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Golden State Warriors: 3 takeaways from win over Sacramento Kings

By Carlos Murillo

CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 5: Kevin Durant #35 celebrates with Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena on December 5, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers 129-105. 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 Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 5: Kevin Durant #35 celebrates with Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena on December 5, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers 129-105. 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 Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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Golden State Warriors
Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images /

Stephen Curry should be shooting more 3-pointers

It seems obvious that the greatest shooter ever should take a lot of attempts, but here we are. Don’t get me wrong, Stephen Curry shoots a lot already. And he does his best to find a balance between getting his own looks and staying within the flow of the offense without completely hijacking it.

Curry is shooting a career-high in 3-point attempts per game at 11.3. The only other season he shot over 10 threes per game was in the 2015-16 season. He shot 11.2 treys per contest, shooting 45.4 percent and knocking down an NBA-record 402 threes en route to becoming the league’s first unanimous MVP while winning the most games in league history.

Curry is at 45 percent for the 2018-19 season from long range, which is remarkable when you consider the volume and the quality of looks that he takes. He will shoot from anywhere behind the line with any kind of defense on him.

Against the Kings, Curry took 20 attempts, a career high. He made 10 of them and finished with a relatively effortless 42 points on amazing efficiency. That’s where Curry needs to be around for the rest of the season.

Largely thanks to Curry and the Warriors as a whole, the NBA is now a 3-point shooting league. They changed the way the game is played and the long-range shot has never been more important or more valuable. For some reason, however, the game has seemingly passed Golden State up and they are middle-of-the-pack this year. As a team, the Warriors are shooting 32.1 threes per game, good for 12th in the league.

Klay Thompson has had a rough shooting season and Draymond Green has regressed mightily from where he was three seasons ago as a shooter. Kevin Durant is shooting fewer threes than he did last year.

Curry needs to shoot more, not only to benefit his own game but to help the team as a whole.

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