NBA has entered an era of fierce competition, with veteran stars still battling on the court and young rising stars beginning to emerge, vying to become the face of the league's future. However, to be honest, the majority of the league's attention is still focused on those veteran stars, led by James, Curry, and Durant, while the young stars, no matter how highly touted by the league, never seem to receive much favor. On one hand, this is related to the current NBA game environment, where the pace is too fast, with a focus on shooting rather than physicality, resulting in less appeal and fewer fans watching. On the other hand, it's increasingly difficult for the league to produce a groundbreaking superstar, as the overall strength of teams has increased, with almost every team boasting multiple star players, making it harder to create a dynasty team than before.
Moreover, the appeal of events like the Slam Dunk Contest and the All-Star Game has been declining year after year. No stars are willing to participate in the dunk contest, and the All-Star matchup is just about casually shooting three-pointers. These events that used to attract a lot of fans are now taken less seriously, naturally making it harder for young stars to gain massive popularity. As NBA commentator Bill Simmons puts it, the league still relies on established stars like James, Curry, and Durant to maintain viewership. Watching them play at such a high level is enjoyable, but this also comes with problems. On Christmas night, during prime time, you can only arrange two teams with around fifty percent win rates to play. One joined the league in 03, the other in 09. Truly skilled teams with top-tier records in the league struggle to attract significant attention.
Indeed, while James, Curry, and Durant can still serve as the core of a team, their individual abilities are not what they used to be. James just turned 40, averaging 23.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 9.0 assists this season. Durant has had frequent minor injuries this season, with his scoring ability still intact, but his speed and agility have decreased significantly. In comparison, Curry's decline has been the most pronounced. So far in the regular season, he averages only 22.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 6.5 assists, with a shooting percentage of 44.2%, which is 4 points less than last season and 7 points less than the 22-23 season. Looking at efficiency alone, Curry's decline isn't that severe, with his shooting percentage roughly the same as previous seasons, but his output has plummeted dramatically. The Warriors already lack other stable core scoring options, and after Thompson left, Curry's stats should have improved.
However, it's clear that Curry is struggling offensively this season, with inconsistent shooting and multiple games scoring less than 15 points. In a game against the Grizzlies, Curry played 24 minutes and scored only 2 points. Over the past two years, Curry's decline was mainly reflected in his athleticism and finishing efficiency near the basket. This season, Curry's physical endurance seems to have collapsed, as the Warriors continue to accelerate their offensive pace and heavily implement the "Moreyball" cut-and-pass system. Curry still has to do a lot of off-ball running, easily exhausting his energy early. This season, the Warriors' spacing hasn't been great, making it hard to execute cuts, and fast breaks are mostly opportunities for the younger players, making it increasingly difficult for Curry to score, and the sharp drop in his scoring stats was expected.
This season, Curry holds the highest salary in the league, earning 56million,morethan5 million ahead of second-ranked Embiid and Jokic. In the summer of 21, the Warriors extended Curry's contract by 4 years for 215million,andthissummertheyreneweditforanotheryearat62.58 million, which won't expire until the 26-27 season. If we're being critical, Curry's contract this season could be considered a bad deal, with high pay and low performance, and his contributions and influence on the team are far behind those of players like Jokic and Embiid who earn similar salaries. It was once said that Curry's style of play would not shorten his career, and he might even surpass LeBron because he relies mainly on shooting and doesn't depend much on his body. However, looking at it now, it seems unlikely that Curry will be able to play until LeBron's current age.
In Curry's words, he believes that the fun of the game is most important, and if he no longer feels happy, it might be time to retire, because he usually performs best when he's enjoying himself. Not all superstars can accept the decline in their late-career stats and gradually move away from their core roles. With an annual salary of $56 million, Curry has become the fastest-declining superstar in the NBA! He wants to lead the team to compete for the championship, but he is indeed getting older. As competition in the Western Conference becomes more intense, the Warriors may not return to the peak of their championship-winning season in 21-22, and this season they face a significant challenge just to make the playoffs. Currently, their win rate is exactly fifty percent, having lost 12 of their last 16 games. This season's key acquisition for the Warriors, Hield, started strong but has since underperformed, with his offensive efficiency dropping significantly compared to the start of the season. Newly traded Schroder has also faltered, performing far below expectations. How far do you think this season's Warriors team can go?
