NBA Week 18 Rewind: Stephen Curry keeps changing the game

Who’s Heating Up?

Stephen Curry has usually been left out of this segment, simply because he’s been “hot” all season. There’s no way to put his 2015-16 campaign into context except for saying that it’s the best shooting season of all time and it’s become harder and harder to argue that he isn’t the best shooter of all time. Yes, he still has to deal with the matter of longevity and put together plenty more seasons, but is there even a spec of doubt that he won’t be able to achieve that?

Here are a few numbers to try and describe his performance this season:

• He’s broken his own record for three-pointers in a season with 288 and still has 24 games left to play.
• He’s the only player in NBA history to have back-to-back games with at least 10 three-pointers.
• He has more games with 10+ threes (two) in the last week than Ray Allen (one) had in his entire career.
• He has three 50-point games this season and never reached 36 minutes playing time in any of them.
• He’s tied the single game record of 12 made threes, and he only needed 16 attempts to do so.
• He’s become the first NBA player to have a 50-point game with one or fewer free throw attempts.
• He’s 35-of-52 from 28-50 feet this season, which maintains a higher efficiency rate (due to the value of a three) than a team making 100 percent of their two-pointers (per ESPN’s Ethan Strauss).
• His player efficiency rating of 32.9 will be the highest in a single season in the history of the NBA; not even second place Wilt Chamberlain had a better season than 31.82.

That’s all pretty hard to believe, isn’t it? His shooting is just… well, there isn’t another adjective to use now.

Curry’s efficiency and range would be extraordinary by itself. But with the frequency at which he takes so many difficult shots (11 three-point attempts per game), both off the dribble and with defenders hopelessly draped over him, he has still shot a career-high 46.8 percent from three this season.

You shouldn’t have to play tight defense on someone when they’ve barely crossed half court. Defense has never been played in such a way because no one should be effective from so far out and shouldn’t be attempting (or even capable of) shots from that far away. Yet, Curry just keeps improving his creative ability and his efficiency, while constantly expanding his range. Time and time again, Curry is proving what he’s capable of in the biggest moments and he’s changing the game because of it.

In terms of sheer ability, shot creation and range as he’s only just hitting his prime at 27 years old, it’s hard to deny that what Curry can do right now is on a level above anyone else we’ve seen.

The Portland Trail Blazers were projected by many to reside at the depths of the Western Conference this season. They lost four starters last summer in Wesley Matthews, Nicolas Batum, Robin Lopez and most importantly LaMarcus Aldridge, leaving Damian Lillard and a young, unproven C.J. McCollum to take over. The latter had only averaged 15.7 minutes in 2014-15 and started just three games while averaging 6.8 points, so he was hardly a key piece to rebuild a franchise around.

Now, his production has soared to 20.8 points per game while maintaining 44.3 percent shooting and a 39.9 percent three-point stroke, surely solidifying him as a favorite to be Sixth Man of the Year. As if McCollum’s rise wasn’t enough, Lillard is yet again taking over offensively and is playing with his typical anger after getting another chip on his shoulder.

If you don’t vote Lillard into the NBA All-Star game, you can expect him to lash out at any opponent who tries to stop him. As he continues to prove anyone foolish enough to overlook him wrong, he’s become the only player to tally 30 points in five straight games this season and has now averaged 33.3 points, 5.4 assists and 1.6 steals over his last eight outings.

Most importantly, the Blazers are 13-2 in their last 15 games. Despite their limitations and frontcourt that needs improvement whenever possible (Noah Vonleh and Mason Plumlee are the starters), they have a solid core of rotation players and two star guards leading the way. As a result, they’re far ahead of their rebuilding schedule. And when they get hot, Portland are proving themselves as a perfect (and winning) example of today’s perimeter-based NBA.

Chris Paul continues to show why he’s at the forefront of the 2016 MVP race for those who will finish behind the unanimous choice for first place, Stephen Curry. He’s taken over the Clippers’ smaller, floor spacing based offense since Blake Griffin was ruled out after Christmas Day with a quadriceps injury, and is simply dominating in typical Point God fashion.

No, he isn’t in the same realm of perimeter shooting of Curry because no one is, but Paul still has the best array of skills and IQ from running an offense to elite defense that you could hope to have in a point guard.

Since Griffin has been out with injury, Paul has averaged 21.8 points, 10.1 assists and 2.2 steals per game. On top of that, as he takes total control of the team without his fellow superstar, he’s even shooting 46.8 percent from the floor and 39.9 percent from three-point range. Thanks to his Point God self leading the way and his co starters and small-ball rotation players stepping up, the Clippers are 21-7 since losing Griffin. Furthermore, they haven’t lost any games back-to-back and are now, with a 38-20 record, they’re just three games behind the Thunder.

Pau Gasol doesn’t care that he’s almost 36 years old and should be slowing down now. Of course, he’s far from being a top defender when he’s moved remotely far away from the basket, but the longevity of his offensive skill set, passing and rebounding lives on strong in Chicago. It’s needed more than ever now, as without Joakim Noah, Nikola Mirotic, Jimmy Butler and most recently Derrick Rose, the Bulls are almost depleted beyond disbelief and Gasol is doing all he can in their absence.

Last week, he put up an exceptional stat line of 22 points, 16 rebounds, 14 assists and three blocks in a 103-95 loss to the Trail Blazers. To put that kind of talented scoring and stellar playmaking from the top of the key into context, the only players in their thirties to record such a stat line since 1983 (when Basketball Reference dates back to for such stats) are the iconic Larry Bird and now 35-year-old Gasol. It’s a very specific statistic, but still, it says a lot about just how well Gasol’s game translates to the latter stages of his brilliant career.

As the Bulls proceed, he really is one of their few (healthy) bright spots. With 18.4 points, 11.6 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.5 blocks per game over his last 10 outings, Gasol is reminding us that he deserved another All-Star appearance this season.

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