Golden State Warriors: 2017-18 player grades for Stephen Curry

Strengths

Ever since his rise to superstardom has plateaued, we’ve got a pretty good idea of what Curry’s skill-set is.

One of the best — if not the best — shooters in league history, Curry’s shooting prowess is the basis for his entire offensive game, forcing defenders to pressure him, allowing themselves to be broken down to pieces by his otherworldly handles.

Those handles give him the ability to get past any defense that presents itself, weaving the ball in every direction until he notices a crack to exploit.

His ability to finish at the rim has always been an underrated part of his game — largely due to his small stature compared to other NBA giants — as he kisses the ball off the glass or finesses it into the rim from most angles with either hand.

Then there’s that beautiful phenomenon we call Steph’s shooting touch. It doesn’t seem to matter the degree of difficulty with which he decides to shoot the basketball at any given moment.

Coming off a screen-and-roll? Buckets. Crossover into a step-back with a hand in his face? Wet. Desperation heave after the realization that the shot clock is about to expire? C’mon.

What’s even more impressive is the efficiency that Curry scores the basketball with. This past season was no exception, with a shooting line of .495/.423/.921, coming oh-so-close to the prestigious 50-40-90 club for the second time in his career.

His assist numbers may not group him with the likes of Chris Paul, but Steph is not just a great passer, but a willing one with a high IQ. Steve Kerr injected more passes and ball movement into Golden State’s system, taking the ball out of Curry’s hands more but forcing him to make the correct reads in order for the offense to run smoothly.

Curry’s rebounding is also terrific for someone only 6’3″ and 190 pounds. He won’t battle down low with seven-footers, but he’s great at reading where the ball will hit off the rim and tracking down those long rebounds that come from 3-point shots.

To say that Curry is a lockdown defender would be a lie, but he isn’t the human turnstile that some make him out to be.

More from Golden State Warriors

• Grade the Trade: Warriors become title-favs in proposed deal with Raptors
• 5 NBA players everyone should be keeping a close eye on in 2023-24
• New detail about title-costing mistake reopens old wounds for Warriors
• 5 NBA players facing do-or-die 2023–2024 seasons
• 7 Harsh realities of the Golden State Warriors offseason

For starters, he’s one of the best thieves in the league, averaging 1.8 steals for his career. Steals, like blocked shots, may not be iron-clad proof of Curry’s defensive prowess, but they show quick hands and effort, which can’t be said for plenty of NBA players.

Then there’s his actual on-ball defense, which, again, isn’t great, but it’s not terrible.

For comparison, Avery Bradley, considered by many to be one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, has never had a season in which he’s posted a defensive win share number above 3.0.

Curry, on the other, hand, has had three seasons in which his defensive win shares exceeded 4.0, including one that just missed the mark at 3.9. He only posted 1.8 this past year, but that was more a product of injuries than a decline in effort

Yes, it helps that Steph plays on one of the best defensive teams, but the same could be said for Bradley during his time with the Boston Celtics, one that’s always prided itself on that end of the court.

Curry may not be a guy you can stick on the opposing team’s best player with the confidence he’ll shut them down, but he’s proven more than capable of at least trying to do everything to slow a guy down, no matter the mismatch.