Debunking the Steph can’t play defense myth
This season Steph Curry is “struggling” with his offensive efficiency, averaging 25.1 points on 42% from the field and 37% from three-point range. Certainly a dip from last season, but he doesn’t have to put up 40 points a game to lead the Dubs to a win. One category that has been underlooked this season, and most seasons, is his defense. Unlike years past, his defense has improved and there are stats to back that up.
His backcourt partner, Jordan Poole, had this to say about Curry after the win on Sunday night, “For his position, he’s one of the best defenders in the league.” And he’s not wrong, according to statmuse.com, his defensive rating is 96.9 through nine games. This is the best DRTG for any guard this season, the second closest is Eric Bledsoe with a rating of 99.1.
What is defensive rating though, and why does it matter? Well, DRTG is a statistic used to measure how many points a player or team allows on average over the course of 100 team possessions. Steph isn’t the only Warrior in the top 15, Draymond is ranked number two at 94.5, only a .5 difference between him and first place, Nikola Jokic. And their two teammates, Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins are also both ranked, 11th and 14th respectively.
Does this stat even matter? To some fans it’s a waste of time and they would rather use the eye test first to determine if a player is good at defense. According to Draymond, both the stat and the eye test work on Curry. He said this earlier this year, “Steph has shown insane growth on defense and quite frankly, I think that if you watched him play this year, the stuff that he has done on that side of the ball has been incredible.”
But does Curry’s increased defensive ability translate to better team defense? It seems the answer to that question is also yes. The Warriors sit at number one in the NBA this season with an overall team defensive rating of 97.4. The next closest team is at least 3 percentage points below the Warriors. They are also 2nd in FG% allowed and 3rd in 3P% allowed, not to mention that they are 3rd in steals and 1st in net rating. This is all being done with a starting backcourt of Curry and Poole, two guys who aren’t known for their ability to play great defense and are slimmer in stature in comparison to the rest of the league.
Much credit can also be given to Draymond and Gary Payton II as both are really showing what they can do on the defensive end this season. Many people are quick to point out the fact that the Warriors are doing this without Klay and Wiseman, both who can have positive impacts on the Dub’s defense. Curry’s defense is in a great spot this season, and if he and the team keep this up, they will have to be considered as one of the top contenders in the western conference. As the old saying goes, defense wins championships and as of this season, the Warriors are playing it at the highest level.
(Photo credit: Chris Szagola/Associated Press)