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Warriors: How much credit does Curry deserve for changing the game?

By Tony Pesta

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 18: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors laughs after he is fouled by Kostas Antetokounmpo #37 of the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center on October 18, 2019 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 18: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors laughs after he is fouled by Kostas Antetokounmpo #37 of the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center on October 18, 2019 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors are often given full credit for revolutionizing the game of basketball.

The New York Times recently named their choice for the NBA Player of the decade. In a controversial move, Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors was placed ahead of LeBron James.

Even the biggest hater can acknowledge that James is undoubtedly the player of the decade. However, the argument in Curry’s favor is that he changed the game of basketball itself.

This is true, to an extent. Yes, Curry’s accuracy from beyond the arch is unprecedented. The league has never seen a more dominant shooter and likely never will. Curry’s ability to score from deep changed how many NBA teams run an offense in the modern-day.

Curry may be the most prominent figure in the space-and-pace era but he certainly wasn’t the first. Teams have been experimenting with this playstyle for decades with the Run-TMC Warriors of Tim Hardaway, Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond being perhaps the first example of this.

The old school Warriors ran a fast-paced brand of basketball and utilized multiple playmakers and shooters to score in bunches. They were a prototype version of what we see today from many NBA teams.

Through the years, other squads have attempted to win in a pace-and-space system. Perhaps the most notable was the Steve Nash led Phoenix Suns. The Suns led the league in pace for multiple seasons and were always towards the top in 3-point shooting.

It is no coincidence that Mike D’Antoni was the Sun’s head coach and he is now taking 3-point shooting to new heights with his Houston Rockets team. James Harden is scoring at historic rates as the Rockets prioritize 3-point shooting over everything else.

Even with these squads, jump shooting teams were never taken too seriously in the playoffs. This is because primarily shooting teams had never won a championship up until Curry and the Warriors in 2015, right?

Well, not so fast. Believe it or not, James and the Miami Heat may deserve a bit of credit for the space-and-pace style that made Curry an icon. The Heat were one of the first teams in NBA history to play small-ball with Chris Bosh stretching the floor at center. As a result, Miami reached four consecutive NBA Finals and won back-to-back championships.

In many ways, James and the Heat laid down the blueprint for what Steve Kerr later created with the Warriors. Of course, the Dubs elevated this system to the next level, but we must give credit where credit is due.

Curry is without a doubt the most iconic 3-point shooter of the decade and had a massive impact on how the game is being played right now. But, let’s not act like James didn’t impact the game as well.

As great as Curry has been over the years, there is no legitimate argument to place him ahead of James or even Kevin Durant as NBA player of the decade.

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