Top 3 Steph Curry stat figures that show how he revolutionized modern NBA

Steph Curry is the best 3-point shooter in NBA history. Thanks to his quick release and limitless range, Curry has revolutionized the NBA, winning four championships in the process.

The Warriors are not the only team the eight-time All-Star has changed. The entire league has shifted its focus towards launching a barrage of 3-pointers, which is something he gets a lot of credit for.

This article reveals three stats that show how Steph Curry revolutionized the modern NBA. We will take a look at some league statistics before Curry's draft and after.

Steph Curry's shooting spread to the entire league

Curry entered the league in 2009 and immediately became one of its best shooters. With a 43.7% 3-point percentage in his rookie season, the 2021-22 Finals MVP was a deadly sharpshooter.

In his seventh season in the NBA, Curry was launching 11.2 3-pointers per game and making 45.4% of them, which was impressive.

When Curry was a rookie, the league averaged 18.1 3-point shots per game. This number increased to 32.0 shots from deep in the 2018-19 season, and reached its all-time high of 35.2 last season.

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Due to the 3-point barrage, the offensive rating has also consistently increased since Curry's rookie season. This comes as no surprise considering how many amazing shooters there are in the league.

The evolution of small ball

The Golden State Warriors are not the first team in NBA history to utilize small ball lineups, but they have been the most efficient team at that. Playing small ball basketball is all about sacrificing height in order to gain advantage in other areas.

Using smaller players in power forward and center positions give teams more space to work with. Due to this, Draymond Green, who stands at 6-6, has been a starting center for the Warriors for a long time.

Draymond Green has played a center for the Warriors (Image via Getty Images)

Thanks to Steph Curry's insane shooting skills, the Warriors used their small ball lineup to perfection. This has eventually spread to the entire league. Having a tall center who cannot shoot 3-pointers or is not quick enough to guard shooters is considered a liability. Due to this, the entire league has changed.

In the past decade, centers haven't crashed the offensive glass as often as before and the pace is much quicker. During Curry's rookie season, the league-wide pace was 92.73. It is 99.32 this season.

Less physicality

Steph Curry's 3-point shooting has made the NBA less physical as well. Considering that more teams focus on long-range shots, the frequency of personal fouls is much lower.

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Curry's shooting skills have changed the NBA (Image via Getty Images)

During Curry's first season in the NBA, the league averaged 20.9 personal fouls per game. In other words, there were .228 free throws per every field goal attempt. The free throw rate has decreased since his rookie campaign.

The 2020-21 season had the lowest FT/FGA ratio in the modern NBA with only .192. Many players prefer to shoot the long ball than driving to the rim. Considering some of these happen in transition, it's not surprising that the three throw rate has been so low.