Curry scored 38 points, yet his plus-minus was -24! Why is he being criticized again? Face the reality and abandon illusions.

When I wrote about Butler's season-ending injury a few days ago, I noticed from some comments that many Warriors fans still hold hopes for the team's season outlook and even Curry winning another championship.

Over the past two years, the phrase "the Warriors are wasting Curry's prime" has been repeated too often.

I truly resonate with this simple, heartfelt feeling from fans.

After all, more than ten years ago, when I was still a student, I always believed that even if Kobe tore his Achilles, he would return as the dominant Black Mamba ruling the league.

But time has tempered that innocence, and I have gradually come to understand the weight of these eight words:

Face the reality, abandon illusions.

The summer of 2022 felt like an unwilling dream for the Warriors, for Curry, and for all who love him.

The desire and obsession to "do it again" has always been hidden deep in the heart.

But some things you have to learn to be content with.

And Jimmy’s injury was a declaration:

It’s time to give up hope.

In the recent loss to the Mavericks, Curry played 34 minutes, shooting 14 for 27, 8 of 15 from three, 2 for 2 free throws, scoring 38 points with 4 rebounds and 1 assist, but his plus-minus was -24.

Including the -25 plus-minus against the Raptors, Curry’s combined plus-minus over two games is -49.

These are data shown plainly in the stats table.

After the game, many so-called "fans" and "media" who probably didn’t even watch the match jumped in just to criticize...

They don’t watch the games but feel the need to bash in the comments.

But this is normal; the same applies if it were LeBron.

Time never favors any legend; age affects the legs first. Curry’s defensive weaknesses are inevitable with time.

But what I want to emphasize is:

After JB’s season-ending injury, with the Warriors’ current roster, even if Curry wore the 2022 jersey, many games would still show poor plus-minus numbers.

The logic is the same as when I recently commented on the U23 miraculous goalkeeper Li Hao:

If he constantly faced one-on-one situations, close-range attacks, and headers, could he still be so miraculous?

Antonio’s defensive counterattack strategy relies on layered positioning defense that compresses the opponent’s space, forcing them to take long shots and reducing scoring threats.

Many principles are shared between team and contact sports like basketball and soccer.

With the current Warriors squad, conceding 145 points against the Raptors, blaming one person would be unfair...

In 2022 when Curry led the team to the championship, didn’t Mouth Brother (Poole) play a big role? Wasn’t Draymond Green still effective? Wasn’t the overall lineup more energetic?

Now, what do they have left...

Butler is out, and even the most athletic Kuminga got injured today.

Some will say I am just making excuses for Curry’s poor plus-minus.

That’s fine; those who understand will understand.

The full picture on the court can never be summarized by a single stats sheet.

Also, to Curry’s fans, I want to say:

At this point, there’s no need to keep lamenting "don’t waste Curry’s final prime."

First, accept the fact that he’s not the same as before; the marks of time on him are real and objective.

Second, the Warriors have very limited room for adjustment.

Third, Curry will continue to carry the team one city at a time.

Finally, learn to let go, reconcile, and enjoy the last years of this man’s career!

Don’t dwell on every win or loss, don’t blame each other over defeats, and don’t place the burden of championship dreams solely on him.

Up to now, Curry has been very successful.