The way in which WNBA veterans have been competing towards the league’s No. 1 general decide, Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, has been on the prime of sports activities debate since her rookie season started final month.
The new-button matter has trickled into different sports activities leagues, together with these within the NBA who’ve been watching Clark’s stardom kind as knowledgeable after her illustrious school profession.
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was requested by MSNBC if he understands what Clark goes by means of, particularly having been teammates with NBA legend Michael Jordan and seeing how groups would blatantly attempt to get him off his sport with laborious fouls, trash speak and extra.
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Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr calls a day out towards the Denver Nuggets within the first half of an NBA basketball sport, Monday, Dec. 25, 2023, in Denver. (AP Picture/David Zalubowski)
Nonetheless, Kerr countered with a participant he nonetheless coaches when evaluating an NBA famous person to Clark.
“I believe it’s a ceremony of passage for younger gamers, whether or not it’s the WNBA or the NBA. The opposite gamers are going to check you,” Kerr started. “Caitlin jogs my memory numerous Steph Curry.”
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Why precisely did Kerr examine what Clark’s going by means of to Curry? Effectively, he was a first-round draft decide, although he did not go first general in 2009. That was Blake Griffin.
However Curry was a sensation popping out of Davidson, the place he set the NCAA document for the most-made three pointers in a single Division I season with 162 within the 2007-08 season. Clark broke that document this previous 12 months.
When he bought to the NBA, although, issues have been tough for Curry regardless of being somebody the Warriors wanted to be nice on the court docket.
“In Steph’s first couple of years, he was not a famous person,” Kerr mentioned. “He was not who he’s now. He needed to get stronger. He needed to perceive folks have been coming after him. That’s what’s taking place with Caitlin proper now.”
Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever handles the ball towards the Washington Mystics at Capital One Area on June 7, 2024 in Washington, DC. (G Fiume/Getty Photos)
Kerr mentioned he believes the robust protection, trash speak and extra that Clark has been consumed with to start out her WNBA profession is “all within the title of competitors.”
“She’s dealing with herself fantastically,” Kerr defined. “She’s a tremendous participant, however like every participant that comes into the WNBA or the NBA, it takes time. They should get stronger, extra used to the contact, the physicality, the athleticism. She’ll be high-quality, and I believe the whole lot going by means of proper now could be all part of being a professional.”
In Curry’s rookie season, he completed second in Rookie of the Yr voting after averaging 17.5 factors, 4.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists per sport. He began all however three of his 80 contests, whereas averaging 36.2 minutes per sport.
These numbers are undoubtedly nothing to scoff at, particularly contemplating he adopted it up with 18.6 factors per sport in 12 months two, although he performed simply 26 video games in his third 12 months. It wasn’t till the 2012-13 season when he broke out with 22.9 factors per sport and 42.4% capturing from three-point land. MVPs and NBA championships would observe.
Clark is averaging 16.3 factors per sport with 4.9 rebounds and 6.0 assists, although she’s not capturing how she would love at simply 37.3% from the sector and 33.0% from past the arc.
Steve Kerr talked about Caitlin Clark on MSNBC. (Getty Photos)
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As Kerr mentioned, although, it takes time regardless of who you might be. Clark will proceed to see groups going at her, realizing she is a real risk to their win-loss document every evening.
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