Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry on the Verge of Becoming a Star

As a skinny kid from Davidson, Stephen Curry took the nation by storm.

As is the norm, the critics picked his game apart.

Is he athletic enough?  Can he create his own shot?  Is he a point guard or a shooting guard?  Can he play defense? 

Curry's game is far from complete, but he has elevated himself into on of the top young guards in the NBA.  With rookie head coach Mark Jackson having been a very good point guard during his playing days, I fully expect Curry to blossom into a star this season.

From his first to second season, Curry's scoring increased from 17.5 points per game to 18.6 points per game.  This is primarily due to all of Curry's shooting percentages going up. 

He shot 48 percent from the field, 44 percent from the three-point line, and over 93 percent from the free throw line last season.

Those numbers are outstanding.

If Jackson can help Curry take that next step as a point guard, look for Curry to be an all-star point guard this summer.  Curry only averaged 5.8 assists per game last season, but Jackson was a prolific set-up man during his playing days.  I fully expect Jackson to get Curry's assists to over eight per game this season.

I don't think Curry will ever be an elite defender, but that's okay.  He can still be one of the top point guards in the NBA by virtue of his amazing offensive skill set.  If he can take that next step as a player, I think Golden State could be a sleeper in the Western Conference.