Los Angeles Lakers forward Jared Vanderbilt shares about defending against one of the best shooting guards of all time – Stephen Curry.
Besides Stephen Curry’s “lightning fast” shots at the 3-point line, the Golden State Warriors star captain’s ability to run without the ball and find space is also extremely unpredictable. This is what most players cite when asked what makes Curry so unstoppable.
Recently participating in the Run Your Race podcast, striker Jarred Vanderbilt of the Los Angeles Lakers Club was honest about what it would be like to have to “chase” Curry in the Western semi-final series of the 2022-2023 NBA season:
“I think there were matches where I ran 5km just to mark him. Game 1 I did very well. However, I got injured in the second game when Moses Moody (Warriors player) fell on my leg. At that time, I was limping a bit, but the coach still signaled me to chase Curry. He moves non-stop. It’s a difficult task. People don’t realize how miserable it is to be the guy who has to chase someone the whole game.”
Jared Vanderbilt (No. 2) feels “miserable” every time he has to accompany Stephen Curry (No. 30). (Photo: Getty)
In that series of matches, “3-point shooting king” Stephen Curry did what is considered the most quintessential of this player. With an average of 26.7 points, 7.5 assists and 5.5 rebounds in that series, he played explosively, constantly saving the home team from difficult situations. But in the end, “King James” (Lebron James’s nickname) Lakers still won with a total of 4-2 after 6 persistent matches.
If Curry had received more help in that series, perhaps things would have been different, as the Lakers roster seemed to have no real answer for “Chief Chef” (Stephen Curry’s nickname). Although Curry’s three-pointers were not as usual, he was still able to lead the Warriors despite the “fiery” defensive play of Vanderbilt and the Lakers players.