One Stat Perfectly Captures Why Stephen Curry Is by Far the NBA’s Best Shooter

The Warriors star continues to outshoot the competition.
One Stat Perfectly Captures Why Stephen Curry Is by Far the NBA’s Best Shooter
One Stat Perfectly Captures Why Stephen Curry Is by Far the NBA’s Best Shooter /
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In an era where the three-pointer is a crucial component of most players arsenals, Warriors superstar Stephen Curry remains the best of the best. At age 35, Golden State’s point guard hasn’t lost a beat when it comes to his shooting touch, and that’s been on display throughout the 2022-23 NBA season.

According to a statistical tidbit dug up by Reddit user nowhathappenedwas, of the 30 NBA players who attempted more than 200 pull-up three-pointers this season, Curry is the only one with a field goal percentage above 40%. The Warriors star is converting on his pull-up three-point attempts at a steady 45% clip, making him far and away the sharpest shooter off the dribble in the league.

In 2022-23 Curry has attempted 337 pull-up three-pointers, converting on 152 of those attempts. Mavericks star Luka Doncic has taken a league-high 459 pull-up jumpers from beyond the arc, registering a 34.4% field goal percentage on those shots.

In terms of field goal percentage, trailing Curry is Tyrese Haliburton, who has converted on 39.7% of his pull-ups from deep, followed by Jamal Murray (39.3%) and Donovan Mitchell (39.2%). 

Curry has frequently showcased his ability to create for himself and bury difficult shots this season, and he’s had more success and consistency in that regard than anyone else in the league. 

He’s averaging over 30 points per game for just the third time in his career, and his ridiculous field goal percentage on pull-up threes, of which he takes plenty, has certainly played a role in that. 


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Karl Rasmussen
KARL RASMUSSEN

Karl Rasmussen is a staff writer for the Breaking and Trending News team for Sports Illustrated. A University of Oregon alum who joined SI in February 2023, his work has appeared on 12up and ClutchPoints. Rasmussen is a loyal Tottenham, Jets, Yankees and Ducks fan.