Sixers-Hawks Game 4 takeaways: Join ’em, Seth Curry
Seth Curry, the Sixers’ best shooter and MVR (Most Valuable Recruiter), tallied 17 points on 7-for-10 shooting, including 3-for-6 from deep in Monday’s Game 4 loss. For the series, he is averaging 17.8 points on 60.0 percent from the field and 57.7 percent from deep.
A great many Sixer fans complained about Curry’s lack of aggression during the regular season. He is statistically one of the greatest shooters ever. Naturally, many wanted him to shoot more. The more bombs he dropped from deep, the more dangerous the Sixers’ offense became. We are seeing that play out this postseason.
Curry has lit up both Washington and Atlanta. He’s playing more aggressively — not only as a shooter, but as a driver who can beat closeouts and playmake alongside Ben Simmons. With Curry’s aggression ramped up and his shooting numbers as strong as ever, it makes it more difficult for defenses to cheat toward Philadelphia’s stars. Curry is playing the part of a legitimate third or fourth scoring option. When Embiid doesn’t disappear and Simmons is pressuring the rim, it puts Atlanta in the hurt locker.
The Sixers fandom can still rest easy for now. A lot of signs point favorably in the Sixers’ direction. Curry and Tobias Harris are playing the best basketball of their lives, Joel Embiid is due for a big bounce back, and home court still runs through Philadelphia. A win in Game 5, and people will take a well-deserved breath. The Sixers just need to make it happen.