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Steph Curry is among the most efficient scorers this year, and the recipe hasn't changed
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- Steph Curry is among the most efficient scorers this year, and the recipe hasn't changed
There aren't many players in the NBA who can withstand the pressure of Father Time and still be a top player in the league. Of course, there is LeBron James and his alien-like endurance for the last 23 years. There's a scoring monster in Kevin Durant with his 18 years of experience, though many of them have been plagued by injuries.
And then there is Stephen Curry , in a league of his own, one might argue.
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Not many players stay in the NBA after their mid-30s, and even fewer play at a level that forces coaches across the league to tailor their systems accordingly — as is still the case with 37-year-old Curry.
Curry's efficiency among the elite
The Golden State Warriors suffered a tight loss against the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday, with Curry scoring 27 points, but in a rough shooting performance, going 4-for-15 from 3-point range and 9-for-23 overall before fouling out.
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A game like that is more of an anomaly than a rule for Curry, who ranks seventh among all players in true shooting percentage while scoring 28.7 points per game this season. If we take a look at the last two seasons, Steph is even slightly more efficient this year — he's taking more shots, but he's also making more. His field goal percentage currently sits at 46.4 percent.
This season also brought some record-breaking moments, with Curry joining Michael Jordan as the only players aged 37 or older in NBA history to record consecutive 45-point games. This feat occurred after he scored 46 and 49 points in two games against the San Antonio Spurs in November. He also holds the record for the most games with 40 or more points for a player older than 30 in NBA history.
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Conditioning is key
Curry's minutes are on the same level as they were in the last two seasons — 32.3 per game. This should take a toll on a veteran's body, but that doesn't seem to affect him too much. He's known for his constant movement on offense, establishing a pace that defenders can't keep up with.
A lot of that can be attributed to Curry's practice routine. There's probably no player in the NBA who has a more demanding preparation than him.
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"We've had a player, who's still in the NBA, go through the first five minutes, sat down on the floor beside the door for about 30 seconds, stood up, went outside, threw up, and was done," Curry's long-time personal trainer, Brandon Payne, described one workout in 2022.
Payne is the man who comes up with Curry's complex workout routines designed to emulate game situations. The goal is to bring Curry to his limits and then to practice shooting from different spots on the floor.
Several NBA players participated in those offseason workouts, and all of them agree: it is hard — almost impossible — to keep up with the Golden State Warriors superstar.
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"The way he works out in the drills he does is all about getting him as tired as possible so he can shoot while he's tired," Michael Porter Jr. said about Curry's drills.
Thriving in a system
Curry perfected using that stamina within the Warriors' system. It's a style of basketball that relies heavily on screening, cutting and finding open shots around the 3-point line. No one utilises that better than Steph. He's often running circles around the court, going through screen after screen until his defender is either worn out and takes the bait as Curry fakes a jump shot, or until he's wide open behind the arc.
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And he's been doing it at an elite level for more than a decade.
JR Smith once hilariously recalled how difficult it was for Matthew Dellavedova — one of Curry's toughest defenders throughout his career — to keep up with the Warriors superstar in the 2015 NBA Finals.
"Delly almost died guarding Steph Curry. No, literally, almost died. We have footage of this man in the ice tube literally to his neck trying to guard this man," he said.
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In his 17th NBA season, Curry is showing no signs of slowing down. The Warriors are currently eighth in the West and in the play-in picture with a 19-18 record, but there's a long way to go until the playoffs. The only certain thing is that Curry, as long as he stays healthy, is going to be running tirelessly around the court looking to find that perfect shot.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jan 7, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
