Did Stephen Curry’s 3-Point Revolution Extinct NBA’s Once Most Prominent Aspect? Latest Data Reveals Striking Result

No player in the modern NBA has had a more telling impact on the league than Stephen Curry. However, Steph had to battle constant ankle injuries, which could have derailed his burgeoning career. However, the arrival of Steve Kerr (as coach in 2014) and Bob Myers (as General Manager) transformed the fortunes of Curry as well as the Warriors organization. Kerr won the NBA title in his very first in charge and since then, the Dubs have won three more titles.

The Golden State Warriors have completely absorbed a three-point shooting mindset. While the modern NBA sees several teams launching downtown shots, the current NBA dynasty of GSW has played a phenomenal role in popularizing the move. During the current season, around 47.1% of the Boston Celtics’ field goal attempts have been made from places other than the three-point line.

This suggests that almost half of their overall shot attempts are three-pointers.  Nevertheless, even ten years prior, the Houston Rockets achieved the most number of shots in the NBA from the downtown area, representing 35.2% of their overall shot attempts.

Moreover, the NBA has witnessed a sharp rise in 3-pointers attempted per game. In the 2004-05 season, teams attempted just 15.8 threes per game. This season, teams have attempted 35 threes per game. This increase in 3-point shooting has made mid-range redundant. However, while these numbers just show an increase in the number of three-pointers, the man who really made them cool by winning NBA championships via threes was Stephen Curry.

Stephen Curry and how the Era of Splashing replaced an NBA staple

The abovementioned statistics carry concrete evidence showcasing the rise of three-pointers in the NBA. Breaking past the endless combinations of stats, however, Stephen Curry connected a new emotion to threes. The league currently has several great three-point shooters, but it’s Curry and his GSW teammate Klay Thompson who are known as the Splash Brothers.

The Era of Splashing saw the two shooters, who were later joined by several of their teammates win four NBA Championships with an offense heavily involving downtown shots. The stamp of four NBA titles in the last nine years speaks for itself. This has started a trend in mid-range shooters to shoot from further behind and move behind the arc. This has led to a decline in the usage of one of the NBA’s most legendary weapons.

With each passing season, the NBA has witnessed more and more 3-point, but at the expense of mid-range jumpers. The mid-range jumper was the go-to move for several iconic NBA players like Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson, and Kobe Bryant. However, data analytics don’t favor the shot, as it is considered highly inefficient in the modern NBA. Moreover, even big men like Nikola Jokic have mastered the art of three-point shooting to make their arsenal more loaded and dangerous. Do you think Stephen Curry has revolutionized the offensive aspect of the game in the NBA?

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