Steph Curry’s offensive performance this season has put him firmly in the MVP talk, but the Warriors don’t want the point guard’s defense to go unnoticed.
Praising the entire defense, Golden State coach Steve Kerr selected Curry’s two-way move following Wednesday’s 111-107 victory over the Indiana Pacers.
“I think Steph’s defense has been totally overlooked this year as everyone is tied to his scoring and shooting,” Kerr said. “But his defense was fantastic.”
Curry’s defense on the ball this season is arguably his best since 2015-16, when he became the NBA’s first-ever unanimous MVP in league history. Opponents guarded by Curry shoot 43.5 percent of the field, or 1.2 percent worse than when they’re not guarded by him, according to NBA Advanced Stats.
While Curry currently averages just 1.2 steals per game, he is third on the Warriors in deflection per game (2.5). That average is 22nd among NBA guards, and is Curry’s highest since 2016-17 (3.3).
“He’s active, active as hell,” Paschall said of Curry. “He holds his own on drives and plays really well. I feel like he’s been very underestimated, but at the same time he does so much offense that people overlook his defense. But he’s doing a great job.”
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The Warriors have awarded 8.1 points less per 100 possessions off the floor (102.3) than he did on the field, but he was part of Golden State’s best defensive unit this season. Curry, Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Kevon Looney – the starting lineup of the Warriors when they are healthy – have combined a defensive rating of 93.1 in 106 minutes. That’s the NBA’s best figure among groups of five who have played at least 100 minutes.
Of course, the Warriors also score an extra 13.3 points for every 100 possessions with Curry on the field, and that would be more than enough to keep him on the ground if he didn’t earn credit for his defense. But Golden State believes Curry has played a pivotal role in his top five defense, and perhaps that two-time MVP deserves additional compensation for this third.
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