Quick and Deadly: Analyzing Stephen Curry’s Shot

0.4 seconds.

That’s all it takes for three-point assassin Stephen Curry to launch his perfectly crafted jumper from distance.

For comparison, that’s about how long it takes for the ball to rotate ONCE during a shot. It’s damn fast, but his quick release is just one piece of the puzzle that has led Curry to become the best shooter in the NBA.

THE SHOT

Apr 20, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) hits a game tying three point shot with 14.5 seconds left as Denver Nuggets guard Ty Lawson (3) defends during the second half of game one of the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won97-95. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

When he was still in high school, Curry re-tooled his shot into the mechanics we see torching nets around the association. As a youngster, he learned to shoot from the hip, but his father, former NBA player Dell Curry, worked with Steph to shoot above his head to avoid being blocked, which the younger Curry was prone to due to his size.

Since the ball is already starting from a raised position, Curry releases the ball as he’s jumping, rather that at his jump’s apex; this happens much sooner and is the reason for his lightning quick release.

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The second key for Curry is the arc on his shot. According to Stats LLC, Curry’s average 3-point shot reaches a maximum height of 16.23 feet. The NBA average is 15.77 feet. This added height gives Curry an advantageous angle at the basket. The higher the arc, the better angle the ball has to travel through the rim. The arc on the shot essentially makes the rim “bigger”. Curry usually shoots the ball between 50-55 degrees.

Mechanically, Curry hardly jumps on his shot, getting just a few inches off the ground, which is key to keeping his legs fresh at the end of games. He releases the ball without a hitch and keeps his elbow in, adding to the fluidity of his shot and making it very easy for him to repeat.

All of this adds up to the extremely pure jump shot we see on display night after night.

IN RANGE

Mar 30, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (30) shoots the ball between Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard Wesley Matthews (2), small forward Luke Babbitt (8) and center Meyers Leonard (11) during the fourth quarter at Oracle Arena. The Golden State Warriors defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 125-98. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

While Curry is deadly from anywhere on the court (and, as we’ve seen, even from the hallway) he definitely has preferred spots on the court. He shoots the most from the top of the arc. That’s where you’ll often see Andrew Bogut running a screen and Steph stepping back behind the defender. Or where he’ll pull up on a fast break. He’s more accurate, though, on the right-wing, making 43% of his threes in this spot — the league average here is 36%.

His highest percentage on the court is the left corner, where he hits from downtown at a 46% clip. His frequency in this area is a lot lower than the top of the arc and the right-wing. These shots are more likely to come when Andre Iguodala or Shaun Livingston are in the game and Curry can play more off the ball, run off screens through the paint and get open in the corner (usually after a fly by from a defender).

Curry has added to his arsenal this year by significantly increasing his shooting percentage close to the basket. From 0-3 feet, he’s shooting 71.5% (up from 62.5% last year). From 3-10 feet out, he’s shooting 56.1% (up from 41.2% last year). It’s getting to the point where Curry is becoming next to impossible to defend.

AMONG THE GREATS

Feb 12, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) is defended by Miami Heat guard Ray Allen (34) in the fourth quarter at Oracle Arena. The Heat defeated the Warriors 111-110. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Curry currently ranks fourth all time in 3-point-shooting percentage (he’s .003 behind Drazen Petrovic for third). But in his short career he has already shot many, many more threes than the individuals in front of him. Current Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr is the all time leader in 3-point percentage at .4540 on 1,599 attempts. Hubert Davis is second with a .4409 career 3-point percentage on 1,651 attempts. Petrovic, in third, shot .4374 but on only 583 attempts. And Curry checks in at fourth with a .4346 percentage, but has already shot 2,354 threes in his career.

All this to say Curry is shooting at an incredibly high percentage for how often he shoots from distance. To keep his percentage so high when he averages 7.6 attempted threes per game this year is truly remarkable.

Ray Allen has the most career made threes at 2,973 (with a .400 career percentage). Curry has a lot of work to do catch Allen (Steph has made 1,023 career threes as of publication), but it certainly isn’t out of the question. It all comes down to how long Curry can maintain his ludicrous average of making 266 threes a season, which he has done the last two years. If Curry regressed due to age at a similar rate as Allen, Steph would have to play until he was about 36 to get close to Allen’s record (There’s a lot of guessing and approximation in those calculations). So while the record isn’t impossible, it isn’t a sure thing either.

But whether Curry catches Allen as the league’s all-time leader in threes or not, there’s little debate that Steph is one of the best shooters the game has ever seen. And doing it all from the point guard position makes it all that much more impressive and a big reason Curry not only hears chants of “M-V-P” from the fans at Oracle Arena, but also has a legitimate chance to hear it from Adam Silver this summer.

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