Why Stephen Curry is one of NBA's greatest offensive forces ever Part II
In Part I of this article, we discussed how Curry’s unique ability not just as three-point shooter, but as a successful pull-up three-pointer, marks him as completely different from every other elite three-point shooter in the league.
So, how does that actually make Curry such a terrifying offensive force? In order to understand that, we have to understand a concept in basketball called “gravity.”
What is gravity?
Gravity in the NBA, as Kevin Pelton describes it, is “the tendency of defenders to be pulled to certain parts of the floor.” Defenders on a court will be drawn towards the ball as well as stopping key offensive players. The more important the offensive player, the more gravity he commands.
And a smart offensive player can use this to his advantage. LeBron James commands a great deal of gravity when he has the ball, as multiple defenders will normally converge on him when he does. James will use this to hit the open man for the easy shot.
But gravity is not just something which occurs with the player holding the ball. The catch and shoot players described in Part I command a great deal of off-ball gravity. Kyle Korver in particular has a lot of gravity because opposing defenses are so concerned about not letting him shoot. These gravitational effects distort a defense, and the Atlanta Hawks have used those distortions to create openings.
The problem here is that on-ball and off-ball gravity have their issues. A player with high on-ball gravity like James Harden is not a huge threat when he does not have the ball. So in order to take advantage of that gravity, Harden must have the ball a lot, like a mobile booster. This stagnates the Rockets offense, which has been an issue with them during their dismal start.
Meanwhile, Korver can distort defenses with his off-ball gravity. But he himself cannot create openings and passes to open players with that distortion like Harden can.
And that is what makes Curry unique and devastating. No other player commands BOTH on-ball and off-ball gravity to the extent that he does.
Curry’s effect on the Warriors
In short, Curry distorts offenses at all times, under all circumstances. There are plenty of stars who do command the two kinds of gravity to some extent, but none of them do as much as Curry. Guys like LeBron James and Harden are not that dangerous without the ball, and players like Korver are not a threat do anything but shoot when they do have the ball.
And while people have frequently talked about how loaded the Warriors are, they are much more dependent on Curry’s offensive capabilities than people realize. One simple stat, courtesy of Basketball Reference, should show this.
When Curry is on the court, the Golden States score 14 more points on offense per 100 than they do when he is not. That is higher than LeBron and the same as James Harden.
But the key point here is that the argument which analysts and players used to mark Harden as their MVP was that Harden was carrying the Rockets to an extent which Curry did not need to on this loaded Warriors team. In fact, Curry was carrying the Warriors just as much as Harden was carrying the Rockets, only Curry did it to greater heights.
It is certainly true that the Warriors are a terrific defensive ensemble cast. Draymond Green, Andrew Bogut, and Andre Iguodala are great defensive players.
But what about offense? None of those guys are great or even good offensive guys. Klay Thompson is very good, but he is primarily an off-ball player, which means that he is dependent on Curry setting him up. Harrison Barnes is okay, but nothing more.
If they look like great offensive players, that is because of Curry’s presence. Curry is capable of distorting opposing defenses no matter where he is or whether he has the ball or not because he is such a deadly three-point shooter who must be accounted for at all times. And Curry is such a great passer that he can find where the defenses have weakened themselves to go after him and get the open man.
Curry is the best player in this league
Curry may not be as well-rounded a player as say, LeBron James or Anthony Davis. But his three-point shot combined with his passing ability make him an absolutely terrifying offensive threat that affects defenses in a way which even LeBron cannot do. That single quality in and of itself is enough for Curry to be compared to LeBron and Davis rather than being viewed as a level below them.
And until there is another team that can figure out a way to slow down the offensive force that is Stephen Curry, the Warriors are just going to steamroll every other team in the league on their way to a second championship.