Stephen Curry FAQ: Everything you wanted to know about Steph

Is Stephen Curry the greatest shooter ever? Is he a “system player”? Why is he always chewing on his mouthguard? Our Stephen Curry FAQ has all your answers.

Stephen Curry has been a transformational presence in the NBA, lifting the Golden State Warriors from travesty to dynasty and remaking the league’s offenses in his own image, simply through the power of example.

If you’re a Warriors fan, he’s the center of your sporting universe. If you’re a fan of any of the other 29 teams, you’re intimately familiar with how quickly his shooting touch can bury an opponent. He is familiar, but you still have questions. Luckily, we have answers.

Is Stephen Curry a “system player”?

Of all the criticisms leveled at Curry over the years, this is the most absurd, by far. Of course he is a system player, but so is every other dominant player in NBA history. Every player brings skills to the table. Every team tries to design a system that maximizes those skills for the collective good.

Curry has undoubtedly benefited from playing in an offensive system that lets him shoot 3-pointers whenever he wants, that surrounds him with complementary shooters and creators to maximize space and distractions for the defense, and that emphasizes kinetic movement of players and the ball. And, yes, that system worked as well as it did because he is a generational talent with outlier shooting ability.

Michael Jordan benefited from playing in an offensive system that let him isolate on the wing and gave him shooters to pass to when the double-teams were exhausting, and offensive rebounders to crash the glass on the rare occasions he missed. Ditto for Kobe Bryant. Karl Malone benefited from playing in an offensive system that let him run endless pick-and-rolls with one of the greatest passers of all-time. Great players make great systems and vice versa — they are inseparable.

Is Stephen Curry the greatest shooter of all-time?

LOL, yes.

Why is Stephen Curry always chewing on his mouthguard?

The origin story is a busted lip in college that had him get stitches at halftime and first put the infamous arc of rubber in his mouth. As to why he’s still chewing on it, constantly, all these years later … who knows? Maybe it gets boring knowing he can make any shot from anywhere on the court and he’s just trying to keep himself entertained.

As to why we’re so entertained by it, I like Micah Wimmer’s idea:

"I think that Curry’s mouthguard fixation is so easy to focus on because it’s one of the few parts of his game and persona that does not feel smoothed over, efficient, or under control. Curry plays basketball with an easygoing subtlety that is disarming. Even as he sprints around defenders trying to free himself for an open three-pointer, there is a casualness to it, but the mouthguard belies the composure that otherwise defines him. It is the only trace of the nerves or anxiety that must come with performing at such a high level night after night."

Is Stephen Curry a point guard?

Nominally, yes. According to Basketball-Reference’s position estimates, he’s played about 94 percent of his career minutes as a point guard with his non-point-guard minutes peaking as a rookie (at 36 percent) when he shared the backcourt with C.J. Watson and Monta Ellis.

But that’s not really what you’re asking, is it? You’re looking for a way to take him down a peg, to stain his career resume with the implication that he lacks some sort of positional purity.

Sure, he shoots a lot of 3-pointers. But he’s also 81st on the career assist list, with presumably several prime or near-prime seasons still ahead of him. That should be enough time to put him comfortably ahead of “purer” point guards like Mark Price, Doc Rivers, Nate McMillan, Walt Frazier, Jose Calderon and Kenny Anderson. Since the 2013-14 season, when the Warriors’ system really coalesced around his shooting, he still has more total assists than Kemba Walker, Kyrie Irving or Mike Conley.

The job of a “pure” point guard is to get easy shots for his teammates. Whether it’s by passing the ball to them or simply drawing their defenders away, Curry more than checks the box.

Could Stephen Curry and his family beat Rick Barry and his sons?

Curry’s younger brother, Seth, is just 29 and has knocked down nearly 500 3-pointers during his six-year NBA career. Curry’s father, Dell, is still just 55 and made nearly 1,000 3-pointers during his 16 years in the NBA. But could that shooting be enough to stop the NBA’s other most famous father-and-two-sons unit in a game of 3-on-3?

Rick Barry is 76 but if you think for one second he’s going to let Dell run him ragged, you’ve got another thing coming. At 6-foot-7, Rick has a couple of inches on Dell and I would expect him to just body him down in the post, leveraging his touch, physicality and foul-drawing ability. The real question is how the Barrys would handle the perimeter matchups. Jon had more of a defensive reputation in the NBA but he’s also older than Brent and generally less athletic than his brother. (You’re welcome, Bones).

I think the move is to put Brent on Steph, let him try and bother him with his length and wingspan. Then, hope Jon and Rick can use their old-man strength to take advantage of Seth and Dell, and really work the glass. If they’re playing in a driveway without a 3-point line, the Barrys have a shot. Any other scenario and this could get out of hand quickly.

How bad is Stephen Curry on defense?

Stahp, we all know what you’re doing. The book on Curry as a young player was to get physical with him, make him work on defense and exploit him at that end to try and cancel out his offensive contributions. It was a viable strategy until it wasn’t.

Jacob Goldstein’s Player Impact Plus-Minus estimates Curry has been essentially a positive or net neutral defender since the 2013-14 season. (Only eight players have generated more steals than Curry over that time span). He’s not an exceptional defender but he’s not a harmful one either and that’s really the bottom line. Through their contending window, the Warriors ranked third, first, sixth, second and 11th (twice) in defensive efficiency. If the team can build an elite, championship-winning defense with him as an integral part, his individual shortcomings are irrelevant.

What 3-point records does Stephen Curry hold?

Buckle up, there are a few:

• He’s led the league in 3-pointers made five times, no one else has done it more than three times.
• He led the league in 3-pointers for five consecutive seasons, no one else has done it more than two consecutive seasons.
• He has the record for most 3-pointers made in a season (402).
• He has the record for most consecutive games with a 3-pointer made (157)

In addition:

• He’s third on the career 3-pointers list, a record he will almost certainly own within the next two or three seasons.
• His teammate Klay Thompson holds the record for most 3-pointers made in a game, with 14. Curry has a game with 13 makes and while his career distribution of 3-pointers per game implies it’s incredibly unlikely, it’s hard to count him out.

Hasn’t Stephen Curry only won titles because he played with Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, and was coached by Steve Kerr?

How many titles did Michael Jordan win without Scottie Pippen and Phil Jackson? How many did Tim Duncan win without Gregg Popovich and at least one other Hall-of-Famer? How many did Kobe win without Jackson and a dominant big man? How many did Magic win without Kareem? How many did Bird win without McHale and Parish?

#BREAKING: GREAT PLAYERS NEED OTHER GREAT PLAYERS AND COACHES TO WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS

What is Stephen Curry’s net worth?

Spotrac estimates Curry’s career basketball earnings to be around $168 million, with roughly another $90 million due on the two remaining years of his deal with the Warriors. He also generates significant income through endorsements. Forbes estimated those deals to be worth about $42 million last year and his Under Armour contract alone is reported to be around $20 million a year.

Honestly, he’s probably wealthy enough to buy a team in Australia’s NBL and set his brother up for a run at multiple MVPs.

What’s the greatest Stephen Curry meme ever?

Curry is such a happy, smiley guy there is an endless collection of reaction shots and gifs to be leveraged into useful memes. Many fans will gravitate towards some Curry-focused variation on the “blew a 3-1 lead” format but for my money, you can’t beat a simple Curry shimmy gif.