From his freshman year to now, how has Stephen improved?

Steph became more of a leader as moved from year to year. Steph is a tireless worker, so he improved every part of his game. He developed more range, he was better with the ball, his decision making improved. I could go on and on. Steph is always working, therefore he is always improving.

How do you feel the adversity both individually and collectively as a team Davidson faced this past season affected Stephen and how did it make him a better player?

As I said, a lot more was expected of Steph this year with the departure of three tremendous seniors from our Elite 8 Team. Teams targeted Steph. Teams did everything they could to shut him down. Steph was tremendous at playing within himself and trusting his teammates to do their jobs. When this happened, we were very successful. Steph really makes the players around him better.

What kind of teammate is Stephen? Can you speak on his leadership abilities?

Steph was a leader vocally and by example. From the time he stepped on campus, Steph has always been an incredible teammate. Even with all that talent, he never showed it. If you saw our team, you would never know Steph was the future NBA lottery pick. His teammates loved to play with him and his coaches loved being around him.

How would you characterize his time @ Davidson?

Incredible. He elevated a very successful program to new heights. Davidson became a household name. He also established a new level of expectations that players here have embraced. Our players have tasted success on the national stage and are working as we speak to keep that going.

Is there one signature moment or game you’ll always remember during Stephen’s time at Davidson?

Don’t know that I have just one. But, if I had to decide on one, probably the lay-up and the 3 he made against Georgetown to send us into the Sweet 16. I really have no idea how he made either of those shots. If there was a big shot, that needed to be made, I would always put my money on him.

What would you consider Stephen's strengths on the court? What are some areas he needs work on and needs to refine?

Steph has a lot of strengths. I think some of his biggest assets are his ability to move without the ball and his overall basketball IQ. Steph is an amazing talent on top of all that. I think he would do a better job at discussing his weaknesses then I can. But I would say his biggest overall weakness is his driver off the tee. It tends to abandon him when the pressure is on.

What is the most underrated part of Stephen's game?

I think his ability to make others better. People see him as a guy with a green light. He can score. Well he earned that. He shot over 40% for his career. But, he sees the floor so well and combined with his basketball IQ, that is a potent weapon. He gets guys the ball in the right spot at the right time.

Also, he is stronger and bigger than people think.

What do you think will be his greatest challenge in the NBA? What will be the hardest adjustment to make?

I think the constant grind, the amount of games, back to back against the best players in the world. It will test him both physically and mentally. But, I know he will be able to handle it.

How do you think the transition to point guard will be for Stephen?

He will be fine. He made the transition this year to the point and he handled it as well as can be expected. He proved to people that he can be a very successful point guard in the league. Steph is a very smart player. As I said before, he will be able to run a team, but he will also be able to score from the point guard spot. I really think he has all the tools to be one heck of a point guard for a long time in the NBA.

Do you envision a perfect fit in Golden State in Nellie's up and down system?

Steph has always played in this type of system. When Steph is attacking he is very difficult to stop. If you give Steph the slightest opening, he will exploit it. He will be really good in any system, but he will be most comfortable in an up tempo one.

Being in the Carolina area, I’m sure your familiar with Anthony Morrow, who would you consider the better shooter between the two, Anthony Morrow or Stephen Curry?

Wow, I remember watching Anthony play at Charlotte Latin. He was and is one heck of a player. But, I gotta go with my guy on this one.

For many NBA teams, draft day inspires hope. GM’s wake up on draft day believing they’ll acquire the player destined to rescue their franchise from the swamp that is the NBA lottery.

Players of destiny in the NBA are usually fresh-faced kids, still too young to buy their first beer. In a few rare cases, a fortunate lottery team is offered an established star in exchange for their draft pick, allowing them to immediately speed up their rebuilding efforts.

Warriorsworld.net hooked with Pat Washington, Athony Randolph's High School Coach to get to know more about Anthony's time in high school, career and off-season improvements heading into next season.

When did Anthony come to Woodrow Wilson High School?

