OAKLAND–The Warriors are just five games into the regular season, and already, all eyes are on a streak.
Not a win streak, like the epic 28-0 run the Warriors began the 2015-2016 season with, but rather, a shooting streak.
Unsurprisingly, it involves Steph Curry.
Golden State’s point guard is a perfect 47-for-47 to begin the season from the free throw line, and at this point, the Warriors’ star admitted he’s beginning to take notice of his foul shooting binge.
“Honestly, this past game was the first time I actually thought about it,” Curry said Thursday. “The first free throw I took and the last two, which is dumb because it’s just a free throw. If I had missed one like game two, it would have changed the whole dynamic. But because I haven’t missed one, it’s on my mind. I’m going to try to turn it into an opportunity just to be more laser-focused on the mechanics and the rhythm of shooting free throws until the streak is over.”
Curry is a prolific free throw shooter, having finished with a season percentage at 90.0 or above in four of the eight seasons he’s played. Shooting streaks are nothing new to Curry, who tied the NBA Finals record for most foul shots made in a quarter with 10 in Game 2 of this year’s title run.
“Anything 90 and above, for as much as I try to get to the line, or as much as I’ve gotten to the line over the last couple of years, shooting 90 percent or above is a solid goal that I’ve done plenty of times,” Curry said, when asked about his goals. “But every year, it’s crazy how much one or two misses kind of changes that percentage so you’ve got to stay locked in.”
There’s no doubt Curry’s perfection at the free throw line is impressive, even for a player who has redefined how basketball fans perceive sharpshooters. And while the streak is certainly impressive, it’s not the most important aspect to his productivity at the charity stripe thus far.
Instead, it’s Curry’s ability to navigate his way to the foul line that has the potential to become increasingly critical for the Warriors’ and their offensive heartbeat as the season moves along.
Five games into the year, Curry is attempting an average of 9.4 free throws per game, which ranks fifth among NBA players. His previous best ranking in that category? 29th.
The Warriors’ ninth-year veteran has never averaged more than 5.1 free throw attempts per game in a season, and one of the consistent knocks on his skill set through the years has been his inability to draw shooting fouls. For as talented of a free throw shooter as he is, Curry hasn’t been able to maximize that aspect of his game.
That is, until this year.
“Just more aware I think of how I can pick and choose my spots to try to force the issue,” Curry said. “Obviously the strength of my game is to be able to shoot the ball and create space to knock down shots. But the way teams are defending the drive has been pretty consistently open and being able to just draw contact, being under control when you get into the lane, it’s been pretty solid effort just trying to create that contact and get to the line. And especially when we’re in the bonus, just trying to get the nudge or get some contact usually when that situation happens, I’m able to get to the line a lot better.”
Curry said Warriors’ assistant coach Bruce Fraser has implored him to sell fouls more effectively. While certain stars like James Harden, LeBron James and Russell Westbrook have become masters of the craft, Curry has never figured out a way to consistently drive up his point per game total from the foul line.
On Wednesday night, the 29-year-old drove his average down with a perfect eight-for-eight showing in a win over the Raptors. His performance ended a stretch of three straight games in which Curry attempted at least 10 foul shots, the longest streak of consecutive games with double digit attempts in his career. Yet still, Curry made a concerted effort to drive the lane, and attack the rim, often charging for a layup and falling to the court even though officials didn’t give him the benefit of the doubt.
The sample size is certainly small, but Curry’s persistence in drawing more contact has the potential to pay massive dividends for the Warriors down the road. Much like how Klay Thompson and Draymond Green’s defensive abilities give Golden State the luxury of playing with a smaller, more athletic unit at the end of games, Curry’s free throw shooting prowess could give the Warriors’ offense another element that would benefit the team in crunch time scenarios.
Curry said he doesn’t feel any different at the line right now than he has in the past, but he’s clearly gaining confidence as the early days of the season progress.
If and when Curry’s free throw percentage regresses to his career norm, the Warriors should hope that their point guard’s attempts remain at a top-five clip. As far as high percentage shots go, it’s hard to imagine Golden State finding easier buckets than a Curry free throw attempt, so the greater the volume, the more opportunities the Warriors have to score.
“I know if I get fouled, I’m most likely to convert those into points,” Curry said. “So I understand the value of them and especially like, certain momentum swings in games if you can kill a team’s run by getting to the foul line. Especially in the playoffs how important that becomes, that’s really crucial. I don’t really try to admire is a strong word, I understand how most people are in that double digit attempts per game how they get it done, but like I answered last night, it’s not really my style to go out seeking fouls or try to draw contact in that sense but so far this year, I’ve just been able to be timely with being aggressive to the basket and draw attention.”