Steph Curry inspired the whole league to move away from the mid-range. Even Gregg Popovich encourages his teams to take 3’s now.
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The league in the 2000s and 2010s was very different from what it is now. The game revolved a lot around the paint, and the mid-range. Players like Shaquille O’Neal, Lamar Odom and Kevin Garnett were a few players who thrived in these two areas.
The games too were a lot more physical, and low scoring compared to what they are now. It’s normal to see a game easily go above 120 points per side, but ten years ago, it was a rarity.
Much of it has to do with the way the game is played and officiated now. We now are witnessing a center leading the league in 3 point percentages, and a point guard who averaged a triple-double for multiple seasons with 10 rebounds a game.
Brook Lopez, a center who barely made any 3’s in the starting years of his career now makes them on a regular basis. We have witnessed the change in James Harden’s playstyle, completely moving away from the midrange because a long two is statistically worse than a three.
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Steph Curry is on course to break the most 3 pointers made ever – he’s now only 22 shots behind Ray Allen
Curry has made at least one shot from long range in 147 consecutive games, making it the longest streak in the league currently. He broke the previous record held by Kyle Korver, at 127. Steph’s on track to break his own record for most 3’s made in a season.
There is a reason why he’s regarded the best shooter of all time. He’s only 22 behind Ray Allen, and he’s played 516 games less. His draft day analysis is still right – his shot selection is bad for orthodox basketball, but he makes them anyway.
Fans of Kuroko no baske, an anime know that his shots are like Midorima Shintaro, just going in from anywhere, at any time. Wardell Steph Curry is a generational basketball player, one who revolutionized how basketball is played.
