Why that trade won’t happen

David Aldridge: No one expected that pick to be Stephen Curry, the Davidson guard who was the top player on Golden State’s board. Everyone figured that Curry would be long gone by then, either to Minnesota or a team that traded up to take him with one of the Wolves’ picks. But Curry slipped to the Warriors, who know what a perfect fit he’ll be in Don Nelson’s system and have no intention of including him in any trade with Phoenix.

David Aldridge

Here:

I think he will be much like his father, a very good role player for a long time in the NBA. He’s smart and knows how to play. I think he’s going to be a pretty solid point guard. ... I don’t expect spectacular from him, but I think he’s going to be a guy that is going to play for a long time in this league. A great demeanor and great character guy, a guy that’s willing to take big shots and make big shots. Whether he’s starting for you or he’s your sixth man, it doesn’t really matter; he’s going to wind up helping you win basketball games. I think he’s going to be an excellent role player. If he winds up on a good team somehow, he could really make a huge impact next year. But if not, more likely he ends up with a struggling team, it might take him a few years to really break in.

Also: Whoever gets to that 5th pick is going to take Curry.

Voices on Stephen

David Aldridge on NBA.com:

Coming up fast is Davidson’s Curry, who played the point last season to show NBA types that he could after he spent two years mainly off the ball. His shot has never been in question; he has Reggie Miller-type range and he is Dell’s kid, after all.

Central Division scout:

“I was reading something where some guy said that Curry isn’t going to be as good as J.J. Redick. I’m thinking, has this guy seen Stephen Curry play? I haven’t seen that. I think he’s much more complete than J.J. Is he big time? I don’t know about that. But I think he’s going to be a real good player.”

College assistant:

“Redick is a little bit better shooter in college. Not much, but better. But Steph is a far better player. You take the rest of the game, it’s not even close. He defends. He lurks, like we used to accuse [Larry] Bird of doing, and he’d get three steals a game. His savvy defensively is far better than Redick. His ability to pass and create is far better. And Steph hasn’t seen single coverage in a long time. I saw some Devin Harris in him. He’s not Devin, but he’s not Chris Quinn, either. He can see. He’s not going to blow by you but he can get you on his hip, and he’s strong.”

Big enough

David Aldridge: Curry measured out at 6-foot-3, with a 6-foot-3 wingspan, which is already more than tall enough to be an effective NBA point guard. But he has size 14 feet, and doctors think he might have one more growth spurt in him.