In the Spotlight: Stephen Curry

Stephen Curry
Position: Point Guard / 2 Guard
Ht: 6-2, Wt: 190
Hometown: Charlotte, NC
College: Davidson
Class: Junior
Age: 3/14/88

Strengths:

• Pure shooter. Quick release, great range and great form.
• Moves well without the ball… he comes tight off screens, cuts hard and find ways to get free from the defense.
• Despite having to do all the heavy lifting against major D-1 teams, he’s in great shape and rarely appears tired throughout.
• Deceptive ball handling skills with a much improved left to right cross over, behind the back dribble, and lefty in and out move. He’s developed into an elite ball handler.
• Polished step back move which he uses to create space to get off his jump shot up.
• Automatic from the foul line.
• Above average Court Vision
• Quick hands – pesky defender that creates turnovers (steals)
• Clutch - seems to relish the big moments and taking the big shots
• Natural – Has a good feel for the game… has a knack for being in the right place at the right time.
  

Weaknesses:

• Needs to get stronger and add more muscle
• Naturally a 2-guard, who will need to continue improving his point guard skills and playmaking for others.
• Can improve his ability to breakdown the defense, get into the paint and finish at the rim.
• Limited athletically – Lacks NBA level explosiveness.
• Doesn’t have experience playing on a team in which he’s not relied on to do everything.

Overall:

Stephen Curry is a pure shooter. He has a quick release, he moves well without the ball, and he has a knack for finding creases in the defense to free himself. He’s also demonstrated the ability to carry a team, showing up in big games and hitting big shots.

With all of the success Curry has had in college, it’s a much different situation when you’re “the man” on the team, with the offense built for you and your teammates relying on you to carry the load… as opposed to being part of the offense, which will be the case at the next level. It’s a major adjustment, but because of Curry’s natural feel for the game, it’s one he’ll be able to tackle.

As Curry transitions from college to the pro level, he will need to continue to improve at the point guard position. At 6’2, Curry is a natural 2-guard, who’s at his best when he’s looking to get himself going, but because of his size he’ll need to be able to play the point in the pro’s. Curry’s made a drastic improvement from his sophomore to his junior year taking his opponents off the dribble and getting his teammates easy buckets, but it’s still an area that he can really improve.

Curry can hold his own athletically, but he is not a superb athlete, which will present a challenge in the NBA. He’s found ways to compensate, but his limited explosiveness make it tough at the NBA level when you are competing against elite level point guards every night.

He also needs to get stronger which will help in many areas, primarily fighting over screens on the defensive end.

Overall, Curry’s a gifted basketball player, with a ton of potential. In the right system, that takes advantage of his natural abilities, Curry can become a key piece of a winning team down the line. I’d look real close at Curry around the 7th – 12th selection of the 1st round.