Steph Curry Is More Than Just a Great Shooter

An interesting aspect of Vince Carter's recent NBATV interview was how much the 8x All-Star emphasized the fact that he was more than just a great dunker. Sure, he was a legendary dunker - maybe the best ever- and responsible for arguably the best in-game dunk of all time, but his high-flying ability was not all that he brought to the floor on a nightly basis.

"I could play man," Carter said in the interview, and he was right. Carter had 10 seasons in which he averaged over 20 plus points, and is sixth on the NBA's all-time three point list, with over 1,900 threes drained over the course of his career.

Carter's desire to not be defined solely by his strongest skill strikes a parallel to Steph Curry, who is already being anointed as the greatest shooter of all time. Curry has broken his own record for most three's made in a season in NBA history twice now, and in doing so has redefined the meaning of range.


It's true, as a shooter, Curry is unlike anything that we have seen before, but that is not all that he is.

Image via ESPN Stats & Info

Curry scores in a variety of ways, and his offensive production is not limited to shots from distance. He is shooting 66% from the paint - nearly 7 percentage points above the league average - and he adds another five points a game from the free throw line. He is able to take defenders off of the dribble, and he is extremely proficient in the paint, as evidenced by his shooting percentage. All of this adds up to a league-best 30 points per game; three's account for only half of that.

In addition to leading the league in scoring, Curry is also dishing out six assists, pulling down five boards, and securing two steals each game, which puts him in some rarefied air. In fact, more players have thrown a perfect game in the MLB than NBA players have averaged six assists, five rebounds, and two steals over the course of a season. He is third among point guards in rebounds per game, eighth in assists, and third in steals. Throw in improved defense, and the picture of Curry as a player becomes a well-rounded one.

Though much of the focus is on his shooting, and rightfully so, Curry is a complete player, and the proficiency in the other areas of his game allow for him to be as dangerous as he is from long range. The historic shooting deserves all the attention and adulation it has received, but 3PM/3PA is far from the only area of Curry's stat sheet that fills out.