Warriors: 3 stats that describe Stephen Curry’s game perfectly
By James Siegle
Scoring near the cup
On the subject of overlooked factors, Stephen Curry is a very underrated driver. Curry gets to the hoop with Steve Nash-like ease. Once there, he finishes acrobatically or dimes a teammate. Weird as it sounds, Curry would remain great even if his shooting stroke was stolen in Space Jam 2.
His attacking ability is far superior than first glance suggests.
Steph actually bested KD in layups generated last season. Curry’s 4.1 rim attempts per game trailed only Draymond Green for Golden State’s highest (Basketball Reference). Highlights show the fun stuff … fans see the crazy handles and nimble moves.
The fact Steph uses these tools to get to the rack doesn’t always translate. Nonetheless, he drives very well. This keeps defenses honest, allowing Curry space to launch threes.
Once Steph gets to the hoop, he finishes relatively well. Per Basketball Reference, Curry converted 68.6 percent of layup attempts in 2017-18. This is a decent mark for any player. For a 6’3″ point guard, it’s definitely solid. Steph’s high-arching layups are a beauty to behold.
His acrobatic finishes often make highlight reels. If nothing else, opposing defenses can’t sleep on Curry’s rim-finishing game.
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Surprised at Steph’s driving ability? Most fans are. Steph is often portrayed as just a shooter. And to be fair, the stroke is far-and-away his best attribute. Nonetheless, Curry’s driving game cannot be ignored. Many opponents learn the hard way.