I first saw Anthony when he was a sophomore, walked into my gym in sweats, tennis shoes, t-shirt and a Carolina blue du-rag, fresh off the plane from Arkansas.  I asked him "Can you play?” He said, "A little bit” I said shoot a 3, he nailed 9/10 3's straight off the airplane, I looked at his uncle and said "I think he can play a little bit” He played for us, had a great tournament and went back home.  We started dialoguing and talking for the next year or so, finally his mom decided that Arkansas wasn't the place for him because of the differences he had with the Coach and in school.  He came down here on October 15, junior year; he's been gone ever since.  He came to us virtually unknown, he did everything we asked him to do, we told him if he did those things he had a chance to be really, really good.    

What was Anthony like when he came to play for you? What did the summer workouts look like?

He was about 6'9, un-freaking believable athlete, and freakish athleticism.  I remember a play his sophomore year, he were pressing and he gets a steal, and a guy comes from the side and reaches for the ball, Anthony goes behind his back and takes off, raises up and dunks the ball.  The referee was caught so off-guard, he didn't know what to call and he called a travel, I said "God, Almighty”.

He could run, jump, dribble the ball a little bit; he had the athleticism but needed work on his skills.  I sat him down and told him what he needed to work on to become a better basketball player and from that day forth we hit the gym and never looked back.

That summer, we were in the gym from 4 to 8 , 3 days a week, working on ball handling, shooting, cone drills, everything.  He would work out with some of the college players who would come down to my gym during the summer.  In the summer, we had this workout called the "LAB”.   In my gym we had no air conditioning at that time which meant the gym would get really hot but still we'd lift, run, do drills and work on our skills and finish up with a game.  The rules of the game were simple, if you play, you can never stop running no matter what. If your ball is stolen then you have to run back and defend, if you stop or get tired, we sub you out no questions asked, if your not hustling on defense or if the other team scores they get the ball again.  The pro guys from overseas and the college guys were wearing him out but he never stopped or gave up.   Like he's shown in Golden State he's a competitor and won't back down from anybody.

What position did Anthony play in high school?

He played the 1 through 5, played it all.  Anthony mostly played with his back to the basketball because other teams had no answer for stopping that.

Anthony wears his emotions on his sleeve and has a constant upset look on his face, has he always been like this? What did you do to make sure he steered his emotions in a positive direction?

He's always been like that, from the very beginning.  However, I had my ways of keeping him line.  You have to establish your boundaries with Anthony.  From the day he got down here I laid out the guidelines and expectations.  I told him what was expected of him academically, athletically and socially.  I told him if you don't do meet and follow what I've set forth there will consequences and he understood.  He was never suspended, never in trouble; he had some arguments but nothing major.  

The team didn't do so well during Anthony's senior season in high school, what went wrong that season?  Do you think the lack of team success hurt Anthony's stock in any way?

We had the talent but it didn't go great.  It was similar to the year the Lakers had Kobe, Shaq, Gary Payton, Karl Malone, we just didn't come together.  We had guys transfer in and we thought that would be it but the chemistry just never set right.  Anthony was the unquestioned best player on the team and he could get the most done and everything was built around him.  In the beginning, everything was fine but as time went by jealousy and agendas set in and took over.  It cost us a playoff berth, we had the talent to get it down but simply didn't.  I learned the most as a coach that year in regards to players, chemistry, mentality and everything which in the end helped me become a better coach.

I think the only way the senior season hurt him was by not being named a McDonald's All-American.  He had the numbers and talent to deserve so but our record and struggles are what held him back from being a McDonald's All American.

He played in the Reebok Round ball Classic in Chicago and the Adidas Derby Festival Classic in Kentucky and was the leading scorer in both games.  He went there on a mission and accomplished everything he set out to do.  In each game, everyone was asking how this kid was not a McDonalds All American.

Why the decision to attend LSU?

Big Baby had just left and LSU said they didn't have any big bodies to play and that Anthony could possibly come in as a freshman and play right away.  They had a 7ft. center by the name of Magnum Rolle who mysteriously transferred to Louisiana Tech which left them with one big and a JuCo transfer coming in.  I knew when Magnum Rolle transferred that if Anthony went to summer school and busted his behind he'd start right away.

What other schools were looking at Anthony?

