Stephen Curry Brings Hope to Beleaguered Warriors

Stephen Curry might hear his name linked with Michael Jordan and smile a little. Or he might see a tiny, high-definition image of himself flailing on the court and go scrambling for the remote control.

Wednesday night fell into the latter category.

The Golden State Warriors were humiliated by the Utah Jazz. Curry, the dazzling rookie guard, was stripped bare by Deron Williams. Afterward, he returned home to find the TV still flickering, and Mark Jackson, the ESPN analyst, lavishing praise on the Jazz.

“I walked in and it was back on,” Curry said, sounding mildly horrified at the late-night replay. “I quickly heard that and then turned it off.”

He had already had his point-guard tutorial for the evening. He didn’t need a review.

“Nahhh,” Curry said with a slight chuckle.

The lessons this season have come rapid-fire, with the relentlessness of a Deron Williams drive and the ferocity of a Dwight Howard rejection at the rim. In the last six months, Curry has learned to cope with an ungracious teammate, a fickle coach, disgruntled veterans, a pending ownership change and, not insignificantly, 53 losses in 74 games.

The 22-year-old Curry has handled it all with the same grace that he showed in leading tiny Davidson College to the Round of 8 in the 2008 N.C.A.A. tournament. Along the way, he has emerged as a favorite for the rookie of the year award.

Heading into Friday’s game against the Knicks, Curry was averaging 16.5 points, 5.7 assists and 4.2 rebounds, placing him in a tight three-way battle with two other point guards, Sacramento’s Tyreke Evans and Milwaukee’s Brandon Jennings.

Among rookies, Curry is second to Evans in scoring and ranks just behind Evans and Jennings in assists. Curry leads all rookies in steals per game (1.85), 3-point percentage (.433) and free-throw accuracy (.887). His production has steadily increased each month, along with his playing time, responsibility and confidence.

“He’s right on schedule,” said Coach Don Nelson, who has not always been so supportive.

Last November, Nelson mysteriously removed Curry from the starting lineup and cut his minutes for a period. It was a generally uncomfortable time.

Stephen Jackson, the veteran swingman, came to training camp pining for a trade (which was granted on Nov. 16). On media day, the Warriors’ Monta Ellis wondered aloud whether he and Curry — two smallish scoring guards — could coexist in the backcourt. He sounded as if he had no desire to try.

“Us, together? No,” Ellis said then.

Suddenly, Curry was being briefed by a team employee to prepare him for the coming storm. It was his welcome-to-the-Warriors moment.

“It kind of shocked me a little bit,” Curry said in an interview at his lakeside condominium. “There was a little transition time to opening that communication between us.”

Curry and Ellis have since become friends, although justifiable doubts persist about their ability to be an effective backcourt. Ellis, who had been the starting point guard, is a dazzling scorer and a natural at shooting guard. Curry has grown into the point-guard role and is a much better (and more willing) passer than Ellis. But both are 6 feet 3 inches, which leaves the Warriors vulnerable against full-sized guards.

“I think it can work,” Curry said.

These are the sort of challenges no one can prepare for — not even the son of a well-respected former N.B.A. guard. Dell Curry played 16 years in the league, mostly with the Charlotte Hornets, becoming one of the best 3-point shooters in the league. Father and son speak at least twice a week on the phone, although they try to keep the basketball talk to a minimum.

“His speech before I came out here for training camp was: ‘Just go do what you do. Stay the guy that got you to where you are now, and that’ll take you wherever you want to go,’ ” Curry said. “He also told me he’s never seen a season like this.”

He meant the chaos and the injuries, which have both been in abundance. The Warriors, who were awkwardly constructed anyway, have lost 449 player-games due to injury. Brandan Wright, their promising young power forward, has been out all year because of shoulder surgery. Andris Biedrins, Anthony Randolph, Kelenna Azuibuike and Ronny Turiaf have all missed significant chunks of the schedule. The team has used five players from the Developmental League, an N.B.A. record.

So in addition to trying to run the offense, please his eccentric coach and win games, Curry is charged with keeping hope alive in the Bay Area. He has provided his share of thrills.

He has had five games with at least 30 points and 10 assists, tying him with Jordan for the second most 30-10 games by a rookie. (Oscar Robertson holds the record, with 25). Only LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have posted more 30-10 games this season. On Feb. 10, Curry joined another elite group, finishing with 36 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds against the Los Angeles Clippers. Only five other rookies have had a 35-10-10 game. All are either in the Hall of Fame or heading there: Jordan, Robertson, Jason Kidd, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor.

“The year he’s had has been phenomenal for a rookie,” said Dell Curry, who is now a broadcaster with the Charlotte Bobcats. “The team didn’t win a lot of games, but the experience that he gained throughout the course of the years is invaluable.”

Nelson is, as ever, under fire from fans and commentators and could be fired this summer. The owner Chris Cohan, who is also wildly unpopular, has put the team up for sale. The roster is messy. The calm in this storm, and perhaps the Warriors’ best hope, is Curry. He is steady, thoughtful, gracious and perhaps even more N.B.A.-ready than anyone knew last June, when the Warriors made him the seventh pick of the draft.

All he has to do now is lift one of the league’s most beleaguered, controversy-riddled franchises out of the muck.

“It can only get better from here,” Curry said.