Stephen Curry's Defense

[Duke4life831]

It seems like many times when defense is talked about on here its either 1 of 2 options.

1. All Defense caliber defender
2. Trash defender and a massive liability

There really seems like a lack of middle ground a lot of the time, even though most players fall within that middle ground.

Steph is one of those defenders that is a solid neutral defender. He isn't really an impactful defender, but he is a 6'3 guard who moves well, is smart, and plays with effort. So ya he isn't this high impact defender, but he also doesnt hurt your defense either. If you have a really good defense around Steph, you can have a really good defense. If you have a really bad defense around Steph, you can have a really bad defense.

[Big J]

He's low key good on that end. I don't know why he ever got the bad defense label.

[Peregrine01]

IMO, he's been one of the best defensive guards so far this season. Impressive given the load he has offensively.

[Peregrine01]

People say he’s a weak defender because other teams try to attack him, but often I think they’re attacking him not because he’s exploitable but because they’re trying to tire him out so he won’t kill them so badly on the other end.

This is a big reason. Those Houston and Cleveland teams that spammed that attack scored on horrid efficiency but the main objective of that strategy was to wear out Curry on the other end.

[azwfan]

He's been pretty good on defense this year. The main difference I've noticed is that he's more physical and not getting called for fouls as much. Maybe the new rules are just allowing for more physicality so he's not getting punished for the same defense quite as much as he was under the old rules... (which lead him to play soft in order to stay out of foul trouble).

[Peregrine01]

He's been pretty good on defense this year. The main difference I've noticed is that he's more physical and not getting called for fouls as much. Maybe the new rules are just allowing for more physicality so he's not getting punished for the same defense quite as much as he was under the old rules... (which lead him to play soft in order to stay out of foul trouble).

I think this is a very valid point. You're seeing the same thing with Jokic this season. The way the game was officiated in past seasons didn't make it sensible for offensive centerpieces to be aggressive on defense.

[Impuniti]

He's been pretty good on defense this year. The main difference I've noticed is that he's more physical and not getting called for fouls as much. Maybe the new rules are just allowing for more physicality so he's not getting punished for the same defense quite as much as he was under the old rules... (which lead him to play soft in order to stay out of foul trouble).

I think this is a very valid point. You're seeing the same thing with Jokic this season. The way the game was officiated in past seasons didn't make it sensible for offensive centerpieces to be aggressive on defense.

Rules have helped exactly Jokic and Steph more than others not get those ticky tacky fouls they always used to get. Both their defense looks better this year because of it.

[nfmos]

Must be nice to spend your entire prime guarding the weakest perimeter player on the other team. He doesn't even guard star PG's. That's how exploitable he is.

This is such a dumb take. We have the number 1 defense this year and consistently were at the top during our finals runs. In fact we actually were worse off the years KD joined us, who everyone says is so much better a defender than Steph.

No great individual defender will ever be better than a great team defense, and it takes team defenders to make that happen. But i understand some people are more easily impressed by "lockdown" defenders in a league where the very best players can never truly be locked down anyways.

[GunnerWRX]

Must be nice to spend your entire prime guarding the weakest perimeter player on the other team. He doesn't even guard star PG's. That's how exploitable he is.

This is such a dumb take. We have the number 1 defense this year and consistently were at the top during our finals runs. In fact we actually were worse off the years KD joined us, who everyone says is so much better a defender than Steph.

No great individual defender will ever be better than a great team defense, and it takes team defenders to make that happen. But i understand some people are more easily impressed by "lockdown" defenders in a league where the very best players can never truly be locked down anyways.

The haters will continue to have dumb takes. The Warriors play a switching defense and opponents can force switches to get a favorable match-up aka Curry according to nfmos.

Yet Curry plays 34 minutes a game and the Warriors lead the league in defensive rating 98.8, and the 2nd place is 102.2, by a whooping 3.4 difference.

