SACRAMENTO -- Welcome to the starting lineup, Seth Curry. After sitting out the previous three games as a healthy scratch, Curry picked up his first career start Friday night. He posted a modest 12 points on 4-of-10 shooting in 28 minutes of action, but it was obvious that he had a case of the jitters.
Curry missed his first four shots, but recovered in the second half to make an impact on the game as the Kings pulled away from the Phoenix Suns.
“I thought I was playing well defensively and being in attack mode, but I just didn’t have my rhythm and wasn’t making shots,” Curry said of his first half performance.
Coach George Karl agreed with Curry’s assessment and stuck with the his young guard in the second half.
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“I thought early in the game he was good, but he missed shots,” Karl said. “He got the ball in some late-clock situations. He had some shots. I thought the play making in the second half was better than the first half. We got a lot of easy baskets.”
This isn’t the first time that Curry has had a solid game for the Kings. But it is the first time the 25-year-old guard has escaped a breakout game without an injury.
“I feel good good,” Curry said. “Glad no injuries for once after consistent minutes. Hopefully I can just build off this game and get better and try and get a consistent rhythm towards the end of the season.”
The tentative plan is to give Curry a long look down the stretch, but nothing seems to follow a script in Sacramento. While Seth’s big brother Steph is busy cementing his legacy with another MVP season just 90 minutes down the road, he has played in just 34 games this season logging a total of 391 minutes for a 28-win Kings team.
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The former Duke University star has had to work hard to earn a contract in the NBA. After going undrafted, he worked his way through the NBA’s D-League, earning 10-day contracts with the Grizzlies, Cavs and Suns before signing in Sacramento.
Karl, a former point guard himself who played just five seasons in the league during the 1970’s, has a unique perspective on Curry’s struggles to make it.
“He’s going to be around for a couple years,” Karl said when asked about Curry’s future as an NBA player. “He’s definitely going to have a few more years. He has tenacity to him, good basketball feel to him. Now, he just has to be confident and consistent. That’s a process; you got to get minutes to do that.”
Curry has a million dollar player option next season with Sacramento, but there is no guarantees that he will choose to exercise it. His experience with the Kings has been filled with a lot more downs than ups and he may find guaranteed money elsewhere.
