[Jolly Sports News] Stephen Curry has taken 27% of his shots from the rim this season, according to CTG statistics, which isn’t a career high for him, but in an era of increasing emphasis on the 3-point shot, he has taken more shots from the rim than 61% of his peers. That’s the first time he’s done it in 16 years, and by a wide margin.
(Source: Getty Image)
Analysis of Curry’s offensive approach this season, we found that while the main offensive approach has not changed much, Curry’s percentage of empty cuts has doubled from 3.5% last season to 7.8% this season.
It had a lot to do with Buddy Hield’s fearsome shooting prowess, exemplified in the closing moments of his victory over the Boston Celtics. With 3 1/2 minutes left in the game, Hield’s 45-degree choke set Curry up for a reverse layup that gave the Golden State Warriors the lead. A minute later, the same arcing Hird kept Jrue Holiday from being too aggressive in his defense, and Curry took Keita (Robert Williams III) alone for a layup. The game-killing shot came on a 3-pointer by Hield, but following a pick and roll, Curry’s drive caught the attention of almost everyone on the Celtics, and Hield ended up completely open in the bottom corner, where he’s shooting 55.6 percent this season.
