Stephen Curry is no worse than 15/16

[mdonnelly1989]

If we were going on pure Peak imo, maybe aside from Curries injury his peak year would be basically

1A: 2015/2016
1B: This season.

Although, if Curry ends up playing even close to this level in the playoffs, and wins Finals MVP, no question this will go down as a top 10 season of all time. The exact ranking will depend on really how dominant he is throughout the playoffs though.

[Cavsfansince84]

Still 16 by a lot and this season isn't 1b either. I think this season might be ranked 3rd behind last year.

[thekdog34]

I think his role has changed. He's pretty much the same.

[TheGOATRises007]

If he didn't get injured on, and kept up his play, we'd be talking about this being Curry's peak.

He was on fire to start the season. Was doing better than 2015-2016.

[Cavsfansince84]

If he didn't get injured on, and kept up his play, we'd be talking about this being Curry's peak.

He was on fire to start the season. Was doing better than 2015-2016.

He had the potential to challenge 2016. Its not going to happen now unless KD gets injured and he goes off that way.

[ahmetmekin]

There are certain aspects of his game that regressed:
Steals and explosiveness. Both are related. He is aging and his agility is not where it was.
His assist numbers are down and I am not sure what the reason is.

His shot blocking improved. His finishing at the rim is more crafty now. He is as good, as a shooter. He is better at dealing with double teams.

So a combination of improvement and regression of certain parts of his game. Overall, I think he was better than his 15-16 season before injury. After injury he didn't play as good for 10 games or so. This is in part on Kerr and his weird rotations.
After returning to original rotations-today, he looked terrific. In average, %5 below his 15-16 season. I also predict that, he will have a hell of an RS season+ terrific PO performance this year.

[freypies]

There are certain aspects of his game that regressed:
Steals and explosiveness. Both are related. He is aging and his agility is not where it was.
His assist numbers are down and I am not sure what the reason is.

His shot blocking improved. His finishing at the rim is more crafty now. He is as good, as a shooter. He is better at dealing with double teams.

So a combination of improvement and regression of certain parts of his game. Overall, I think he was better than his 15-16 season before injury. After injury he didn't play as good for 10 games or so. This is in part on Kerr and his weird rotations.
After returning to original rotations-today, he looked terrific. In average, %5 below his 15-16 season. I also predict that, he will have a hell of an RS season+ terrific PO performance this year.

Assists are down because he is involved less in the offense than he used to be.

[mdonnelly1989]

There are certain aspects of his game that regressed:
Steals and explosiveness. Both are related. He is aging and his agility is not where it was.
His assist numbers are down and I am not sure what the reason is.

His shot blocking improved. His finishing at the rim is more crafty now. He is as good, as a shooter. He is better at dealing with double teams.

So a combination of improvement and regression of certain parts of his game. Overall, I think he was better than his 15-16 season before injury. After injury he didn't play as good for 10 games or so. This is in part on Kerr and his weird rotations.
After returning to original rotations-today, he looked terrific. In average, %5 below his 15-16 season. I also predict that, he will have a hell of an RS season+ terrific PO performance this year.

Assists are down because he is involved less in the offense than he used to be.

You mean creating for others, yeah since he is now coming off of screens more often now.

[mdonnelly1989]

There are certain aspects of his game that regressed:
Steals and explosiveness. Both are related. He is aging and his agility is not where it was.
His assist numbers are down and I am not sure what the reason is.

His shot blocking improved. His finishing at the rim is more crafty now. He is as good, as a shooter. He is better at dealing with double teams.

So a combination of improvement and regression of certain parts of his game. Overall, I think he was better than his 15-16 season before injury. After injury he didn't play as good for 10 games or so. This is in part on Kerr and his weird rotations.
After returning to original rotations-today, he looked terrific. In average, %5 below his 15-16 season. I also predict that, he will have a hell of an RS season+ terrific PO performance this year.

But as I said, if he has even close to this kind of production in the playoffs, it will be considered his Peak.

[clyde21]

he's more or less the same player, just playing more off-ball than ever.

