With Monta Ellis out with a knee injury, Golden State Warriors’ rookie Stephen Curry had the best game of his short career in the Warriors 132-102 win over the Los Angeles Clippers last night.  Curry finished with a very impressive triple double, dropping in 36 points, 13 assists, 10 rebounds, and 3 steals.  Curry became only the sixth rookie in NBA history to have a game with at least 35 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds.  He joined a list that includes Jason Kidd, Michael Jordan, Jerry West, Oscar Robinson, and Elgin Baylor.  Not too bad of company to be listed with.  Curry put on a great shooting performance and hit 11-22 shots from the field, including 7-11 threes and 7-8 from the free throw line.  Curry came out hot, hitting 5 threes in the first quarter and leading the Warriors to a 38-20 lead after the first quarter.  It’s good to see the rookie stepping up for the Warriors with their leading scorer out.  Ellis’ knee does not seem to be too serious, but while he is out the Warriors still have a guard they can rely on to score some points.  Curry continues to improve as his rookie season progresses, and it looks like February could be a great month for him.  After having two sub-par games to start the month, in the last three he is averaging 28.0 points, 8.7 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 steals, and has hit 29-57 from the field (51%) and 11-23 threes (48%).  You can watch Curry’s sweet stroke this weekend in the All-Star 3-Point Shootout, which I predict he will win.

F/C Ronny Turiaf is a good defensive player and he’s a solid rebounder which is two areas that the Warriors are weak. But, he has been injured most of the year. He has played in 21 games (6 starts) for the Warriors this season and he is averaging 19.0 minutes, 3.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.4 blocked shots per game. The Warriors would be smart to give him more minutes but I have a feeling that instead they will offer him around at the trade deadline.

The Warriors have waived point guard Speedy Claxton. Claxton didn’t play one minute with the Warriors this season. He was acquired in the trade with the Hawks that also brought point guard Acie Law for Jamal Crawford. Law only played in 5 games (0 starts) with the Warriors before being shipped to the Bobcats along with Steven Jackson for Vladimir Radmanovic and Raja Bell. No wonder the Warriors stink this season as those were two hideous trades they made.

The Warriors are having big problems with defense and rebounding, yet the best player in both of those areas on the roster is only playing about half the game. Center Andris Biedrins is the cure to what ails the Warriors. He has played in 21 games (17 starts) for the Warriors so far this season and he is averaging 23.9 minutes, 5.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.5 blocked shots per game. He is also shooting 61.5% from the floor. To be fair most of his shots are the results of putbacks and dunks but that doesn’t take away from the fact that he gives the Warriors a presence in the paint when he is on the floor. He should be playing 30-35 minutes per game as long as he is healthy, period.

Golden State Warriors’ rookie Stephen Curry has been playing at a high level since day one, but he has been stepping his game up more and more as the season has progressed.  He is now the second best rookie in my opinion (behind only Tyreke Evans of the Kings) and his numbers keep getting better each month.  On the season he is averaging 14.2 points, 4.7 assists, 3.9 rebounds, 1.9 steals, 46% FG, 43% 3Pt.  Curry has improved his scoring average each month, averaging 9.8 points in November, 13.5 points in December, and 19.1 points in January.  Curry really played great in January, especially shooting the ball.  He shot 48% from the field and a red-hot 49% from three.  Curry has already proven he can be a star in this league after there were many doubters who said he was just a great college player and didn’t have the athleticism or size to play at an elite level in the NBA.  Unfortunately for the Warriors, Curry’s great play has not amounted to very many wins, going just 4-11 in January for an overall record of 13-33 this season.