Seth Curry is shooting star of Mavericks’ intrasquad scrimmage

The Dallas Mavericks’ intrasquad scrimmage had barely started Wednesday afternoon at American Airlines Center when Seth Curry crossed midcourt and hoisted up a long 3-pointer that missed its mark.

The shot was one synonymous with Curry’s brother, Golden State Warriors superstar guard Stephen Curry. But when asked if there is any Stephen Curry in Seth Curry, Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle bristled and didn’t hide his displeasure with the question.

“Let’s leave that alone,” Carlisle said. “This [Seth Curry] kid is a terrific player in his own right. There are similarities, but to me it’s a disservice to get into all that stuff.”

Seth Curry showed his uniqueness in the open practice by scoring all but six of his team’s points during the White squad’s 30-21 loss to the Blue. Curry’s game-high 15 points aside, he’s become accustomed to his high-profile bloodlines that also include his father, Dell Curry, a sharpshooting guard who played in the NBA from 1986-2002, including 10 seasons for the Charlotte Hornets.

“I don’t know about other people the way they look at it, but for me, I’m just Seth,” the 6-foot-2, 185-pound Curry said. “I know my potential and what I can do, and that’s what I base myself off of. Not off what my brother did or my dad did. I think growing up I was prepared for this type of stuff being Dell’s son in Charlotte. He played there for 10 years, so it’s really nothing new.”

What is new is this is Seth Curry’s first season with the Mavericks after he signed a two-year, $6 million contract with Dallas this past summer.

Since being undrafted out of Duke in 2013, Curry has played for Memphis, Cleveland, Phoenix and Sacramento in the NBA, and the Santa Cruz Warriors and Erie Bay Hawks of the D-League.

While Seth Curry has bounced around between two leagues and five teams since 2013, Stephen Curry became the NBA’s first unanimous Most Valuable Player this past season. But the fact that Seth Curry scored more than a point a minute Wednesday — the entire scrimmage lasted only 15 minutes — goes a long way toward what type of impact the Mavericks expect this season.

“I was trying to play fast, get up and down and try to get in the best shape possible and just try to have fun out there,” Seth Curry said. “This is my first time getting in front of the Mavs’ crowd in Dallas, so I tried to put on a show for them, and like I said just have fun.”

The crowd of 2,500 delighted in Curry’s shooting exploits. The 26-year old combo-guard who made the D-League All-Star team in 2014 and ’15 converted 4 of 9 shots, including 2 of 4 from 3-point range.

“Curry is a good player,” Carlisle said. “He can legitimately play both guard positions and he’s going to be a factor for us.”

And how was Curry’s ballhandling skills?

“He’s better than I thought he was and he’s at an age where he’s still getting better really at both positions,” Carlisle said. “So I’m excited about him.”

Also Wednesday, Justin Anderson scored a team-high nine points and grabbed three rebounds for the Blue, who also saw free-agent guard Kyle Collinsworth dispense a game-high five assists.

Dirk Nowitzki, Deron Williams, Andrew Bogut, Devin Harris and Salah Mejri did not play in the scrimmage. And Curry was clearly the best of the 15 players who did play.

But Carlisle was in no mood to compare the Curry brothers.

“Let this kid be himself,” Carlisle said of Seth Curry. “That’s what I say. He’s a unique player in his own right.”

This story was originally published September 28, 2016 at 8:12 PM with the headline "Seth Curry is shooting star of Mavericks’ intrasquad scrimmage."