defending champion golden state warriors The season has gotten off to a frustrating start, and now even pictures of the crowded Western Conference play-ins are out. They are below .500.
Through his first 15 games, Curry is averaging 32.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game while shooting 52.8% from the field, 44.3% from 3-point lands and 90.9% from the free throw line. He is third in the league in scoring and leads the league in three-pointers made by a wide margin (he has 77 to second-placed Buddy Hield’s 55) and is on pace behind Larry Bird and Steve his Nash. progressing. A player with multiple his 50/40/90 seasons.
As usual, much of Curry’s advantage comes from outside the arc. Looking more closely than basic stats, he’s had a whopping 46.8% on 3 shots off the dribble this season. In overview, among players who made at least his five off-the-dribbling 3s per game, Donovan Mitchell is the only player on those attempts where he shot more than 40%. But you can go on and on about his filming, and the topic has been covered in depth over the years.
Instead, it’s worth taking a closer look at Curry’s scoring close to the basket, an underrated aspect of his hot start. Overall, his two-points-per-game make of his 5.7 and his goal percentage on the field of 63.7 within the arc are both career-highs, increasing his efficiency. is useful for But his driving and finishing in the paint stands out.
According to Basketball-Reference, he has an amazing 79.1% success rate within 3 feet, which is also a career high. On shots that Synergy Sports defines as “at the rim,” he’s scoring his 1.522 points per possession, putting him at the same level of efficiency as bigs like Nikolajokic and Karl Anthony He Towns. I have. His success rate in restricted areas is his 76.4%, according to the NBA statistics site, making him 12th most efficient among Curry’s players with 55 or more attempts. was. Of those his 12 players, only Donovan Mitchell is shorter than him.
Curry was special around the basket, no matter how much he wanted to break it down.
“I know I can shoot the ball and put a lot of pressure on the defense, so I have to find a changeup, get to the paint and find a creative way to finish.” Curry said After the Warriors win cleveland cavaliers Nov. 11. Away from the great screens of the players, I’m not afraid of contact.I don’t get to the foul line much, but I’m trying to figure out how to get the lane, how to get the driving angle, how to protect the ball. Ride the rim and hope it goes in. “
Curry, of course, got a few transition looks and caught a defender cheating in the backdoor cut. Here’s a closer look at some specific aspects of his attack that stand out.
As he said, just because he doesn’t play above the rim doesn’t mean he should fear contact just because he has zero dunks this season. You can use your physical abilities to your advantage. One way to do this as a guard is to jump first to initiate contact.
See how Curry drives, drops in front of Julius Randle, and shoves straight into his chest. This leaves Randall ground-bound and unable to truly challenge the layup.
Against detroit pistons An extreme example is Curry going downhill on a pick-and-roll and putting his foot near the dotted circle before Isaiah Stewart was ready. Curry leans over Stewart, braces his hips, and slides effortlessly into the basket.
To finish in the paint you have to get there first and Curry is great as a ballhandler. This season, he has recorded just his 2.7 comebacks per game, his second lowest figure in his career. He has the ball on the strings and uses that control to cook up defenders on the perimeter. One of his favorite tricks this season is his behind right hand move.
Some of his finishes are so outrageous that it’s natural to wonder if he’ll be able to continue converting at this clip’s high. After that, you usually don’t want to be in a game that doubts Stephen Curry.
“There are no shortage of adjectives to describe Steph’s play. He’s amazing every night,” said Steve Kerr. “He’s in great shape. If there’s one area where he’s dramatically better than when I first came here, it’s his strength and conditioning. He’s stronger, he’s able to defend at a higher level, and he’s able to sustain two-way basketball the entire game. And he’s knocking down shots from everywhere and finishing at the rim.
