the Warriors are relentless. If Curry is having fun, the Warriors are having fun. If Curry is fed up, the Warriors are fed up.
LeBron has the Cavaliers’ career role players believing they belong in NBA history. He has inspired his teammates to play above their heads, convinced them they are better than they are.
That’s the kind of emotional leadership the Warriors could use from Curry. Of course, it helps that LeBron has been to the NBA Finals six times. But Curry can have a similar impact.
That’s the burden of being the MVP.
