Stephen Curry has been a lone ranger for the Golden State Warriors this season. Moreover, the golden generation of the GSW seems to be finally over. From 2015 to 2018, the Dubs won three titles, losing only in 2016 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. But the other three times, they won the NBA Finals against the same opponent. Anyhow, it took them four more years to win the championship again. Finally, in 2022, the Dubs won their fourth title in eight years. Clearly, the San Francisco-based franchise has been the modern-day Dynasty, thanks to four great All-Stars. At least, they had once upon a time four All-Stars – Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, and Draymond Green.
KD played a very important role in the Dub’s success in the 2017 and 2018 seasons. But then, Kevin Durant was the first to leave the Warriors. Later, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green gradually lost their places in the All-Star team. But the three-point King was the only player in the Golden State franchise to get still a place in the starting lineup of the All-Stars. But things changed this year drastically. For the first time since 2013, Curry is not a starter for the All-Star West. The two players to get a place as starters instead of Steph are Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Why Did Stephen Curry Not Get A Place In The Starting Lineup?
Luka Doncic is having a great season in 2023-24. Clearly, he was an All-Star this year. But how come Gilgeous-Alexander got Steph’s place as an All-Star starter? Despite not being an All-Star starter, Stephen Curry has been playing really well this season. In fact, without Steph, the Warriors would have a far worse season. Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins have been going through a rough patch shooting-wise since the start of the season. Draymond Green missed several games very early in the season due to back-to-back suspensions. Despite a few low-scoring games, the three-point King is still averaging 27.5 per game.
In the past, he was still an All-Star starter, even with a worse scoring average. The only reason why Steph is not an All-Star starter this year is because his performances have not helped his team win too many games. On the other hand, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been adding a tremendous value for the youthful Oklahoma City Thunder team. He’s a dynamic two-way player from Canada. Currently, the Thunder star leads the league’s list for most steals as a defender. But in the offense, he has refined himself and is sharper than ever.
Shai Is Proving That He Has It All To Be An All-Starter
In terms of fan voting, Stephen Curry was second after Luka Doncic. But the players and the media revealed their number one choice was Gilgeous-Alexander. As a result, Shai got Steph’s place as the starter. The Thunder star is excelling literally at every part of the game. He is averaging 23 drivers per contest, it has become his most dangerous weapon.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is converting 57% of the shots he is taking. He is proving that he has it all – spin moves, fadeaways, fakes, and so on. Shai’s lean and tall stature has not only helped himself but also his team. The Thunder is currently the second seed in the Western Conference. He really has transformed his whole team.
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