Everybody was after him; they knew how good he was and wanted him.  LSU, Georgetown, Kansas, Baylor, Texas and Memphis, those were the final schools.  When he visited LSU he loved it and came back from his visit saying that he wanted to attend LSU.

Why didn't he choose Memphis when he could have been contending for a NCAA Championship?

Yeah, he could have been at Memphis with Derrick Rose.  Memphis was his choice in the early part of the recruitment process. Although, he probably wouldn't have started at Memphis because they were too deep.  Our thinking was he needed to go somewhere where he can play big minutes, hence the decision to go LSU.

When did the conversations about going "Pro” initially take place?

We never had that conversation until the tail end of his freshmen season at LSU; his uncle and I are not believers in the phrase "He's a pro”.  Because, #1, it puts a lot of pressure on the kid to become a pro, #2, it diverts attention to other negative things.  The pro word came up after the LSU-Villanova game, we knew he had potential to go to the NBA; We started hearing a lot of stuff from the basketball community about NBA people saying he was pretty good and had a chance.  The conversation lasted about 4 or 5 minutes, we told him great game and the NBA is looking at you, that was it.

What was Anthony's initial reaction of being drafted by the Warriors with the 14th pick?

He said, "Coach, I'm in the NBA, Thank God, this is what we prayed for, worked hard for, I Love you.” Plain and simple.  

The reaction out in the Bay Area was positive; the consensus was that the Warriors came out with the steal of the draft, is that what you guys also felt?

I'm not being biased in saying this, he's a 7ft., lefty, runs the floor, athletic, can handle the ball, will become a good shooter, how can you not be happy with that.  On top of that, he's a fighter; he's going to get at it.

The best description I've heard of Anthony is All-Star talent combined with a scrub's hustle, how instrumental was his time with you in shaping his mindset?

Anthony doesn't like giving up on plays and sometimes it hurts him because if you steal his ball he's coming to get you.  I'm a gritty, hard nosed, in your face type of coach and you can't play for me if your not tough and don't have thick skin.  That's the way I was brought up and coached to be tough and thick skin along with a strong mind and strong will.  One of the things I tell Anthony is that this is a game, you have to understand the game and people will say and do things just to get a response out of you.

What was your take on Coach Nelson not playing Anthony early on and demanding more from him?

I told him if Nellie says you're not going hard then you not going hard enough.  If you think you're going hard and not playing then you can still turn it up.  He told me "Coach, I think he likes me but he's just messing with me”.  I told Anthony that Nellie is the coach, Nellie is an NBA coach and I'm not going to question him and baby Anthony.  I'm not going to question Nellie because I don't know him; I'm going to question Anthony because I know Anthony.  I told him, I don't care what Nellie is doing or not doing, your job is to play basketball and you think you're going hard and not playing, you need to turn it up a notch.  When you're at practice or playing 1 on 1, 3 on 3, you bust your behind and try to kill everyone.

Early in the season Rob Kurz was killing Anthony in practice which is why Coach Nelson played Rob ahead of Anthony in games, what made Anthony finally turn it around?

He came to me to vent about the situation and I told him that if Kurz is playing ahead of you than he's going harder than you.  I told Anthony, that maybe Kurz is better than him and he wasn't ready for all this.  That's nothing against Rob Kurz, that's simply me knowing Anthony and what he's capable of.  Anthony knew exactly what I was doing and got the message loud and clear.

Why the decision to switch agents and go from BJ Armstrong to Bill Duffy?

BJ Armstrong is a great, great guy.  However, Bill Duffy has always been there and Anthony liked him since they first met.  But when Duffy had the situation with OJ Mayo going on we were a bit hesitant and then Mayo jumped ship which made us look more at BJ.  

As time went on, Anthony just came to us and said he wanted to make a move to Duffy.  We told him to take some time and think about it, and after some time thinking about it he came to the same conclusion.  It had nothing to do with BJ or playing time because the coach determines that and similarly to Nellie when I coach I try to win games and am not  going to let people come in and tell me how to coach and run things.

What were your overall impressions of Anthony's rookie season?

