Steph Curry is no stranger to zipping around NBA hardwood without the ball in his hand. His off-ball movement is what has led to players across the league considering him to be the toughest guard, based solely off how taxing it is to chase him around. Brandon Payne, Steph’s trainer, now wants to take Curry’s duties to another level.
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“Delly almost died guarding Steph Curry,” said JR Smith. While this is hyperbolic, it’s perhaps the most accurate representation of what it’s like to constantly have an eye on him.
This was during Steph’s earlier years when he was more athletic and agile. He also weighed a bit less. Fast-forward to present day and Steph is one of the most muscular guards in the game. at age 37, he’s built a physique that can withstand the test of Father Time.
To go along with this added strength and musculature, Payne has spoken recently about how with Jimmy Butler on the squad, Steph can assume roles he hasn’t really delved into all too much in his career. One such role is playing out of the mid-range as a passer.
“Steph will start to recognize where the opportunities are to play off of Jimmy and play in that mid-range area with his back to the basket a little bit. I think that is certainly something that can continue to get better.”
6’3 Curry playing with his back to the basket? NBA advanced stats have him at 0.0 post touches for the entirety of the 2024-25 season. But to be fair, Payne did say the mid-range area but what he’s describing is him essentially wanting Steph to post-up at that 10-16 foot range and dish the ball out to guys like Jimmy.
Given that Butler is a beautiful cutter at the baseline, this should work ideally. The Warriors used to run plays out of the post with Baron Davis so why not with Steph?
Brandon holds out hope for Curry and Jimmy to get better as time passes. “They got a little bit of a feel for it. But it’s going to continue to get better as they play more games in the regular season.”
With a fully fledged training camp under their belt soon enough, it’ll be interesting to see how well Steph and Jimmy mesh together. Without their improved chemistry, the Warriors won’t be able to hang with the likes of the Nuggets and Thunder.