The results don't lie. The Warriors are defending well *despite* having Curry. In that case I will have Curry all day.

People who don't understand the game will never understand it. They will never understand why their favorite teams never win anything either. They will never understand why a 190lb 6-3 guy can defend in a team concept.

[warriorschamps]

Steph is great at everything because he is highly skilled and has a very high IQ unlike a lot of these young dudes trying to run by people or jump over people. Why try to jump over people when you can just go where they aren't. That's Steph in a nutshell.

[Heej]

Steph's been an underrated defender because they took the fact that teams went at him in the playoffs as a sign of Steph's weakness rather than a sign of the Warriors' immense strength. Shows how broken that Warriors defense was when your best strategy was to grind out isos against a solid 85 defensive rating PG because everyone else was in the 90s. You think it's actually possible for the Warriors to have the number 1 defense if Steph was a legitimate negative on that end and played 30+ mins a game? That's not how basketball works.

[Wallace_Wallace]

In a line up of Curry/Thompson/KD/Iguodala/Green, Curry would be the weakest link of defense. Not because he’s some horrible defenders, because everybody else is above average to elite.

[Bologna Smasher]

I think Curry's defense is similar to how Steve Nash's was. Both lack the size and athleticism to be truly good defenders, but their smarts and effort keep them from being complete liabilities. Jokic & Dirk are the same way for bigs.

[Peregrine01]

I think Curry's defense is similar to how Steve Nash's was. Both lack the size and athleticism to be truly good defenders, but their smarts and effort keep them from being complete liabilities. Jokic & Dirk are the same way for bigs.

Nash was by far and away my favorite player but Curry is way better than Nash on defense. Nash was great at drawing charges, but Curry is better at everything else by a good margin. It's not really comparable.

[Statlanta]

At the end of the day Curry will be the weakest defender in any Golden State closing lineup. It's why big brother Klay guards the best perimeter option and when that fails, he has Iggy or in this case Wiggins to back him up.

[Peregrine01]

At the end of the day Curry will be the weakest defender in any Golden State closing lineup. It's why big brother Klay guards the best perimeter option and when that fails, he has Iggy or in this case Wiggins to back him up.

Which offensive centerpiece is the primary defender of the other team's offensive centerpiece in today's game? Coaches aren't as dumb as you.

[Statlanta]

Coaches aren't as dumb as you.

Notice how you needed to make your post a personal attack just because 1 post wasn't a positive compliment for Steph.

[70sFan]

Steph's been an underrated defender because they took the fact that teams went at him in the playoffs as a sign of Steph's weakness rather than a sign of the Warriors' immense strength. Shows how broken that Warriors defense was when your best strategy was to grind out isos against a solid 85 defensive rating PG because everyone else was in the 90s. You think it's actually possible for the Warriors to have the number 1 defense if Steph was a legitimate negative on that end and played 30+ mins a game? That's not how basketball works.

I agree that Curry is far from liability, but I think it's possible to have number 1 defense with your PG being weak on that end.

[K3nny Pow3rs]

He's not quick for his size, so he really doesn't make up for poor defense with quickness.
Iverson was quick, not Curry.

[SpreeS]

At the end of the day Curry will be the weakest defender in any Golden State closing lineup. It's why big brother Klay guards the best perimeter option and when that fails, he has Iggy or in this case Wiggins to back him up.

I will take this kind of the weakest def on my team every day

Husle/Defence

OREB

SC 0.7
KD 0.4

STL

SC 1.7
KD 0.5

BLK

SC 0.7
KD 0.5

Screen ast

SC 1.5
KD 0.2

Deflection

SC 2.7
KD 1.1

Loose ball recovered

SC 0.8
KD 0.8

DIFF%

SC -3.8
KD -1.8

Contested REB

SC 1.3
KD 1.4

DWS

SC 1.1
KD 0.7

DBPM

SC 1.4
KD 0.5