Curry also seemed fired up to show he can excel on defense, too. After fielding criticism about his defense for most of his 13-year NBA career, Curry impressed the Warriors so much with his six steals, eight deflections and overall hustle that they acknowledged viewing him more as a defensive asset than a liability. “He’s one of the best defenders we have on our team now,” said Warriors forward Draymond Green, who is an early candidate to collect his second Defensive Player of the Year honor this season. “It’s beautiful to watch. When he’s giving the type of effort that he gives on that side of the floor, everyone else has to follow. It makes our defense that much better.”