1-9 from the field with no 3-pointers made. This harrowing statistic was pinned on Stephen Curry when Team USA faced South Sudan. Hard to believe how the Dubs maestro’s debut Olympic run is turning into a nightmare. But what’s the deal with Steph Curry?

Even at 36, Curry had a 26.4 PPG NBA season, but within a few months, he is looking like a different player altogether. Steve Kerr is trying his best to get the best out of Curry once again but to no avail so far. The GSW veteran’s sudden shooting slump is a common concern among the USA fans and the 4-time NBA Champion is feeling it, leaving him annoyed.

“You’re always annoyed… You want to make shots,” Curry said ahead of Team USA’s final Group C game against Puerto Rico. In the previous two games, Curry shot 33% (13-of-39) from the floor and 24% (7-of-29) from downtown. That’s a massive 20% slump from his previous FIBA experience in 2014 where he shot 44% from beyond the 3-point arc.

“I know teams are going to be locked in on tracking me. So that puts a little more pressure on the shots you get. I kind of forced a couple [vs. South Sudan]. You go from shooting 20-something a game to maybe 6-to-10, so you have to be ready for them,” the Warriors’ veteran further added about his previous game’s shot selection.

If Curry’s spiral form continues, it might force Steve Kerr’s hands to forget their shared history and give him the Jayson Tatum treatment. So the game against Puerto Rico might be a make-or-break one for the veteran point guard. But it doesn’t bother the 2-time MVP.

Stephen Curry remains unbothered by a shooting slump

The smaller 3-point line should surely help the elite shooters. But Curry’s case is proving that the theory is wrong to the core. The fewer minutes per half in the Olympics also means there’s less time to get going after missing a few shots. “I’ve seen him many times be 1-of-9 in the first half and then explode for 30 points in the second. FIBA is a little different, this is not the NBA. It’s a 40-minute game. You’re playing fewer minutes, you’re getting fewer shots,” Steve Kerr said about his favorite apprentice.

But patience is the name of the game for Stephen Curry at the moment. “The floodgates could open at any time, so you don’t ever want to get down on yourself,” Curry said. “You can’t let [missed shots] rob you of all the other stuff you need to do to help the team win.” 

Some might believe FIBA basketball is not tailor-made for Curry but as they say, form is temporary, class is permanent. The only problem here is Stephen Curry only has a game or two in his hand to show his class. He would want to save himself the embarrassment of being demoted to the bench in what promised to be a Dream Team 2.0 scenario.

To absorb more interesting stories, watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where the prodigy puts Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr under the pump with loaded NBA questions and more in this video below.