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Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry’s eventual decline can’t be predicted

By Nathan Beighle

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 10: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors warms up before the game against the Miami Heat at Chase Center on February 10, 2020 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 Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 10: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors warms up before the game against the Miami Heat at Chase Center on February 10, 2020 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 Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /
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The NBA has never seen a talent like Stephen Curry, so it’s practically impossible to gauge at what point in his career his play is going to start declining.

LeBron James. Stephen Curry. Kevin Durant.

The league’s most dynamic scorers will eventually decline. Although they’ve all been great for over a decade, father time will win in the long run, but with each of these stars, it’s tough to predict when they will start that downward trend.

As with LeBron James, Curry changed the way basketball is played.

The NBA had never seen the combination of skill, size, and durability that James brought to the table; well, similarly, the NBA had never seen the level of shooting that Curry has displayed throughout his 11-year career.

Third in NBA history in three-point field goals made, Curry is set to break Ray Allen‘s record of 2,973 in the coming seasons. Curry is currently 563 away from being the first player to ever make 3,000, a record that may take decades to break.

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It’s not about Curry’s durability because we all know he’s struggled to stay on the court throughout his career. Having played well into the postseason, Curry just six of his 11 seasons in which he’s top 70 regular-season games and has missed 20-plus games in three of the 11.

It’s his shooting that will truly allow him to play as long as he wants.

An all-time great three-point and free throw shooter, Curry has yet to have a season in which he’s averaged less than 40% from downtown. That’s just insane and a feat that even Allen wasn’t able to match.

As for Allen, he’s the closest thing that we have to Curry in terms of a pure shooter. Having about an eight-year prime, I’d consider the end of Allen’s prime the 2007-2008 season, the year he transitioned to Boston and saw his shots nearly cut in half.

While other factors played into that, he certainly wasn’t the dynamic and involved player he had been. Considering he played and was relevant for seven more seasons, Curry could easily enter next season at 32 and continue well into the back half of his 30s if he so desires.

It’s tough to gauge when he will start declining, and we’ve clearly already seen him not quite at the same level that he was during his 2015-2016 season, one in which he dubbed league’s only-ever unanimous MVP.

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That said, the future is bright for Curry, but the clock is certainly ticking — just no one truly has a grasp on how much time is left of Stephen Curry’s magical career.

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