How Stephen Curry Became The NBA’s Best Point Guard
The NBA has truly become a point guard’s league because of the abundance of talent at the position. Most teams in the league actually have a quality point guard that is either on the way to stardom or is already there.
As things stand for the Golden State Warriors, they happen to have one of the few elite floor generals in the game. In fact, Stephen Curry is arguably the best point guard in the league right now.
Wait, did I say arguably? No, he is the best, and it’s not even close.
Right now, Curry is averaging 23.0 points per game on 49.7 percent shooting from the field, including 39.3 percent from behind the three-point line and 92.7 percent from the free throw line. He’s also chipped in 8.1 assists per game, 4.9 rebounds per game and 2.1 steals per game.
Curry has filled up the box score all season with jaw-dropping numbers, and if flirting with the magical 50-40-90 season isn’t enough to signify his elite perimeter play, then I don’t know what is.
Sure, his statistics and scoring totals are impressive, but what’s even more significant is how he’s getting his points and making his way around the court to make plays and set others up for good looks at the basket.
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A lot of people would say right now that Kyrie Irving is the best ball-handler in the NBA, but I’m here to tell you that claim may not be completely accurate. In fact, Curry may even have the upper hand in that department when you watch him more closely.
Curry is the poster child for how to shoot the basketball right now, as there may be no better shooter in the history of the game already than him. However, a better study may actually be his separation skills rather than his shooting form.
A wizard with the basketball, Curry consistently keeps the ball on a string no matter where he is on the floor, be it at the top of the key or deep in the paint. This guy has such a tight handle on the ball that he makes defenders look silly every single trip down the floor with some of the moves he pulls off.
Whether it’s a crossover in either direction, the hesitation step-back, the around-the-back dribble that leads to a crazy assist, Curry can do whatever he wants with the basketball and then some.
Look at this play below where Curry goes awkwardly between his legs in order to shake the defender and make way for a lay-up opportunity that is pretty as well, kissing off the glass at just the right angle. There are very few guards in the NBA that can pull off a move like that, let alone even get that bucket to go.
With great handling of the basketball comes fantastic court vision as well. Even though he isn’t the tallest player on the floor at 6-foot-3, Curry seems to have the gift of being able to see things that no one else can, and man can he process those thoughts quickly. Curry’s timing on his passes or shot attempts is impeccable, a big reason why his team can succeed at such a high level.
The other players on the court for Golden State know that all they have to do is get open or create some kind of separation in order to be in Curry’s wheelhouse for an assist opportunity. If they just position themselves in the right spot in the post, they can have an excellent shot at an easy finish around the rim, be it of their own doing or off of a second-chance bucket.
Everything Curry does, he seems to have his teammates in mind and knows where they are at all times. Very rarely does Curry take a bad shot in which there is no one under the basket looking to corral the offensive rebound, or make a pass in which there is no one open or the opportunity isn’t there.
Curry keeps himself under control at all times, which is one of the qualities that separates a good point guard from a great one.
When talking about his shooting, there are no words for it. Curry makes shots that should not be made, and he makes them consistently.
There may be a few games where he can’t get things going and can leave a zero or two in the box scores, but for the most part his impact shooting the ball from any spot on the floor is felt night after night, something that leaves a lot of defenses trying to game plan heavily around him rather than worrying about a lot of the other weapons on the team such as Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, two players that can also stretch the defense and make shots from deep.
Looking here at his shooting chart from last season, it’s clear that Curry makes his living off of the outside jump shot, and for good reason. The amount of red on the chart from deep is absolutely insane, pointing to the fact that he has no trouble being a constant reminder for defenses to play him tight on the perimeter or else he will make you pay.
When comparing Curry with other point guards in the NBA, sure there are others that may do certain things at a higher level than him. Chris Paul and John Wall could be considered better pure passers than Curry, and Russell Westbrook and Tony Parker may even run a smoother pick-and-roll than Curry at times.
As we already mentioned, some will still say that Irving is a better handler of the ball than Curry.
Even though all of these arguments can be made about individual skills, no one plays a more complete point guard game while shooting the lights out of the ball than Curry does. He’s on another level in terms of putting everything together and being great at multiple facets of the game, not just one.
The Warriors have so much success on both ends of the floor because of what Curry can do and the effort that he gives all the time. He is the unquestioned leader in Golden State’s locker room, and he has become the tone setter that can set this team on a course to blow the doors off of teams at any given moment.
In case you still have doubts about what he can do on the court, here’s a highlight package to remind you just how much damage he can do in a short amount of time.
There is little that Curry can’t do on the court. He’s been the most impressive player so far for the Warriors, and stands a chance at winning the MVP award when all is said and done.
Look out NBA, Curry isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. He has become the league’s best at the point guard position, and he won’t be relinquishing that honor for a very long time.
*Statistics courtesy of Basketball-Reference.