Steph Curry has done the unthinkable. At the age of 34, the two-time MVP has taken another leap. No one expected this, because NBA players, and more generally professional athletes, don’t do this. Other players his age have now entered post-prime stages in their careers, but not Steph. Somehow he’s taken another jump. What we all thought was his prime wasn’t, because Curry is in peak form right now and truly better than ever. The only other athlete that comes to mind to recently accomplish a similar feat is in a whole different sport. In his late 30s and early 40s Tom Brady’s arm somehow got more powerful and he became a much better thrower of the football, as he altered and fine-tuned his throwing motion. Obviously, what Steph does is unique and requires completely different physical capabilities. He’s scoring at a higher volume and efficiency than ever. His true shooting percentage has climbed 10% from 60.1% to an outrageous 70.1% this year! So, how exactly is this possible and what is Steph doing to take this leap?
To put it in simple terms, Steph is simply shooting better than he previously has -from every area of the floor. He’s shooting a comical 44.7% from downtown, while having the most made 3s in the NBA. For Steph though, we all know this is completely sustainable for him as he’s shot 44% or above five seasons in his career, and he was due to regress to the mean after his “down” year in efficiency last season. Steph is shooting an NBA-best mark from the midrange, splashing 63% of his 35 midrange jumpers attempted thus far. However, the most remarkable thing has been Steph’s improvement attacking the basket. He was already a very good driver and finisher, shooting 60.2% from within five feet of the basket last year on 3.6 of these such attempts per game. This year he’s up to 75.4% within five feet on over 4.6 attempts a night, which is an unfathomable number, especially considering the fact that his volume at the rim has increased significantly. Not to mention, he’s a 6’3” guard who doesn’t finish above the rim. So, let's examine exactly how Curry is so successful as a driver and putting up such gaudy numbers at the rim.
Since 2020-21, Steph’s first, healthy season after he broke his hand, onlookers have marveled at his added strength. He uses it so well functionally, and is simply able to use his body to give him the space he needs. This shows up when he’s taking like-sized defenders off the bounce and can simply get all the way to the rim by muscling his way there (something he was physically incapable of doing earlier on in his career). Below is an example of this, as Curry bumps Darius Garland off his spot, creating ample space for him to shoot a short runner.
The next area where this strength shines is when Steph gets into the body of shot-blocking bigs. This ability is probably the most uncommon finishing trait to find from a 6’3” below-the-rim finishing guard. Curry is able to bump bigs on his drives without compromising his own balance or control. Doing this saps defenders ability to contest his finishes vertically, so he essentially takes their shot blocking chops out of the picture completely. He’s able to capitalize on this fact using his amazing touch with either hand, converting one-handed extension finishes while keeping the ball out of reach from these relatively grounded defenders. When Curry breaks out this finishing strategy, he is frequently driving down hill out of a ball screen. A simple nuance that makes it all possible is how he sets up the big defending the action. Using a move at the level of the screen (where the big comes up to account for his shooting) like an “in-n-out” can create the defending big to take a false step. This allows Steph to get the big man on his hip on his way to the rim, putting him in the driver's seat in great position to initiate contact when he chooses. We can see a picture perfect rep of him doing this below in Wednesday night’s 50 point eruption against the Suns, as Curry comes off a screen, sets up and bumps Jock Landale, before finishing the layup through contact for an “and 1”.
Another way Curry effectively finishes at the rim is by leveraging funky angles. Steph will sharply cross the face of defenders near the rim, putting them in awkward positions to impactfully contest shots. By abruptly crossing the chest of defenders, they are oriented the wrong direction and must quickly flip their hips to stay square with Curry. However, it is much easier to flip your hips to change the direction you face while moving forwards rather than retreating, which gives Curry an advantage and time to finish. In this approach, he’s again getting into the defender’s space. If they jump in these situations they’ll likely make illegal contact with him, drawing a whistle. Below, we see Curry use a eurostep to cross the face of Deandre Ayton, leaving him unable to flip his hips and reorient himself in time to jump and contest the Curry finish.
A subtle skill that Curry always had is negating shot blockers by using the basket as protection. By starting a finish on one side of the rim and finishing it on the other, Curry is able to stop big men from challenging him vertically because if they jump like they normally would, they risk knocking their head or hands on the rim or backboard, or getting tangled up with the net. Further, Steph is a master at putting “english” on the ball when finishing these awkward-angled layups.
The amazing thing about Curry is how he has mastered his plan as a finisher. He knows what works and when to pull it out. Steph realizes that he’s at a physical disadvantage as a leaper, but leverages his strength, deception, and touch incredibly well, rarely letting shot blockers tee him up. Whether it’s varying which foot he jumps off, the hand he finishes with, or his pace, Curry keeps shot blockers guessing. When all else fails though, he has other-worldly touch to finish over the top of defenders. With both his left and right hand he possesses elite touch, but with his dominant right hand in particular he’s able to loft high-arcing finger rolls over bigs. In the clip below we see this, as Steph elevates early off his outside foot, kissing a feathery inside hand scoop layup over Ayton for the deuce.
Steph can just rely on this touch in many scenarios. When he decides to stop short of the shot blocker, flipping push-shots out of a two foot jump stop, he displays this elite level touch as expected. A finish like this is just another trick he has in his bag. He also has done a good job of varying his pace to not always slash at full throttle. This forces defenses to play at his pace, and prevents them from maximizing their physical advantages. Additionally, Curry has done a great job of transitioning from jumping more horizontally than vertically on his finishes. This allows him to be more in control, take off further from the rim, and most importantly take less falls, helping elongate his career and prime.
Steph has something for every scenario, whether there’s a big awaiting him at the rim, a on his hip, or none in the picture. Overall, he does an incredible job of minimizing the instances where physical tools matter most: when bigs are able to truly challenge him vertically. Him being among the league’s few elite guard finishers is especially impressive considering he isn’t able to challenge bigs vertically like a Ja Morant, to levitate and finish above the rim with ease. Curry has truly mastered the art of finishing and attacking the basket. He’s such an efficient player, who picks his spots well. This year, he’s taken another step forward as a driver and it has led him to reach another level as a player, while en route to the most efficient volume scoring season in NBA history.
Photo via: USA Today Sports