Naturally, KD scores more with Steps off the court but his efficiency takes a huge hit. Just to put things into perspective, Durant shoots 34.1% from downtown without curry on the court, however, his efficiency bumps up to 41.6% with Stephen Curry by his side. Curry’s shooting discombobulated defenses, making Durant the beneficiary. Before Golden State Durant never found himself alone under the hoop with all eyes focused on other threats. Steve Kerr punishes teams for gluing to Stephen Curry at the 3pt line as it translates into open dunks and floaters for Kevin Durant.Īt times there is an absurdity to Stephen Curry, a Jordan rules aberration that leads to all the eyes on him while completely forgetting about the sniper Kevin Durant of all people. Steph rewrites defensive rules by making teams use box and 1 defense essentially leaving 2-3 players with open looks. In the past 4 years, Kevin Durant has been the biggest beneficiary of Curry’s gravity on the court. This shot creation is not at all reflected in the standard box-score which goes on to prove just how meaningless stats without context are.Īlso Read: Zion Williamson or Ja Morant for Rookie of the Year? Curry’s undeniable gravity on court makes Durant efficient “You think I’ll be able to score as many points without having open looks because Curry was on court?”Īnd not the just Curry, Klay Thompson‘s presence creates a large number of open shots for Andre Iguodala and Draymond Green. He didn’t hesitate to point out just how stupid that statement was. In conversation with ESPN’s First take panel, Andre Iguodala was asked how he managed to play ‘better than Curry’ in finals. For a reminder of why teams chase him like this, it’s because even the slightest air space can lead to video game shots that are higher in efficiency than most players shooting unguarded. It is physically draining for defenders to guard Curry because of just how much he moves without the ball. Box-score doesn’t capture just how lethal he is without the ball. He is not a traditional point guard in the sense he can’t average monster assist numbers like Magic Johnson, John Stockton, or Chris Paul but his playmaking skills are elite. His perpetual motion without the ball drains defenders. Stephen Curry has taken off-ball movement to a great level. Moreover, they can do this without having to constantly dribble a ball hence reducing turnovers.Īlso Read: “I got one more than Shaq”- Kobe Bryant’s historical revenge on Boston Celtics Stephen Curry demolishes defenses with his off-ball movement Less dominant ball handlers can use their hands to create additional space. Off-ball movement generates enormous scoring value. There is an overlooked world of artistry, skill, and activity without the basketball. Standard box scores don’t do any justice as to how dangerous Stephen Curry can be without the ball. However, a deep dive into advanced stats and impact metrics prove otherwise. At first glance, it might seem outrageous to say Stephen Curry had anything to do with Kevin Durant‘s game.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |