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Stephen Curry expected to join top-five in career threes this season

By Frank Yien

OAKLAND, CA - OCTOBER 17: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors shoots a three point basket over Clint Capela #15 of the Houston Rockets at ORACLE Arena on October 17, 2017 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - OCTOBER 17: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors shoots a three point basket over Clint Capela #15 of the Houston Rockets at ORACLE Arena on October 17, 2017 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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Stephen Curry,  the Golden State Warriors’ superstar, is fast approaching the top of the leaderboard in career three-pointers made

The Golden State Warriors and Stephen Curry have exemplified how to win in today’s NBA. Although they didn’t invent the blueprint, they’ve executed it to the tune of three titles in four years: play positionless basketball, exploit mismatches, and find players who can make the three-point shot.

For evidence of how much the NBA has changed over the past ten years, look no further than the leaderboard for career three-pointers made in the regular season. What was once considered a novelty has become an essential component to winning a championship. 

In the 2008-09 season, Rashard Lewis of the Orlando Magic was the only player to score over 200 three-pointers. In 2017-18, twelve players reached the 200 mark, and ten of those twelve marksmen played in the post-season.

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The leaderboard for career regular season three-pointers made will see a dramatic makeover in the next couple of years. Ray Allen retired in 2014 as the all-time leader with 2,973 threes, well ahead of Reggie Miller in second place.

Stephen Curry currently sits in seventh place in career regular season three-pointers made. Ahead of him are three retired players (denoted by *) and three active players.

  1. Ray Allen*             2,973
  2. Reggie Miller*      2,560
  3. Jason Terry            2,282
  4. Kyle Korver           2,213
  5. Jamal Crawford   2,153
  6. Paul Pierce*         2,143
  7. Stephen Curry     2,129

Barring some catastrophic event, Curry should move up to fourth place by the end of the 2018-19 season. Curry could possibly pass Kyle Korver and move into third place.

Last season, Curry missed 31 games due to injury, yet still made 212 threes. His per-game average of 4.2 three-pointers was the highest of anyone who made over 200 threes last year.

Over the past five seasons Curry has averaged 297 three-pointers; no other player has reached the 297 total, ever.

A healthy Stephen Curry would be expected to make 250-300 threes this season. He will likely pass Paul Pierce and Jamal Crawford before Thanksgiving.

Ranking third on the all-time three-pointer list, Jason Terry will turn 41 in September and is the second oldest player in the league behind Vince Carter. The Jet spent the last two seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, but is currently not signed to any team.

Kyle Korver is still productive at the age of 37 and may see more playing time with the Cleveland Cavaliers this season given LeBron James’ departure. He can reasonably be expected to add 150-180 threes to his total this season. Korver looks like he can play for a couple more years.

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Jamal Crawford, 38, apparently sleeps with a copy of The Picture of Dorian Gray under his pillow. Like Korver, he seems to just roll along, with nary a drop-off in productivity. He should be good for 100-125 threes this year. Recent speculation has Crawford possibly joining the Philadelphia 76ers this season.

But with the players ahead of him either retired or in the twilight of their careers, it’s likely that Stephen Curry will be the all-time leader in three-point shots made by 2022 or 2023. Curry will also be the first player to reach 3,000 threes, barring injury.

Looking farther down the list, Houston Rockets‘ James Harden and Splash Brother Klay Thompson are moving up rapidly. Harden is currently 19th with 1,647 threes, and Thompson is 24th (1,557 threes). Expect both to be in the top ten in a couple of years.

As the years roll on, the three-point list will reflect more and more the balance of power in the NBA.

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