Duke basketball: NBA Blue Devil becoming dangerous playoff assassin
By Matt Giles
An overlooked Duke basketball gem in the NBA is key to one title contender.
Although Seth Curry doesn’t typically garner as many headlines as some of the more well-known Duke basketball products, the former three-year Blue Devil (2010-13) may have the best chance of any this postseason to aid in snagging the ultimate hardware.
At this point, many NBA followers see the No. 1 seed Philadelphia 76ers as the frontrunner to eventually take home the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. They currently hold a 3-0 lead in their first-round NBA Playoffs matchup against the No. 8 seed Washington Wizards. Plus, two of the wins were by 25 points or more, including their 132-103 road demolition on Saturday.
In other words, a series sweep could arrive at 7 p.m. ET Monday when the two sides square off in Washington, D.C., once again.
But without Curry’s consistency as the reliable full-time starting two-guard, his squad’s recent victories — five in a row dating back to the regular season — might not have come quite so smoothly.
And of course, the Sixers would be sure to have a tough time reaching the promised land this year if their silky NBA Blue Devil doesn’t continue to pull off his efficient splashing. It’s particularly from downtown but with plenty of nifty floaters and quick pull-up jumpers in his bag of tricks.
Duke basketball alum still playing a critical role
No, Seth Curry is by no means the Philadelphia 76ers’ No. 1 offensive weapon; rather, that honor goes to four-time All-Star center Joel Embiid. Nor is he their best distributor or lockdown defender; clearly, those titles belong to three-time All-Star point guard Ben Simmons.
However, in what was his first regular season with the Sixers, Curry did finish as the deep group’s fifth-leading scorer at 12.5 points per game.
That feat was largely due to his team-high precision from 3-point land.
The 30-year-old Dukie knocked down 45.0 percent of his attempts beyond the arc this season, thereby preserving his spot atop the list of the NBA’s active career 3-point percentages (44.4 for Curry). On top of that, he was pure money from the foul line, hitting a career-high 89.6 percent.
In these playoffs, Curry has kept his fire burning, at least to the extent that the Philadelphia 76ers need thus far. Through the three postseason games to date, he’s averaging 13.0 points, 3.3 assists, and 1.0 steals while shooting 16-for-31 from the field, including a 7-for-19 clip from deep.
Now, Seth Curry should consider finding a way to get to the charity stripe as well.