When LeBron James was once asked how to stop Stephen Curry, he famously said, “You can’t.” This was back in 2015. Since then, a decade has gone by, and the response to that question is pretty much the same. One simply can’t stop Steph when he’s on the move with or without the ball.
For over a decade, teams have tried different tricks to slow him down. At times, something has worked, but it hasn’t taken him long to figure a way out. Today, at the age of 37, Steph is one of the biggest threats for any side.
In addition to being the greatest shooter the sport has ever seen, Steph’s off-ball movement is near perfect. This combination makes him a unique threat, the kind that gives coaches sleepless nights when they’re about to face him. However, back in 2013, when Steph was having his breakout year in the playoffs, George Karl came up with an effective solution.
Karl’s message to his team was that they should get more physical against Steph. This included everything from grabbing him, roughing him up, and shoving him. The strategy worked. Steph wasn’t effective against the Nuggets once they put this plan in motion. Over the years, several teams applied the same formula to deal with Curry.
Steph is 6’2, 185 lbs, which is relatively smaller in a league full of giants. So, when he was being challenged physically, he didn’t have much breathing space on the floor to work his magic. This ended up setting a terrible precedent in the league and is something that’s frowned upon by fans.
Stephen Curry doesn’t get the calls he deserves
Usually, the main focus on a basketball court is the player in possession of the ball. This goes for the camera operators, commentators, fans, and even the refs. Despite how impactful Steph’s off-ball movement is, he isn’t the singular focus for refs when another player has the ball and is being guarded by the opposition.
Sensing an opportunity, players started applying physical pressure on Steph in an attempt to derail his play. Even though he wasn’t in focus in real time, replays showed what he was dealing with during his movement on the floor. This caused a huge uproar among the fans, who demanded that the Warriors‘ veteran be awarded the calls he deserved.
Steph has also chimed in on the subject several times, raising his voice against the unfair treatment. However, not much has changed since then. Many believe that during Kevin Durant’s Warriors era, he was able to bag two FMVPs because the opposition was heavily occupied in guarding Steph on and off the ball.
This provided an opportunity for KD to step up. A player of his caliber requires similar defense, but the opposition had simply run out of options. So, being the best shooter with an unparalleled off-ball movement comes at a cost. But it doesn’t matter for Steph as long as he’s racking up dubs for his team.
Prateek is a seasoned content writer with over 2500 published articles and two+ years of experience. His passion for UFC was ignited during Conor McGregor’s meteoric rise, and closely following McGregor’s journey inspired him to bring a sharp, fan-driven perspective to his UFC coverage, blending detailed analysis with compelling storytelling.
