3 reasons why Steph Curry can put the 3-pointer record out of reach
As Steph Curry continues his rampage on the 3-pointer, what will that final number be when his career is all said and done? The shot master is one 3-pointer from becoming Mr. 3000. With Steph Curry seemingly in the throes of his peak, this number could become as mythical as the statistics of a fellow Warriors legend, the iconic Wilt Chamberlain.
Steph Curry, who turns 34 in March, is averaging 5.4 3-pointers per game. His career average is 3.8 per game. Projected over four full years of good health, that's another 1,312 from deep. The sniper might not stop hitting from everywhere even as his physical skills deteriorate, so it's really up to Steph how high that number rises.
Let's analyze three reasons why that final number could be out of reach for anyone else.
When @StephenCurry30 reminded us that he's the greatest shooter ever 🔥
105 CONSECUTIVE 3-pointers
(via @warriors) https://t.co/kJr1hZD5BV
Steph Curry
The two-time MVP and three-time champion averages 27.9 points per game this season. That scoring average is second to former Golden State Warriors teammate Kevin Durant, who averages 29.7 ppg for the Brooklyn Nets.
Curry has hit 5.4 of his 13.5 3-point attempts this season. At that volume, 39.9% is almost unbelievable. Double and triple teams nightly without Klay Thompson on the floor to relieve defensive pressure are just as unimaginable. We are in the throes of seeing something the NBA hasn't seen in its history, and time will sort out just how much influence Curry will have.
The magnitude of Curry's shifting of how teams and individuals shoot the rock will create a precise focus on perfecting the shooting artform and could manifest as an unforeseen phenomenon possibly having a greater impact on the game than Steph Curry is currently having. Yet what will be remembered is how the icon was the originator, the lightning bolt, the one who raised our antenna.
Impact
A tweet from Kofie summed up the paradox of Steph Curry perfectly:
Steph Curry changed NBA basketball for the better.
Steph Curry changed pickup basketball for the worst.
This is why big men are running to the perimeter in droves. On the asphalt, after posting up in the lane, laying on another frustrated big man, shot after shot goes up that caroms back to the perimeter. "Rebound the ball, big guy. That's how you impact the game," they hear in their heads from coaches of old, so they persist.
Big men are sometimes lucky enough to touch the rock on the break for a dunk, so thunderous spectators on the sideline ask, "My goodness. What has gotten into him?"
That may be the only time besides a rebound that he touches the ball.
Acquiring a talented handle is a must, because the game is evolving. It's a survival tactic for big men. They have to be realistic: Fans want more points, more excitement. Yes, dunks, but 3s as well. Someone not far from the physical stature of Steph Curry lighting up the scoreboard with such dead-eye aim brings them closer to the game.
LeBron James is a brute force like the fictional Marvel Comics character Juggernaut, Curry more resembles The Atom, and both are extremely effective. Curry became the alternative to James and his dominance. To some, Curry is the James repellant, while others see Curry's rise as a softening of the game.
Both are right; both are wrong.
No. 3: Popularity of the 3
With the ascension of Curry, the 3-point shot posted on social media can garner just as many views as a posterizing dunk. Gone are the days when highlight packages are dominated by jaw-dropping dunks. Shots from the logo are becoming commonplace, and since Curry has perfected the craft, the ambition to hit as many as he can will only grow.
The percentage of 3-point shots attempted in a game has gone from 22.2 in 2010-11 to 39.2 last season, and unless something dramatic happens, this trend will only continue to rise.
No. 2: Hunger
In the last three healthy seasons, Curry has increased the success of hitting from the arc. He's gone from making 5.1, to 5.3 and finally 5.4 per game this season. It's a season when Curry broke Ray Allen's mark of 2,974. And as Golden State continues to win, so will the hunger for Curry to create why those wins happen.
Curry will be immersed in the MVP conversation the entire season and will certainly put up more outlandish 3-point performances that will shake our collective heads even more. And as he climbs the ladder that speaks to the pantheon of NBA history, a reason to be included will only create more ambition for Steph Curry.
Steph Curry created 52 points for the Warriors as a direct result of him being double teamed today. https://t.co/L4PSwD6r8m
No. 1: Because his last name is Curry
The Curry family has been prodigious and are now synonymous regarding the 3-point shot.
The father, Dell Curry, made 1,245 in 1,083 games before retiring in 2002 after 16 seasons. Seth, the younger brother who plays for the Philadelphia 76ers, has made 647 in 343 games. Combined with Steph, that running total is 4,891 in 2,219 games.
Every shooting award should have the name "Curry" emblazoned on the trophy, because it was Dell Curry that put a shift in history in motion. Was it a goal he had in mind? No. Steph Curry told me Dell never forced him to shoot but instead encouraged Steph, and we all know his method worked, don't we?
There is a kid somewhere in the world not just dunking on a Fisher-Price hoop, but shooting from deep and driving his parents crazy. Either that, or the next shooting force isn't even born. He or she will spy upon old video of Steph Curry and aspire to be even greater. This is how sports evolve.
Steph Curry is the Soul Model for shooters everywhere, and as we continue to be privy to his prime, the miles of 3-pointers will scorch every NBA arena floor with his name. There will be no other name mentioned with his.
We salute you, Curry. Now, put that number out of reach.