Pivot Points: NBA Fans, Meet Stephen Curry

For the uninitiated NBA fans, I would like to take a moment to introduce you to the league's newest potential phenom. Some of you may remember him for his magical performance in the 2008 NCAA Tournament, or that one of his biggest fans remains Lebron James.

One thing is for sure, if Golden State coach, Don Nelson gives him a chance to play, then we are all in for a treat.

When Curry was in high school at Charlotte Christian, he was a decent player, but not really much to get excited about. He was a scrawny point guard who looked and acted as if he were about 12 years old. What was very memorable about Curry was his shooting stroke.

You see, Stephen is the son of former NBA sharp-shooter, Dell Curry. His dad was not much of a player, but he was one of the purest shooters I had ever seen.

Stephen inherited his stroke, and his time at point guard gave him skills that his father never possessed.

By the time Curry entered his senior year in high school he had grown three inches, from 6'0 feet tall to 6'3 feet tall, and had refined his already deadly jumper. It began to become pretty clear that Curry might be a little more special than everyone thought.

The first time I witnessed Curry's game, I left the building mesmerized.

He played in a local tournament called The Bojangles Shootout, which was known for the national talent that it attracted. Curry had the chance to play with future stars like Wayne Ellington, Ty Lawson, Michael Beasley, and Gerald Henderson. To say Curry didn't disappoint would be a huge understatement.

Curry led his small private school to the championship game, and set a tournament scoring record in the process.

In the championship game, Curry scored 40 points and was named the tournament MVP. The way that he scored his points is what was amazing. He was able to get to the rim with his dribble, he moved excellently without the ball, and then there's that shooting stroke.

His shot was technically perfect.

He released the ball at the peak of his jump, and his release was the quickest that I had ever seen. His range seemed unlimited, and I witnessed him taking shots, that I thought had no business going in.

Curry made me a believer that night, and I left the gym thinking, that whoever got the privilege of getting this kid was getting a stud. Strangely, the offers never poured in, and the only school to actually say that he could play was Virginia Tech, his father's former school. Even they said that Curry would have to walk on.

Undeterred, Curry decided to accept an offer from tiny Davidson University, and that is where his legend starts.

As a freshman, Curry led the nation in scoring, and three pointers made, and immediately showed that he could compete at a high level. In his very first game he scored 30 points, 20 in the second half.

The best was yet to come, as Curry was about to let the whole country know who he was.

Curry put on a dazzling show as a sophomore in the 2008 NCAA tournament, and was a three pointer away from upsetting eventual national champion, Kansas. America was able to witness the baby-faced phenom, and his unbelievable jump-shot at it's very best. That year's resume was upset after upset.

Down went Gonzaga, down went Georgetown, down went Wisconsin, all the way to the Elite eight, where his fabulous run finally ended. Along the way, Curry garnered some rave reviews, especially from one Lebron James, who made it a point to catch Curry's games whenever possible.

The one knock that people have on Curry, is that he is not a natural point guard, and is more suited to play the off guard.

My response would be, that Curry played the point guard position throughout high school, and actually played the point in his final season at Davidson. He has demonstrated the ability to run a team, and cares as much about getting his team-mates involved, as he does creating his own opportunities.

Warrior team-mate, Monta Ellis has questioned the merits of playing Curry and himself together in the same backcourt. He feels that the Warriors would be at a defensive disadvantage with other teams.

The truth is, the Warriors are always at a disadvantage on defense, and playing Curry at the point guard position might give them their best chance to win.

It has been clear in the preseason that Curry is a better facilitator than Ellis, and he doesn't need the ball in his hands to make a difference. He moves fluidly without the ball, and his defense is better than the matador norm that Golden State is used to.

Even Ellis seems to be coming around, although it's probably because he has seen that Curry tries to find him in the offense.

With the whole Stephen Jackson saga going on Warrior fans could use a distraction, and the baby-faced wonder from Charlotte NC, might be just what the doctor ordered.