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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 6, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Rajon Rondo (9) holds the ball as Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) defends in the first quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /

Steph The Defender

Perhaps the raw numbers didn’t sway you that Curry is still underrated despite all the praise he’s receiving this year. But unless you’re a stout Warriors supporter, you probably didn’t know that Chef Curry has secretly developed into one of the NBA’s best defenders at his position as well.

Among all guards averaging at least 25 minutes per game, Curry ranks fifth in the league in defensive rating (96.0), per NBA.com. Now, to be fair, defensive rating is a statistic that skews a bit in favor of players who play for great defensive teams, but Curry’s other defensive statistics are just as noteworthy.

Curry ranks seventh in the NBA in defensive win shares and fourth in steal percentage. He holds his opponent to just 54.5 percent shooting on shots within five feet of the basket (fourth in the NBA among starting point guards), 36.1 percent on shots from 5-9 feet (fifth) and 35.9 percent on 20-24 footers (sixth).

In other words, Curry has become proficient at preventing his man from scoring in the areas that hurt a defense the most. Call it a byproduct of playing alongside so many great defenders if you must, but it certainly didn’t feel that way last night, even after Mark Jackson spent his Sunday dismissing Curry’s defensive improvements this year.

Overall, Curry is holding his man to 39 percent shooting on the season, a difference of 4.3 percent than the player in question normally shoots, according the NBA.com. As a team, the Dubs hold opponents to 42.5 percent shooting, the best mark in the league.

So yes, you could say that Curry — the league leader in steals, by the way — is doing his part on that end, even with backcourt mate Klay Thompson typically taking on the tougher defensive assignment.

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