5 reasons why Steph Curry's age will not cause a decline in his game
Golden State Warriors superstar point guard Steph Curry’s may already be 34 years of age, but he hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down yet.
Through nine games this season, Curry has averaged 31.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game on 48.7% shooting. These numbers are basically in line with his unanimous MVP season in 2016. This has led many to question how much longer Curry’s prime can continue.
On that note, here are five reasons why Steph Curry’s age will likely not cause any steep decline in his game for the foreseeable future.
#1 Steph Curry is the greatest shooter of all time
The most obvious reason why Steph Curry’s age will not lead to a steep decline is that he is almost unanimously considered the greatest shooter of all time.
As of November 4, 2022, Curry leads the NBA in total 3-pointers made all-time at 3,163 and counting. This includes 46 threes (at 5.1 3-pointers per game) on 41.4% shooting in the 2022-23 season. If he continues to shoot over 40.0% from beyond the arc for the entire season, it will mark his 12th year doing so.
Simply put, great shooters don’t just forget how to shoot, and several players like Ray Allen have extended their careers purely thanks to their elite shooting. Curry may not be creating opportunities off the dribble for the next 10 years. However, he should at least be able to be an elite off-ball shooter well into his 40s.
#2 Curry's handles are still elite
Speaking of scoring off the dribble, Steph Curry’s age will probably not affect that for a while either.
Curry has become a master at maximizing his dribbles. He doesn’t over-dribble but instead makes quick calculated decisions that help him get to his spots. Curry makes great use of ball fakes, behind-the-back moves and quick crossovers that free up space. His quick release off the dribble also makes it very difficult for opposing defenders to stop him.
There’s no reason to think Curry’s veteran savviness won’t continue as he enters the final years of his career. And when he does slow down, he will always have the opportunity to become even more of a facilitator.
#3 Steph Curry's game doesn’t over-rely on athleticism
This kind of goes in line with the last two points, but it’s worth mentioning that Steph Curry does not over-rely on his athleticism.
Many point guards in the NBA, including quality players like Derrick Rose and John Wall, rely on their athleticism. They are much more injury prone than a player like Curry. This is because they often fly through the air to get to the rim with the potential for dangerous landings that could cause serious injuries.
Meanwhile, Curry’s main injury issues throughout his career have usually been related to his ankles. His playing style means his injury concerns should be much more manageable as he gets older, especially if he maintains his incredible shooting skills.
#4 Steph Curry takes his conditioning very seriously
Outside of his playing style, Steph Curry’s age also likely won’t lead to a steep decline because he takes great care of his body.
His physique has only improved over the last decade as well. Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr spoke about Curry’s elite conditioning during the 2022 NBA Finals.
"He just doesn't get enough credit for his level of conditioning, physicality, and defense," Kerr said.
"People go at him to try to wear him down because they know how important he is to us offensively, and it's pretty dramatic the difference in Steph's strength and physicality and his body now than from eight years ago when I first got here.
"The guy is amazing; he just keeps working on his game, his strength, his conditioning, year after year."
There’s no reason to expect Curry to stop taking care of his body anytime soon. If anything, he might give it even more importance as Father Time starts knocking on his door.
#5 The Golden State Warriors' front office always puts the right pieces around Curry
Finally, the last reason Steph Curry's age shouldn’t affect him too much is due to how the Golden State Warriors’ front office builds their roster around him.
The Warriors have consistently surrounded Curry with elite defenders like Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala and Andrew Wiggins. Players of their ilk take a lot of the load off of Curry physically by guarding the other team’s best players.
Curry has also formed an incredible 1-2 punch with Klay Thompson, who has helped take a chunk of the offensive load off of his shoulders.
Additionally, Golden State has shown a strong ability to draft and develop young talent. The most recent example was the breakout of combo guard Jordan Poole last season. Poole came up with several big plays in the postseason, particularly during their victorious Finals run against the Boston Celtics.
The Warriors are also hoping that one of their other young players like Jonathan Kuminga, James Wiseman and Moses Moody can be the next to break out. They have placed plenty of responsibility on the trio this season in a bid to help their development.
Even if none of those players break out, it is likely the Golden State Warriors will still find another hidden gem somewhere else.
These kind of savvy front office moves should only continue to ease the burden on Curry moving forward. Hopefully, for the Warriors, their depth will then be able to carry their superstar point guard into old age.