3 Studs, 2 duds in Mavericks' shorthanded loss to Grizzlies

3. Stud - Seth Curry

Finally, the game we've all been waiting for. Seth Curry's 12 points were his second most in a game this season. Besides his perfect night against the Washington Wizards, Curry had hardly managed to look like a quality contributor.

Curry's 10 attempts against the Grizzlies were a season high. He looked more confident, and his play a night ago might make way for more minutes down the road. Without Hardaway Jr. in the lineup, Curry is almost a necessity to fill in at the guard spot.

The Mavericks need all the shooting they can get. And oddly enough, it's not because they lack shooting, but because the defense is so poor. It's quintessential that Dallas scores more than 110 points to win. The Mavericks have only won one game this season scoring less than 110 and in that contest, they won 104-101.

The sharpshooting Curry's passing and gravitational pull are always beneficial to any offense. He may not be the best defender at this stage in his career but his defensive deficiencies can be camouflaged by playing with the second unit.

In a 14-point loss, Curry's -5 plus/minus isn't half bad. He finished with a higher plus/minus than all the starters and scored more points than every play off the bench, despite receiving the third-most minutes off the pine.