Labels on Curry's body
When we think of Kobe Bryant, we think of the inexplicable back-up jumper, mention James, which is purely physically playing, and talk about Steven Curry, which is a three-point shot with unlimited range. But in fact, Bryant's shooting percentage is not high, James is a hidden technical stream, and Steven Curry, not only three-point shooting.
Steven Curry has excellent throwing and tough physical resistance, even against the seven-foot guarded penalty area, can easily score. If you don't believe it, you can look at the data, Steven Curry's career shots within three feet, the average shooting rate is as high as 64.5%, what concept? Breakthrough masters such as James Harden are only 63.7%. Therefore, Steven Curry just looks very thin, but in fact, the ability to resist is not bad at all.
In other words, it's easy to be blinded by the stream of impressions. Stephen Curry has always been regarded as a defensive black hole, and fans naturally continue this vision, but in fact, Stephen Curry this season may have become the Warriors' best defensive player.
TyroneLu's infinite target
People's bad defensive impression of Steven Curry should come from those years of riding battles, especially in the 2016 Finals, Kevin Durant has not yet arrived, Tyren lu with a move Curry to defend who, who will block and replace the defense, constantly target Curry, let Irving and James, completed the finals of the unprecedented 1-3 backward reversal to win the championship. That's when people labeled Curry as defensive black holes, ignoring two facts.
The first point is that the Warriors' five small lineups at the time, Klay and Barnes, plus the dream green and Iguodala, Klay is the top 3D, Green and Iguodala's defense, that is more than need to question, Barnes is not known for defense, but after all, it is the size of the front, so Steven Curry, naturally became the best breakthrough point. As for the second point, it is that defenders like Irving, not to mention Steven Curry, even Klay are difficult to limit. As for James, Curry can't stop him, what's the problem?
Is Curry's defense good? Not so good, but not so bad. It's just that in the Warriors' system of that year, he was indeed the most easily targeted point, and with two super scorers on the other side, he was naturally labeled as a defensive black hole. But times have changed, and 33-year-old Stephen Curry has changed.
Worst shooting percentage of his career
33 years old, for a guard, is indeed not a very friendly age, this year, Stephen Curry with the Golden State Warriors, back to the ranks of the favorite to win the championship, and even once led the league first position, he himself was also for a long time to be the first place in the MVP rankings, and even in Madison Garden, as desired, he achieved the great record of the historical three-point king. However, none of this can hide the fact that Stephen Curry is going downhill. This season, Curry shot the worst shooting percentage of his career.
Averaging 26.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game, 41.6 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from three-point range, this is Steven Curry's stats this season, both of which set career lows. Of course, that doesn't include the 2019-20 season, when Steven Curry only played 5 games and was reimbursed for injury seasons.
Stephen Curry was in good shape at the beginning of the season, but after defending the NBA's all-time three-point king at Madison Garden Plaza, Curry's feel disappeared. 1-of-9 shooting, 1-of-10 shooting, 1-of-13 shooting, and one bad three-point shooting rate after another tell us that Steven Curry is indeed going downhill. However, this season's Stephen Curry has enhanced another skill, that is, defense. You may not believe it, Curry's defensive contribution this season is the second in the league, second only to Gobert, and in the Warriors, there is no suspense in the first place.
The Warriors' best defensive player
In this season's defensive contribution, the Jazz's starting center Gobert is at the top of the list, followed by Stephen Curry and Chris Paul. Paul is well known for his defensive qualities, and he has always been a great defensive player, defending one team seven times and making 13 defensive teams, as evidenced by that. But Steven Curry, who has the same defensive contribution as Paul, is somewhat surprising. Behind him are Cavaliers center Allen, Bucks star Alphabet Brother, and the Warriors' best defensive player, Dream Green.
League defensive contribution points
Warriors defensive contribution points
Looking at the defensive contribution value of the Warriors, Stephen Curry ranked first without suspense, followed by Dream Green, and Wiggins in the third. This season's Wiggins has indeed become an indispensable part of the Warriors' defensive lineup, which is worthy of recognition. There is also a statistic that in terms of limiting opponents' shooting percentage this season, the 76ers' Sable is in the first place, which can reduce the opponent's shooting percentage by 8.6%, and Stephen Curry is in fourth place, which can reduce the opponent's shooting rate by 7.3%.
It is worth mentioning that Derrick Rose is in third place, and in today's era, it is not only Stephen Curry who has quietly changed.
Curry has changed, and so has the Warriors
At the peak of the Golden State Warriors, that is, the 5 years and 3 crowns period, although the defense was excellent, but the siege was mainly based on the attack. This season's Warriors, the record gives people a feeling of dreaming back to that year, in fact, it is completely different. On the offensive end, the Warriors' average score per game is the thirteenth in the league, and the offensive efficiency is also the thirteenth in the league, but on the defensive end, the Warriors' average points per game and defensive efficiency are the first in the league, which is the key to their current achievements, and Steven Curry, thanks.
The Warriors are Stephen Curry's team after all, whether he has a three-point feeling or not, his defense can help the team move forward, once Curry sees the basket, then for the opponent, it is undoubtedly an avalanche, no one can stop. Defending to win the championship is the unchanging truth, Stephen Curry understands better than anyone, so he tore off the defensive black hole label that did not belong to him, became one of the best defensive defenders in the league, and also made the Warriors the best defensive team in this league.
Don't think that Stephen Curry is going downhill this season, or he will give you a loud slap.