How to stop the Warriors... maybe

On Monday night, Stephen Curry couldn’t hit a dart board if it was three feet away from him.

Instead, it was as if Curry was throwing darts that couldn’t stick to the board. He finished a putrid 7-33 from the field, which included an 0-11 showing from three-point range.

Curry scored 19 points, yet the Golden State Warriors won.

It was Curry’s worst shooting night and his lowest point total since…

Feb. 15.

You thought it was going to be at least two years ago, didn’t you?

That night against the Sacramento Kings, Curry went 4-14 (2-8 from three) for 13 points.

The Warriors have won the last two games in which Curry has shot less than 40-percent, but are 8-5 this season under those circumstances.

It’s dangerous to play with fire.

There is little doubt that the Warriors will win the Western Conference if at full health. However, if Curry is limited, the seemingly-impenetrable Warriors suddenly have holes in their armor.

Consider the 2016 postseason: Curry shot less than 40-percent in five of the 18 games that he played. In those five games, Golden State went 2-3. In the NBA Finals against the eventual-champion Cleveland Cavaliers, the Warriors were 1-2, with both losses coming at home in Games 5 and 7.

In both games against Cleveland this season, Curry has failed to shoot 40-percent. Of the 13 games when struggling to shoot, Curry’s Warriors have only faced only four of the 12 opponents are in the playoff picture. Whether this says the Curry doesn’t care about lesser opponents or only shows up for big games is up to the reader, but it’s worrisome nonetheless that he’s team’s record is so poor in these situations.

It’s not as if Curry is the only scorer on this team anymore. Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green all average double-digit scoring in addition to Curry. The two-time reigning MVP no longer has to lead the Warriors in scoring each night. Durant averages more, yet Golden State still needs strong games from Curry to eliminate opponents.

If there is any way to stop the Warriors, it will come by limiting Curry. Counting on a Green suspension in a pivotal playoff game may be more likely, but limiting Curry is more controllable. It’s how Cleveland won in 2016, and it’s the only way that they’ll be able to win in 2017.

The problem is, even with such a poor record in games that Curry shoots under 40-percent, the Warriors still have a winning record. With Durant on board, head coach Steve Kerr can center the offensive load on his 6-foot-9’ forward’s shoulders when Curry doesn’t have it.

Golden State is 5-1 when Durant shoots sub-40-percent. If he doesn’t have it, which is rare, his team picks him up. The addition of Durant on July 4 meant that just when an opponent thinks it can shut down the best player on the Warriors, another player steps up in his place.

So the plan for Golden State’s foes is to limit Curry, but also throw in a few ‘Hail Mary’s’ just for some extra good luck. He won’t shoot below 40-percent every night and even when he does, Durant won’t.