Warriors superstar guard Stephen Curry is turning back the clock this season, playing to his unanimous MVP form from 2016, though he turned 33 years of age in March.
But there’s something different about his game this time around. Well, a few things, actually.
Without his Splash Brother, the sharpshooting, defensively-gifted Warriors guard Klay Thompson, Curry gets more attention than even he is accustomed to. It’s a situation that had some — including Trailblazers guard Damion Lillard — predicting that Curry would struggle to find quality shots as he always has in coach Steve Kerr’s motion offense.
Of course, Curry has quieted any such thoughts this season. He’s neck and neck with Wizards guard Bradley Beal for the NBA scoring title and hitting 3-pointers at a historic rate, compiling more games with 10 made 3s in a week than other players have had in an entire career.
Per Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle, some of Curry’s tactics have changed with the altered conditions surrounding him. This season, about 29 percent of Curry’s shots have been launched from within 10 feet of the hoop, the highest percentage of his career, and he’s hitting an absurd 62.2 percent of those attempts.
Furthermore, 17 percent of Curry’s 3-point tries are on step-back shots, also a career high for the Baby Faced Assassin. He’s hitting those at a remarkable 55-percent clip.
Curry’s adjustment to his new situation has simply been incredible. Even at 33 years of age, he’s in good enough shape to pull it off. With the attention that must be paid to his 3-point shot, he can easily go around defenders with a slight hesitation move, or he can simply step back and launch.
Plus, Kerr’s motion offense still serves him well, with Curry’s teammates constantly looking for him as he moves brilliantly without the basketball. His play of late has thrust him into the MVP conversation, and it’s only right. He’s wreaking havoc on the league like he used to, but with an added repertoire that even NBA insiders didn’t know existed.
(Photo credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports)
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