I thought he was alright, could have been better, if he went in as an animal in the beginning it would have been a lot better.  It's a learning process, he learned a lot.  The last 25 games or so I really enjoyed because he got a chance to go out and get at it.  I told him if he got 20 minutes or more he'd average a double double, easy.

What does Anthony need to work on this off-season to get better?

To take his game to another notch he needs to work on his right hand because he can score another 6 to 8 points by improving his right hand.  Becoming more knowledgeable of the system and what exactly Nellie wants him to do and to understand clearly how this game is supposed to be played.  Biggest thing of all is that Anthony needs to be consistent, don't give me a fabulous game one night and follow it up with a less than spectacular game.

How's his jump shot looking this off-season, has it improved?

It's coming along; he's getting better and better.  His midrange 12 to 15 ft. jump shot is getting better and that's what we need from him.
 
Is he working on his back to the basket game along with improving his footwork?

Anthony likes to face up a lot to utilize his quickness.  That's something we worked on from the beginning, when it comes to basketball he listens because I haven't steered him wrong in his career.  He's been working on improving his footwork a lot this off-season as well.  

Anthony staying in the Bay Area all summer to workout or is he coming home to spend some time working with you?

He's staying in the Bay Area to workout this summer until Summer League.  After Summer League, he's coming back to Dallas to workout with me.  When he works out with me, he works out with the high school kids and goes at it.

Final thoughts?

I have a scripture out of the bible that I share with not only Anthony but all the players I work with, Luke 12:48 "For unto whom much is given, of him much is required” That's what we live by.  

Anthony has a chance to be one of the top players in the NBA; I think that the people in the Bay Area are going to be very, very happy with him not only this season but in the future as well.

Curry press conference just completed, (fake moon landing style) it wasn't very convincing or long. 4 minutes total, 3 questions, clear the set, photo opp.  Ray's comment on it says it best.  It seemed like there should have been a hostage negotiator at the press conference. "Kerr, we have something that belongs to you. You have one hour before we hurt the kid."

Update from Sheed as of 1:45pm PST. Curry included in the deal, 5 year extension for Amare, terms not disclosed.

Deal is Beans/Wright/Beli/Curry forAmare/Clark

Even more discussion today around the trade in the works between the Warriors and Suns. The story seems to change hourly, the most reasonable scenario is probably:

-Warriors are still working to finalize an extension with Amare that is to their liking given his history if injury

-Suns want Curry in the deal, Warriors didn't expect to land him, and don't want to include him

These are a couple of big issues to be worked out.  Amare is still young, and talented and fits into the W's system, but his attitude is a little too Corey Magette for my tastes.  His microfracture injury, and rumors of needing another in a year or two, combined with his recent pirate eye problems make him a high risk signing.

Biedrins is a solid young center. Wright is athletic and still a young big with smarts and potential. Belinelli showed some flashes of potential before his injury last year.  Those three for an oft injured Amare seems reasonable.  Asking for Curry on top of that and the Suns better hope they have another offer on the table.  

Curry conference call / intro at 2pm PST. Still going forward.

Amare Rumor Roundup

Amare is twittering that he is going to the Lakers

Steinmetz on KNBR saying the holdup is Curry

Tim K: Curry a deal breaker on both sides

MTII: Curry deal breaker for W's

Bucher: Curry included in the deal

Warriors pick Stephen Curry at #7 .  Good pick by the W's, they need someone they can pair with Ellis in the back court. They know they have a glut of 2's and 3's but GM Riley says they are moving some out.  Just on the face of it, Crawford out, and Curry in, you get a pure shooter with excellent court vision, that can pass. Chances are Curry is a much better pro in 2-3 years than Crawford ever was.

Although Riley says he will come off the bench and back up Ellis, in a Don Nelson run offense, you know he would have no problem running both of these guys out on the court at the same time.  Curry averaged over 28 ppg on a team where he was the #1, 2, 3 option, so you know he can get his shot off.  The W's should be able to spread the floor more, with Ellis's ability to get to the hoop creating opportunities for outside shooters like Curry.  

Stephen Curry youtube highlights...enjoy

Highlight Mix

Curry Outscores Chattanooga

CBS NCAA March Madness Feature

Curry Has Range

Bobby Knight 'Best Passer In College Ball'