Nothing Going Down for Warriors' Curry

SACRAMENTO -- It's probably a little early to say that Warriors rookie Stephen Curry is having trouble shooting the ball at the pro level. After all, he hasn't played a regular-season game yet.

At the same time, Curry has begun to assemble his professional body of work -- with a full summer league behind him and six exhibition games. And if that's all you've seen of him, it certainly seems fair to ask: "Is this guy really a good shooter?"

On Saturday, Curry again struggled from the field, going 3-for-9 in Golden State's 101-94 loss to the Kings. Unfortunately, it was just the latest in a string of bad shooting performances.

"I'm shooting a lot more off ball screens here," Curry said. "In college it was more in transition, pulling up off the dribble or working the ball and getting it back off a screen. Different shots now in the NBA. I just have to get used to it."

Curry entered Saturday's game shooting just 31.4 percent in the preseason. That on the heels of a Las Vegas Summer League in which he shot 34.5 percent from the floor.

Curry said he isn't overly worried about his poor shooting but has been dissecting his shot selection and putting in extra work after practice. He's calling what he's going through now simply a slump, but he acknowledges that he's having difficulty adjusting to coming off the bench.

"I played a lot of minutes right off the bat (in college)," Curry said. "It's different sitting to start. I'm just trying to get a rhythm and flow. Coming off the bench is different for me. It's something I've got to get adjusted to and work through. ... I'm shooting well in practice so I think it will translate to games soon."

If there's a player who knows Curry's game inside and out it's teammate Anthony Morrow, who played against Curry in high school, back in Charlotte, N.C. Morrow thinks he knows what's going on.

"I think a lot of his shots are going short because he's getting used to the bump and grind that he didn't really go through in college," Morrow said. "He'll start knocking down shots and he's going to put pressure on other teams because then he'll still be able to get into the paint and make plays."

If there is a silver lining to Curry's shooting woes, it's this: He's proven there are other things he can do on the floor to help. He's the team leader in assists and steals in the preseason, and he's clearly the team's best decision-maker when they're in transition.

"I haven't seen this kind of length before," Curry said. "In college, you have 6-foot-3 guards. It's a different look when you've got guys 6-foot-7, or a guy like (6-foot-10) Anthony Randolph running out at you. That's something you have to get used to. But I've only been playing at this level three weeks, so I'm not really worried about it at all. I'm doing other things and the shooting will come."