2024-25 season, the young guns have sparked a new wave of three-point frenzy.

LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Jayson Tatum, and Tyrese Maxey have significantly increased their three-point attempts, with an average of over 11 per game. Other participants in this frenzy include Precious Achiuwa, Derrick White, and Kobe White.

Amidst this frenzy, the reigning three-point king, Stephen Curry, seems to be flying under the radar. Due to missing three games and playing fewer than 30 minutes per game, Curry is ranked behind several young stars in the three-point leaderboard. He has only had three games with more than 10 three-point attempts, but has hit double-digit three-pointers in 10 games.

However, on November 13th, the Warriors defeated the Mavericks, and Curry taught the young guns a lesson with his five three-pointers (including a crucial step-back three-pointer) and key layups and jump shots. He showed them that being "Curry-fied" isn't just about taking multiple difficult three-pointers. The real power lies in developing the step-back three-pointer as a regular weapon and utilizing it in various threatening ways.

The youngsters still have a lot to learn from Curry! Since the 2014-15 season, Curry has spearheaded the three-point revolution, characterized by high-difficulty step-back and long-range three-pointers becoming commonplace. In the 2015-16 season, the Warriors averaged 1.329 points per possession in Curry's step-back shooting sequences, a record that still stands today (at least with 200 step-back three-point attempts) with an astonishing 45.2% shooting accuracy from 27 feet away.

Curry has shattered people's perceptions by pushing the boundaries of difficulty and distance, changing the game forever.

"We kept switching defenders, but Curry still made the shots. Sometimes, that's what great players can do. Our defense could make 95% of the league's players miss their shots, but not when it comes to Curry," said former Blazers coach, Terry Stotts.

Curry has turned this high-difficulty play into a crucial strategic weapon for the Warriors, and it has also inspired players like James Harden and Damian Lillard. Harden pursues the difficulty, attempting a crazy 968 step-back three-pointers in the 2018-19 season. Lillard pursues the distance, with 2,201 three-point attempts from 27 feet away since the 2014-15 season, second only to Curry by fewer than 100 attempts.

This style of play is a hallmark of the era of space basketball, and it has changed the defensive logic of opponents. Draymond Green explained, "Previously, coaches taught you to return to your defensive position and control the paint. But now, you have to assign defenders at the three-point line to guard against Curry. However, Curry can shoot from 4-5 steps beyond the three-point line. You simply can't guard him."

The concept is simple: if you defend the pick-and-roll by sagging off, Curry can simply step back and shoot. If you double-team Curry as soon as he crosses half-court, the rest of the Warriors can play four-on-three. If you switch defenders in a pick-and-roll, Curry can create separation and shoot a step-back three-pointer, or blow by the defender for a drive or a mid-range shot.

Therefore, taking three-pointers from further distances with the ball in hand has great strategic significance. Although the efficiency may not be as high as catch-and-shoot three-pointers, this style of play is more efficient than mid-range jumpers and can break down tight defenses, making it an advanced tactic.

In this season's new wave of three-point frenzy among the young players, an increase in step-back three-point attempts is evident. This season, six players in the league are averaging over seven step-back three-point attempts per game, and the top four players in terms of average three-point attempts are among them. The other two players are Trae Young and Luka Doncic. Last season, these four players were all outside the top six in terms of average step-back three-point attempts. Even Alexander, last season's breakout star, has significantly increased his step-back three-point attempts from 2.6 per game to 4.7 per game.

It is encouraging to see young players developing advanced tactics, but there are two problems behind this phenomenon:

Firstly, some players struggle to master this advanced play. For example, Maxey's shooting accuracy on step-back three-pointers was only 32.8% last season, and it has dropped further to 26.3% this season. Of course, this may be attributed to the pressure of a strong defense as he is yet to play alongside the 76ers' trio. Players like Tatum, Young, Bacon, and Alexander also have three-point shooting accuracy just above 30%, making them appear more like long-range chuckers.

Secondly, there is a growing homogenization of play, causing some players to lose their uniqueness. The most typical examples are Tatum, Edwards, and Ball, whose frequency of drives and shots at the rim has significantly declined this season.

Curry used the step-back three-pointer as a weapon to create space, generate scoring opportunities, and expand the Warriors' play. However, in the hands of the young stars, it has become just a means of personal scoring, lacking in variation.

NBA Hall of Famer, Shaquille O'Neal, criticized the decline in NBA viewership, believing that it is due to everyone imitating Curry and playing the same way, resulting in increased homogeneity. However, O'Neal's criticism doesn't hold water. The ratings for games featuring Curry are always high. Curry's games are exciting because he seamlessly combines ball-handling and off-ball movement, leaving no dead zones within half-court range. He can score from beyond the three-point line, in the mid-range, and at the rim. He leads the trend of making step-back three-pointers a mainstream weapon. However, he hasn't taught his peers to abandon their strengths, such as back-to-basket play or driving to the rim rather than settling for three-pointers outside the arc.

Take the Warriors' victory against the Mavericks as an example. When the Warriors trailed 108-114 in the fourth quarter, Curry scored 12 points to seal the victory. He made these scoring plays in the following ways:

He drove to the mid-range, executed a quick stop, and hit a jump shot.

Curry ran the pick-and-roll, faced a center switching onto him, and confidently shot a three-pointer.

Again, Curry ran the pick-and-roll. In the previous two plays, Curry had threatened with his step-back shooting. This time, he executed a reject move (moving in the opposite direction of the screen) to drive to the rim.

In the final killer play, Curry faced Dorian Finney-Smith, a forward guarding him, and hit a contested three-pointer.

Curry's three-dimensional scoring abilities - mid-range, close range, and beyond the three-point line - were on full display. The step-back three-pointer is a nuclear weapon, but Curry has used its threat to develop mid-range pull-ups and drives to the rim. That's why Green says, "Curry's step-back three-pointer is a big weapon for us in crucial moments."

The young players can compare their performances and stats with Curry's.

For those players struggling with step-back three-pointers, they may need to ask themselves why Curry can shoot over 40% on step-back threes, while they struggle to reach even 35%. The standards of Curry's training have been discussed in detail in this piece.

For those players whose aggressiveness has declined after increasing their three-point attempts, they may need to think about why Curry, at the age of 36, has increased his share of shots at the rim to over 17%, similar to when he was 31 in the 2017-18 season.

For those players who can only play with the ball but struggle off-ball, they may need to ponder why Curry can maintain shooting accuracy above 40% on both catch-and-shoot and self-created three-pointers. Curry's gravitational pull is unbeatable.

One of the great attractions of the NBA is that players' skills and tactics are constantly evolving. Curry's emergence has ushered in a new era. Many have tried to imitate and learn from Curry in recent years, but currently, no one comes close to him in the shooting department. The young generation has fallen into a misconception. If they simply pursue the number of difficult shots they take, they are still far from understanding the essence of Curry's success.

Perhaps the era of Curry is far from over.