By: Yama Hazheer
Steph Curry has always been known for his fascinating stroke from beyond the arc, shifty moves to get to the basket, and mature demeanor on and off the court. His playmaking abilities caught everyone off guard as he developed in the NBA and he has become one of the more lethal passers the league has seen in years. His flashiness mixed with quick instincts makes him one of the more fun players to watch in the league. He is now among the top candidates in the MVP conversation and is the leader of the best team in the entire league. It’s beyond safe to say no one expected Curry to be THIS good.
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However, the one knack on Curry has been his infamously bad defense his first few years in the league. He didn’t have the strength, speed, athleticism, or IQ to keep up with most point guards in a league where that position has become clearly the best. In 2013-14, Mark Jackson made sure Curry did not have to defend the opposing team’s point guard if they were star caliber.
It was widely seen in the playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers. Jackson urged Klay Thompson to defend Chris Paul while Curry would merely have the task of defending J.J. Redick, Matt Barnes, or Jamal Crawford. Jackson claimed he wanted Curry to save his energy for offense despite him wanting to defend the best players. Paul even called out Jackson and Curry for not having the former Davidson star defend Paul while he was almost always on Curry defensively.
Fast forward to 2014-15 and Curry has become a much better defender. He is not elite on the other end of the ball like LeBron James or even Kobe Bryant in his prime, but he is now capable of sticking with his opponent while maintaining his offensive excellence.
These past few games have been a key example. He’s had to go up against a multiple time NBA Champion in Tony Parker, the best point guard in the East in John Wall, one of the better young point guards in the league in Kyrie Irving, and a player who’s having his best season yet in Kyle Lowry. He did more than hold his own in those match-ups, he dominated three out of the four, but won all of them.
- Tony Parker: 2 points, 0-4 FG, 6 assists, 2 turnovers
- John Wall: 16 points, 8-18 FG, 11 assists, 8 turnovers
- Kyrie Irving: 24 points, 6-17 FG, 1 assist, 2 turnovers
- Kyle Lowry: 4 points, 1-7 FG, 0 assists, 2 turnover
The Warriors won all of the games with the exception of the Cleveland Cavaliers game because a guy named LeBron James decided to take over.
Nonetheless, Curry’s defense has improved in multiple areas. He is a more patient defender. He isn’t quick to reach-in and get in early foul trouble like we have seen in the past. He plays the passing lanes better resulting in 2.14 steals per game, which ranks him first in the league. Curry was also the first player in the league to a hundred steals this season. He has become a better help defender and knows how to defend the pick n’ roll. He is no Mike Conley on defense, but he’s not Carmelo Anthony, either.
Most of the stars in the league have zoned in on the defensive end. James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Russell Westbrook are all considered some of the best players in the league. Curry plays defense just as well as any of them, if not, better. All of these guys are offensive minded and cannot lock someone down. They are not great two-way players. We are seeing more of that in the league today.
Although misleading, Curry’s defensive rating is 100.2 ranking him among the top 20 in the league. He is also 8th in the league in defensive win shares at 3.1. It’s still highly impressive given the star plays in such a fast-paced offense and so many plays are ran through him. He has the energy to constantly give more effort on the defensive end of the ball this year.
Steve Kerr has given Curry the green-light to defend opposing point guards this year, so some credit does go to him. Ron Adams has helped make everyone better team and individual defenders, most of the credit goes to him. And obviously Curry deserves tons of credit, as well.
He has stepped up to the occasion and given the team at least an average to sometimes above average defensive presence. It certainly helps when all four of the other starters are some of the best defenders for their position.
You won’t see Curry’s defense in the highlight reel like you’ll see his unlimited range three-pointers and deadly crossovers, but it’s still there. Curry has made strides from a poor defender to an average defender, or better. His tremendous amount of confidence mixed with relentless effort has been vital to his defensive strides.