[apeezus]

It's weird seeing people go to bball ref and look at the numbers and try to make this point and ignore all the context like we all didn't see 15/16 and we haven't all seen him now and glaringly see how much easier the game is for him now playing with KEVIN DURANT than it was when he was the only shot creator and the engine for his team's offense every night. Context matters.

[Dr Spaceman]

he's more or less the same player, just playing more off-ball than ever.

Nah he’s lost a step in terms of his first step quickness and isolation ability. He used to be able to cook any matchup he had back in 2016 (except Kevin Love in the Finals) which was a key pet of their offense that season. He’s playing more off ball, you’re right, but you can’t try to force this narrative that it’s all coaches being dumb because he’s not the same guy.

Plenty of athleticism markers are down. 0 dunks on the year so far, and while Curry’s not a dunker he had 7 in 2016. He took 22.5% of his shots within 0-3 feet in 2016 compared to 14.5% this year. He was assisted on 37% of his 2 point field goals in 2016 and now is at 46%.

He’s still the same shooter he was in 2016 but all the passing the Warriors do has covered up the fact he’s declined as a straight up dribble creator. His assist decline despite similar usage is symptomatic of this (he’s no longer getting into the teeth of the defense) and composite box metrics across the board just don’t like him as much these days.

[clyde21]

he's more or less the same player, just playing more off-ball than ever.

Nah he’s lost a step in terms of his first step quickness and isolation ability. He used to be able to cook any matchup he had back in 2016 (except Kevin Love in the Finals) which was a key pet of their offense that season. He’s playing more off ball, you’re right, but you can’t try to force this narrative that it’s all coaches being dumb because he’s not the same guy.

Plenty of athleticism markers are down. 0 dunks on the year so far, and while Curry’s not a dunker he had 7 in 2016. He took 22.5% of his shots within 0-3 feet in 2016 compared to 14.5% this year. He was assisted on 37% of his 2 point field goals in 2016 and now is at 46%.

He’s still the same shooter he was in 2016 but all the passing the Warriors do has covered up the fact he’s declined as a straight up dribble creator. His assist decline despite similar usage is symptomatic of this (he’s no longer getting into the teeth of the defense) and composite box metrics across the board just don’t like him as much these days.

sure bro

Read on Twitter

[Dr Spaceman]

he's more or less the same player, just playing more off-ball than ever.

Nah he’s lost a step in terms of his first step quickness and isolation ability. He used to be able to cook any matchup he had back in 2016 (except Kevin Love in the Finals) which was a key pet of their offense that season. He’s playing more off ball, you’re right, but you can’t try to force this narrative that it’s all coaches being dumb because he’s not the same guy.

Plenty of athleticism markers are down. 0 dunks on the year so far, and while Curry’s not a dunker he had 7 in 2016. He took 22.5% of his shots within 0-3 feet in 2016 compared to 14.5% this year. He was assisted on 37% of his 2 point field goals in 2016 and now is at 46%.

He’s still the same shooter he was in 2016 but all the passing the Warriors do has covered up the fact he’s declined as a straight up dribble creator. His assist decline despite similar usage is symptomatic of this (he’s no longer getting into the teeth of the defense) and composite box metrics across the board just don’t like him as much these days.

sure bro

Read on Twitter

Okay I’m convinced!thank u!!!

[clyde21]

Nah he’s lost a step in terms of his first step quickness and isolation ability. He used to be able to cook any matchup he had back in 2016 (except Kevin Love in the Finals) which was a key pet of their offense that season. He’s playing more off ball, you’re right, but you can’t try to force this narrative that it’s all coaches being dumb because he’s not the same guy.

Plenty of athleticism markers are down. 0 dunks on the year so far, and while Curry’s not a dunker he had 7 in 2016. He took 22.5% of his shots within 0-3 feet in 2016 compared to 14.5% this year. He was assisted on 37% of his 2 point field goals in 2016 and now is at 46%.

He’s still the same shooter he was in 2016 but all the passing the Warriors do has covered up the fact he’s declined as a straight up dribble creator. His assist decline despite similar usage is symptomatic of this (he’s no longer getting into the teeth of the defense) and composite box metrics across the board just don’t like him as much these days.

sure bro

Read on Twitter

Okay I’m convinced!thank u!!!

yea, because you saying he lost his first step and iso ability is definitely convincing. especially coming from u of all people.

