Steph Curry = Most Influential Player in Modern NBA History

I can only speak to how long I've been following the NBA, not prior to that.  Steph has been the most influential player when it comes to influencing how other players play.  Players couldn't mass imitate Jordan's style like they do Curry's, because being able to do shit like consistently hit turnaround-fadeaway jumpers and pump reverses takes a crazy amount of agility and athleticism (i.e. Kobe Bryant).  But when it comes to chucking up threes, theoretically any player can do that.

What caused me to write this article was NBC reporting today the Nikola Jokic hit a step-back three-pointer to beat the Magic last night.  Nikola Jokic, whose like a 6-11 center, not the PG or SG or even SF on the Nuggets.

Let me illustrate my point here.  Reggie Miller can perhaps be considered the greatest three-point shooter of the 1990s.  But even he, before he would shoot, would work off screens and other offensive devices.  But nowadays even Joe Schmoo is allowed to shoot three-pointers, with like defenders right in his face or without passing the ball beforehand.  And the real influence of Curry isn't necessarily that now, players are regularly taking risks like that.  Instead, the way he's influenced the game is that niggas are deadass making those shots.

In other words, he made NBA players - nay, the entire world - more confident in our ability to shoot.  I spoke about this in the past, how even playing with or against Steph can make a player a better shooter.  Klay undoubtedly benefited from being with him all these years (and I'm sure vice versa), as has Jordan Poole.  And, oh shit, even centers nowadays are winning games by making complicated three-pointers.

But I'm not trying to say that there's anybody in the NBA who can actually match up with Steph like that.  On the low, he also has the illest dribble in the entire league - something that commentators never give him credit for but contributes significantly to his success.  The only player I think who's able to dribble on par with Steph Curry is James Harden, and you see what he can do when his ankles are under him.

CONCLUSION

So yes, everybody went about copying Curry's style.  The NBA is cool with it, and the coaches can't really say shit, so now it looks like a permanent thing.

But I ain't trying to say that they were able to copy his entire skillset.  Like Jordan, there's also things Steph can do that other players can only dream of rendering on a consistently-effective basis, like crossing TF out of somebody and then making some type of ridiculous, impromptu layup.

Nonetheless, Steph he has freed his NBA brethren, now making it normal for every player, 1-5, to be allowed to shoot threes - which, in the grand scheme of things, requires a lot less effort on offense.  And we would not have players like Julius Randle or Thomas Bryant or even Bol Bol as we know them today if it were not for Curry.