Steph Curry is already the NBA’s all-time three-point king, but he is still making some notable improvements to his game as a whole.
In an interview that aired this week with ESPN’s Doris Burke, Golden State Warriors teammate Draymond Green spoke on the strides that Curry has made on the defensive end.
“For all these years, you have had teams pick on him [defensively],” Green said. “Steph’s a competitor, and so you’re not just gonna keep singling him out and he’s just going to take that. I think the difference is he’s so grounded in his body with his strength. He moves better laterally, much better than he used to move laterally.
“His legs, super strong,” Green went on. “That change happened last year. From the time he walks in this facility, the first place he goes, to the locker room to get dressed, and then to the weight room … He is one of our best defenders. [Warriors assistant] Mike Brown has this sheet where he grades us defensively. Like, who makes the biggest jump. Over the last month, Steph is the highest person. He’s like a 96.”
Curry has never been a poor defender. But he has also never had the size, length, or quickness of a truly elite defender. Curry was generally seen as the weakest link of the elite Warrior defenses during the team’s peak years. He has always been able to play passing lanes and get steals though, and now it sounds like Curry has been making a concerted effort to become a physically stronger defender as well.
The former MVP Curry has obviously come a long way since his rivals used to clown him over his defensive ability. Curry’s improvement on D might be one of the more underrated reasons behind why the 25-6 Warriors are as good as they are again.
Photo: Mar 5, 2020; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the first quarter of the game against the Toronto Raptors at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