[Dr Spaceman]

sure bro

Read on Twitter

Okay I’m convinced!thank u!!!

yea, because you saying he lost his first step and iso ability is definitely convincing. especially coming from u of all people.

I provided statistical evidence of my claim. Also could you explain what you mean by the bolded?

[clyde21]

Okay I’m convinced!thank u!!!

yea, because you saying he lost his first step and iso ability is definitely convincing. especially coming from u of all people.

I provided statistical evidence of my claim. Also could you explain what you mean by the bolded?

you provided dunk % (lol wut) and assisted shot %, which is literally what I was talking about when he's been playing off-ball than ever (primarily because Durant is an on-ball player).

but there is literally zero proof that he doesn't have that first step anymore. is it as good as it was when he was 27? maybe not, but it's still plenty good enough to beat anyone off the dribble, and I can provide many more examples just like the above

he's playing more off-ball because it's literally what Kerr wants, not because he can't do it on-ball anymore.

and I mean that u've had pretty bad takes historically when it comes to Steph (obvious ax to grind per usual).

[Dr Spaceman]

yea, because you saying he lost his first step and iso ability is definitely convincing. especially coming from u of all people.

I provided statistical evidence of my claim. Also could you explain what you mean by the bolded?

you provided dunk % (lol wut) and assisted shot %, which is literally what I was talking about when he's been playing off-ball than ever (primarily because Durant is an on-ball player).

but there is literally zero proof that he doesn't have that first step anymore. is it as good as it was when he was 27? maybe not, but it's still plenty good enough to beat anyone off the dribble, and I can provide many more examples just like the above

he's playing more off-ball because it's literally what Kerr wants, not because he can't do it on-ball anymore.

and I mean that u've had pretty bad takes historically when it comes to Steph (obvious ax to grind per usual).

Number of dunks combined with %FGA at the rim is a pretty okay indicator of athleticism given younger guys play around the rim more. You can usually lump guys into what phase of their career they’re in by the amount of dunks they get (although team context matters a lot which is why the bigger sample of FGA at rim is important). Dirk Nowitzki for example averaged 43 dunks per season from 01-05, then 20 from 06-10 then 6.4 from 11-15. We see a similar trend from Kobe who peaked with 80 dunks in 08 then declined sharply every year until his weird renaissance in 13.

But I use this just as backup for what I see watching him play. To me he’s clearly lost a step. You can accuse me of bias but you’re the one who’s not providing any evidence here and playing dirty by saying I’m not credible while many, many people here have made the point to you that I’ve been higher on Steph than almost anyone on this board save Warrior fans for a long time. I can’t do anything but call it as I see it.

FWIW, Curry and Durant have both lost a lot athletically. I think people don’t realize how much of a jump shooter Durant has become these days.

[eminence]

There are some fluctuations in role, and of course the injuries, but he's been essentially the same level player for the last 5 or so years.

[mdonnelly1989]

Nah he’s lost a step in terms of his first step quickness and isolation ability. He used to be able to cook any matchup he had back in 2016 (except Kevin Love in the Finals) which was a key pet of their offense that season. He’s playing more off ball, you’re right, but you can’t try to force this narrative that it’s all coaches being dumb because he’s not the same guy.

Plenty of athleticism markers are down. 0 dunks on the year so far, and while Curry’s not a dunker he had 7 in 2016. He took 22.5% of his shots within 0-3 feet in 2016 compared to 14.5% this year. He was assisted on 37% of his 2 point field goals in 2016 and now is at 46%.

He’s still the same shooter he was in 2016 but all the passing the Warriors do has covered up the fact he’s declined as a straight up dribble creator. His assist decline despite similar usage is symptomatic of this (he’s no longer getting into the teeth of the defense) and composite box metrics across the board just don’t like him as much these days.

sure bro

Read on Twitter

Okay I’m convinced!thank u!!!

lmfaooo!