National Basketball Association

Should We Be Prepared For More "Coming Home" Montages?

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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You thought 2016 was a crazy offseason? Just wait until 2017. The marquee free agent? None other than Stephen Curry, North Carolina Golden Boy. Could he be coming to the Charlotte Hornets?

Steph Curry has a special connection to Charlotte than many stars don’t have with their hometowns. Every player from LeBron James to Dwight Howard seem to be “coming home” nowadays. How many players can say they’re following in their father’s footsteps when they do that though? You can just picture Skylar Grey and Diddy singing right now, can’t you?

Well that’s exactly what Steph Curry would be doing if he took his talents to the Charlotte Hornets in the summer of 2017. Fan favorite Dell Curry played 10 years in Buzz City, and is still the Hornet’s leading scorer (9839) and 3 pointers made (929).

Briefly serving as the Bobcat’s assistant coach in 2007, Dell has been a color commentator for Charlotte since 2009. With plenty of roots left in North Carolina, how likely is Steph Curry to come home?

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Superteams and super-egos?

Its no secret that the Golden State Warriors have been the most dominant team of the past two seasons, and will likely continue to Be so in 2016-2017. Fresh off a 73 win season, the Warriors then went ahead and added another top 3 player in Kevin Durant to the disbelief of many. Additionally, the Warriors were able to pick up solid role players in David West and Zaza Pachulia. It seems as if Golden State is bound to compete for titles for the foreseeable future. Who would be crazy enough to leave that?

Let’s take a look at some past “superteams” who were unable to coexist because of one issue or another. The 2004 Los Angeles Lakers had prime Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and Gary Payton and Karl Malone albeit the latter two were aging. Despite the talent on that roster, they fell to the Detroit Pistons in a less than entertaining series. Similarly, the 2012 Lakers with Kobe, Steve Nash, and Dwight Howard heavily underachieved.

The Warriors are not those teams. With an established system and unselfish ball movement, Golden State can fit in Kevin Durant seamlessly. They are the title favorites and for good reason.

July 26, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; USA guard Kevin Durant (5, left) shakes hands with Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (right) after an exhibition basketball game at Oracle Arena. USA defeated China 107-57. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

However, there is the slight chance that Steph and KD just can’t coexist. Between them, they have the last 3 MVP awards. Although KD has every opportunity to fit in well, the power of the human ego is a dividing force.

The Case for Coming Home

Why should Curry pick Charlotte? Even if he decides to leave the only team he’s ever known, nothing guarantees that he’ll choose his hometown right? You might be surprised.

To sign Curry, Charlotte would have to trade two of Kemba Walker, Nicholas Batum, Marvin Williams, or Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Walker and Kidd-Gilchrist would be my choices because of their fit. Kemba is great and I love him, but he’s no back to back MVP. Kidd-Gilchrist is a casualty of not being as valuable as Williams or Batum. With the remaining roster, Curry fits phenomenally well. Scoring, assisting, and rebounding more than Walker while being drastically more efficient, Stephen Curry takes the Hornets to new heights.

I can’t rave enough about Marvin Williams. He is honestly an ideal complement to just about any team in need of spacing and defense. Next to Stephen Curry, he provides a similar ability to space the floor and guard opposing players. What he lacks is playmaking. Who could be that secondary facilitator that Curry is used to playing next to? Nicholas Batum provides plenty of that, allowing Curry to continue his off-ball dominance. Together, Williams and Batum provide a semblance of Draymond Green‘s impact for Golden State.

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Obviously ther’s no replacements for Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant. I mean they’re both top two players at their respective positions. The Hornets have done great the past season. But there’s a reason we’re called “the poor man’s Golden State.” We do everything that they do. Just not as well. These guys bring weapons like Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodala off the bench. It just isn’t fair man.

Pipe Dream?

Yes. Yes it is. Probably. Maybe 99.9%. The likeliness that Stephen Curry will leave Golden State, much less come to Charlotte is almost nonexistent. The Warriors have four of the league’s 20 best players. Without a feud on the level of Shaq and Kobe, there’s no way Curry leaves.

Oh well. Sometimes it’s fun to dream. How sick would Curry look in a Buzz City jersey though? Guess we just have to hold out for that 0.1% chance.

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