SAN FRANCISCO — Stephen Curry faces the Knicks on Friday night across the bay in Oakland, continuing a rookie season in the wrong city. He should have spent it in New York.
Donnie Walsh lusted after the sharpshooting small guard Curry ever since he lit up the Garden with Davidson during a holiday tournament.
Mike D’Antoni was wowed at Chicago’s pre-draft camp in Chicago – he told me at the time the kid didn’t miss – then again during their private workout in Westchester. The New York media was all over their lust, too, and maybe Don Nelson started reading the New York papers.
Curry’s is an old story, but another reminder of all the things that have gone wrong for this franchise in the past nine years.
One pick away from Curry, who does not get traded for cap space like Jordan Hill got traded. Curry is averaging 16.5 points and 5.7 assists.
Look at the bright side. He’ll be a restricted free agent in 2013.
“The times I’ve seen him, he does what we all thought we could do,” D’Antoni said. “He probably answered some questions. He’s tough and can run a team. He’s got good enough basketball awareness (to play the point) and knowledge. He’s not a classical jet, but a guy that will make the right play.”
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Harsh reaction from one reader dubbed “Magic Fan” on my story about Tracy McGrady’s desire to return to Orlando next season. I usually don’t do this but…
“Orlando Magic fan here. I live in Orlando and have been a Magic fan since the beginning. I don’t know what planet McGrady’s on, but he’s not liked at all here. The Magic brass will never take this guy back, ever. Even if he played for free. He’s been known to bash teammates and he’s the one that demanded a trade because he didn’t want to be part of a rebuilding process with a then-high-schooler Dwight Howard. He was demanding that Orlando take Emeka Okafor and if not, he was going strong-arm the Magic and play with a “legit” center in Yao Ming. How’d that work out Me-Mac? That night that he scored 61 against the Wizards, he was quoted that he “was not going to pass the ball to anyone to show this franchise what I mean to the city.” Get over yourself, Orlando has a great thing going and we don’t need your locker room cancer ruining the budding dynasty here in O-Town. You’re lucky we took your slacking cousin Vince. STAY AWAY!!!”