Tim MacMahon, ESPN Staff Writer
Close- Joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009
- Covers the Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Mavericks
- Appears regularly on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM
LAS VEGAS -- The MVP"s little brother wants a legitimate shot to prove he belongs in the league.
Seth Curry"s performance in the Las Vegas Summer League suggests he deserves one. The 24-year-old combo guard is leading the league in scoring with 25.0 points per game, a major reason his New Orleans Pelicans squad went undefeated during pool play.
"I feel like I"ve played well enough and I feel like I"m an NBA player," said Curry, who played a total of 21 minutes in four games during brief stints with theMemphis Grizzlies, Cleveland Cavaliers and Phoenix Suns the past two seasons. "It"s a little frustrating to not get the opportunity, but the only thing I can do is go out there like I"ve been doing and keep playing well and competing against guys who are already on NBA rosters and trying to outplay them and letting that take care of itself."
Will this coming season be Seth Curry"s NBA breakthrough?David Dow/NBAE/Getty ImagesThis summer has been a continuation of the success that Curry enjoyed while toiling in relative anonymity in the D-League last season. He averaged 23.8 points per game for the Erie BayHawks before joining his family in the stands to watch big brother Stephen lead the Golden State Warriors to a title run.
"When he has success, I feel like I have success too, because we grew up together," Seth Curry said. "We work out with each other, pushing each other. It"s good for me to see what he"s doing. I don"t really measure myself off of what he does. I try to maximize what I do."
He"s a Curry, so there"s never been any question about his ability to knock down jump shots. Like Steph, Seth inherited dad Dell"s 3-point stroke.
Seth led the D-League in 3s made (156) and ranked second in 3-point shooting percentage (46.7) last season. He has actually lit up the summer league despite a little long-distance shooting slump (4-of-22), but that"s the part of his game that he doesn"t have to prove.
"Obviously, he"s a great shooter," said Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry, an assistant for the Warriors last season. "He"s got good pedigree, good DNA in that area. He"s capable of making a shot, but I think you"ve got to do a few more things, and I think he"s showing everybody out here in the summer league that he can do other things other than just score the basketball.
"I think he"s shown on this level right here he"s a pretty elite player."
Two concerns about his game have prevented the younger Curry brother from sticking on an NBA roster: Can he create off the dribble? Can he defend?
Not coincidentally, those are the two facets of Curry"s game that have most impressed Gentry in Vegas, causing the Pelicans to seriously consider offering an invitation to training camp.
Steph Curry has historically elite ballhandling ability, as evidenced by highlights such as him causing Chris Paul to fall to the ground before swishing a jumper. Seth Curry has worked to develop that part of his game as a pro after playing primarily off the ball at Duke, mostly operating as a catch-and-shoot threat.
Seth Curry"s work on using ball screens has particularly paid off in Vegas. He"s been incredibly efficient off the dribble, hitting 22 of 35 2-point attempts, doing much of his damage on drives. That surely has pleased Seth"s workout partner, whose tracking of his brother"s progress includes trading texts with Gentry.
Stephen Curry gave his brother kudos during his MVP acceptance speech in May.
"Just seeing you, how you"ve grown and following your career, it"s not easy having an older brother that"s playing in the NBA and obviously a dad that"s done it before both of us," Stephen Curry said. "And the way that you"re handling it is impressive. The sky"s the limit for you. Keep doing what you"re doing and keep making the family proud."
Source: http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/13263823/stephen-curry-younger-brother-seth-shines-vegas
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