Is Steph Curry the best shooter ever?

[ThePrideofShiner]

Indianapolis Star columnist Gregg Doyel asked Larry Bird that. Bird had an interesting response, and told a few stories.
 
http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/columnists/gregg-doyel/2015/06/08/doyel-nobody-even-steph-curry-shoots-like-bird/28701529/
 
 
As to the question posed, I think more than just Bird has a better shot. I love Curry, but Ray Allen was pretty damn smooth also.

 

[Kliq]

I think he has to be right there at the top. The other guys like Bird, Allen, even Reggie Miller, all had some physical advantages. They were not undersized guys that had to create a ton of space to get their shot off. Out of those four he has the least physical tools and yet he statistically is just as good if not better than all of them.

 

[lars10]

I think he has to be right there at the top. The other guys like Bird, Allen, even Reggie Miller, all had some physical advantages. They were not undersized guys that had to create a ton of space to get their shot off. Out of those four he has the least physical tools and yet he statistically is just as good if not better than all of them.

This is partially true..but Bird played down low against larger players a bunch and had to create space. I don't feel like I've seen Curry back anyone down and shoot a fadeaway..he is great at crossing people over and stepping back to create space. For my money Bird had the widest variety of shots...he also taught himself to shoot left handed which I think is amazing. Curry is one of the greatest shooters from the three point line... But when he's off like he was yesterday I didn't see him adjust and drive more... Bird and others have the advantage of being able to change up there game more if the three or jumper isn't working.

Edit: I think Curry does shoot fade aways but not as much in the mid range after backing someone down with the dribble ..but I also admit I've only concentrated on him the last few weeks

 

[GeorgeCostanza]

Guess it depends on what type of shooting you are talking about? 3pt? Mid range? All around?

 

[Tangled Up In Red]

Guess it depends on what type of shooting you are talking about? 3pt? Mid range? All around?

I would have to think all-around for the context of this discussion. Anything else is a sub-set.

 

[Devizier]

I'll probably go with Reggie Miller here, despite his post-career efforts to make us all forgot how good he was.
 
I would definitely rate each guy as the best shooter at his position (1-Curry 2-Miller 3-Bird). Filling it out: 4-Nowitzki, 5-Sabonis?

 

[GeorgeCostanza]

Really tough question because there have been just so many phenomenal shooters. Mark Price had one of the all time great shots from anywhere on the floor. Form was a thing of beauty and had the results to match.

 

[jon abbey]

I'll probably go with Reggie Miller here, despite his post-career efforts to make us all forgot how good he was.
 
I would definitely rate each guy as the best shooter at his position (1-Curry 2-Miller 3-Bird). Filling it out: 4-Nowitzki, 5-Sabonis?

 
Ewing was a pretty incredible shooter for a center.

 

[SumnerH]

 
Ewing was a pretty incredible shooter for a center.

Good but not all time great. Sabonis was better. Brad Miller and a few others, too.

 

[Infield Infidel]

Dirk? had a 50-40-90 season, shot from inside, outside and midrange, could create space without really any footspeed, has an almost unblockable one foot jumper.

 

[Papelbon's Poutine]

Also is a PF.

 

[Tangled Up In Red]

Just throwing names out: Dennis Scott, Chuck Person, Drazen Petrovic, Chris Mullin

 

[Kliq]

Sam Perkins, Mehmet Okur and Sabonis come to mind as far as Centers shooting threes.
 
The greatest shooter of them all might not have even played in the NBA:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiOpnEuB6fo

 

[GeorgeCostanza]

Just throwing names out: Dennis Scott, Chuck Person, Drazen Petrovic, Chris Mullin

The rifleman was fun as hell to watch. When he got hot he'd drill 30ft heat checks. Another dude who could pull that off was Dan Majerle. Chuck's little brother Wes had the better shot though if you ask me. Drazen had an ugly shot but he was great. Sad end for him.

Don't know if most people consider him a PF or C but Detlef Schrempf had a deadly J for his size.

 

[Infield Infidel]

On those Sonics teams Schrempf was SF with Kemp at PF and either Sam Perkins or a defensive specialist at C.

Sam Perkins had a silky stroke when he had it going.

 

[CreightonGubanich]

I think, looking beyond percentages, a guy like Curry should get greater consideration for the way he creates his own shot. You can't really compare him to guys who were primarily spot-up shooters in my opinion; can you imagine what Curry would shoot if he got to be more selective and just take open spot-up threes?
 
I don't really know the answer to the question, but Miller, Allen, Bird and Nowitzki are the four that come to mind for me. Curry shoots as well as any of them percentage-wise, and he doesn't have the luxury of playing off the ball. Miller and Allen spent the second half of their careers running around screens designed to get them open spot-up looks; what Curry is doing as the focal point of the offense (and as a point guard) is unprecedented. Assuming he doesn't fall off a cliff in the next couple of years, I think he's got a good shot at being the best ever when all is said and done.

 

[GeorgeCostanza]

Sam Perkins had a silky stroke when he had it going.

 
He was a big boy too, wide from shoulders to hips.

 

[ALiveH]

KD's 40/50/90 season a couple years back was pretty incredible too.
 
As a pure 3-point shooter what Curry is doing for overall degree of difficulty in terms of shot creation & shot volume & accuracy just can't be topped IMHO.  Ray Allen at his peak maybe comes closest.
 
For overall shooting, including mid-range.  Nowitzki, Ray, Bird, Durant and maybe a couple others have to be in the discussion too.

 

[Sam Ray Not]

Reggie Miller held the all-time NBA record for threes in the playoffs at 58. Ray Allen was #2 at 57.
 
Curry is currently at 88 and counting.

 

[Kliq]

I think he's great too, but I also think it's time we look at the 3 point numbers the way we look at passing numbers in the NFL. Everyone is shooting so many more of them that it is hard to compare the number of guys today vs the numbers of guys even 10 years ago.

 

[Devizier]

The hand check rules had a huge impact on the league, especially with regards to guard play.

 

[GeorgeCostanza]

The hand check rules had a huge impact on the league, especially with regards to guard play.

This can't be emphasized enough. For some reason I remember Dee Brown of all people had a hell of a hand check with those long arms for his 6'1 body

 

[Sam Ray Not]

I also think it's time we look at the 3 point numbers the way we look at passing numbers in the NFL. Everyone is shooting so many more of them that it is hard to compare the number of guys today vs the numbers of guys even 10 years ago.

This is true, and I think will only become more true in the coming years as the inevitable Warriors/Curry copycat rage grips the NBA. But for now no one else in the current three-crazy era has sniffed 60 threes made in a playoffs, let alone 100. #2 and #3 are still Reggie (2000) and Ray (2001).
 
Steph right now is the Babe Ruth of threes. His closest active competitor in playoff threes is Klay "Gehrig" Thompson at 55 and counting.

 

[WayBackVazquez]

Larry never even practiced 3s until he was entered in the first contest. If the shot was as big a part of the game as it is now, it's crazy to think of how many points he would have scored.