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5 Reasons Stephen Curry Is Criminally Underrated

By Gerald Bourguet

Mar 4, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) points to a teammate during the first quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 4, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) points to a teammate during the first quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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Stephen Curry
Mar 8, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) dribbles the ball next to Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) in the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Clippers 106-89. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /

The Raw Numbers

The biggest part of what makes Curry so underrated can be understood simply from watching him play on a nightly basis, but the raw numbers are needed to provide some context as to what we’re seeing.

Curry leads the league in made and attempted three-pointers, which is even more impressive considering he’s shooting 42.2 percent from beyond the arc. He ranks sixth in assists per game and first in steals per game. Only Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook boast a higher Player Efficiency Rating, and Curry ranks second in total win shares while leading the NBA in real plus-minus (8.55).

The impressive numbers don’t stop there, however:

ESPN’s Ethan Strauss goes on to note that when Curry sits, the Warriors post a plus/minus of minus-71, meaning that Curry accounts for a swing of 778 points when he’s on the floor vs. when he’s off it. Not even James Harden of the Houston Rockets can boast such a difference.

Most people think of the Warriors as at least a fairly deep team, but the truth is the Dubs might be a drastically worse group if not for their MVP candidate. As the leader of one of only two teams in the NBA to reach 50 wins so far, Curry might actually be taken for granted sometimes of the talent around him.

Next: Steph The Defender

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