On any list describing almost everything connected to this season of men's college basketball, you are sure to find Stephen Curry’s name. This 6'2″ junior that led Davidson within a basket of reaching the 2008 Final Four, is a son of one of the best shooters in NBA history, Dell Curry.
And the son is widely recognized as the best shooter in the nation. There is no question he deserves that label, but Curry is mostly known as ”only” a pure shooter. But Curry is much more talented than that label indicants.
Many sports types have used the label as ” pure shooter” as an extremely broad description for skinny players who or don’t—or can’t—dunk on a regular basis. Yet, their influence on the game is undeniable.
In recent years, those with the skills to be classified as “pure shooters” have been in high demand. As teams are looking for every advantage, the three-point line has become more and more important, and teams are designing offenses around those skill players.
Duke alumni, and current Orlando Magic bench warmer, J.J. Redick wore the badge proudly like few others in recent history. He wore it straight to the top of the All-Time ACC Scoring List and multiple Player of the Year Awards his senior season.
Yet, he did have an ability—be it a rather limited ability—to put the ball on the floor and then pull up from mid-range. But his best weapon was the “catch and shoot” off of screens, drawing fouls and getting to the foul line.
Their ability to shoot the ball from nearly anywhere on the court is where the comparisons end for Redick and Curry.
After losing senior point guard Jason Richards, Curry was asked to handle the ball and initiate the offense. In his first five games running the offense, Curry is averaging 7.8 assists and 35 points per game.
Granted, this is only the beginning of the season, but it shows he is capable. Remember, we have seen it before in very important games played in March against the best teams in the country.
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about 1 month ago
Gerry McNamara was also a great pure shooter at his time in Syracuse. He nailed 7 threes in the championship game against Kansas.
A current great shooter that wasn't mentioned is Robbie Hummel from Purdue.
from about 1 month ago
Hey Ryan - I love McNamara. No better leader when he was on the court and that run in the Big East tourney was unreal. As for Hummel, i don't even think of him in the pure shooter group, he does everything really well, including shooting. So I did not include in either group.
Thanks for the comment.
from about 1 month ago
I wouldn't say Gerry McNamara was a great pure shooter. He was one of the most clutch players in the NCAAB history, but when it comes to consistently knocking down threes, he's not your guy. G-MAC's three point percentage was never great, he set the school record because he shot so many freaking threes. He was a fun player to watch and left his mark at SU, but frankly he isn't as good as a shooter as people make him out to be.
29 days ago
Nice article, Daniel. You're right about Curry -- he is a pure shooter, but that doesn't mean he's not a great scorer, too. His shot is certainly "pure," so I don't think he's offended by the label. The bottom line is, he puts the ball in the hoop and forces defenses to game-plan around him.
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