Appreciating the Masterpiece of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson's Shooting

The Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are two of the most aesthetically pleasing shooters in the league.

They have beautiful strokes, and it’s probably safe to say that their respective shooting forms can be defined as textbook.

Curry has a quick trigger to go along with his impressive stroke, and that makes him quite a delight. Indeed, fans are typically in for a treat when he handles the ball because of the high probability that Curry will shoot in the face of his defender and convert.

The arc is often perfect on his jumper, and defenses rarely, if ever, alter his form or release. He’s just that good, but don’t take my word for it.

Bleacher Report’s Adam Fromal offered: "While he'll need more time to generate a resume comparable to the legendary shooters of yesteryears, he's already trekking toward G.O.A.T. status in the shooting department."

Thompson, a great shooter in his own right, also realizes just how special his teammate is.

“I've never played with someone who shoots better than me, so he pushes me,” Thompson said in August, per Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling. “Hopefully we can break some more shooting records if we just stay humble and stay together.”

Interestingly enough, Curry’s backcourt partner offers a similar appeal. Thompson, a career 41 percent three-point shooter, has a really nice motion and is turning heads around the league.

"He hits some shots that are just unbelievable," former Los Angeles Lakers head coach Mike D'Antoni said in April, according to the San Francisco Chronicle’s Rusty Simmons. “One time he shoots it from 5 feet behind the three-point line, and the next time you're not quick enough to guard him in transition. He's one of the best shooters I've seen in a long time.”

Much like Curry, his form is incredibly fluid and looks like an instructional video for players learning to shoot.

Curry and Thompson are a basketball teacher’s dream because of their ability to connect from long range, all the while possessing seemingly flawless mechanics. One could say they are incredibly unique as a tandem because very rarely do we see such a prolific shooting twosome with a motion that could pass for basketball art.

Player	Field-Goal %	3-PT Field-Goal %	Free-Throw %	True Shooting %
Stephen Curry	46.4	44.0	88.6	60.0
Klay Thompson	43.5	41.0	82.7	54.5

Think of someone like Ray Allen for instance. He’s arguably the greatest shooter in league history, and his form is on par with both Curry and Thompson.

However, can anyone name a former teammate of his who could shoot the ball with the same level of accuracy while making it look like an instructional video? I’m not saying such a person doesn’t exist, but I can’t think of one. Sam Cassell, Glenn Robinson and Dale Ellis come close, but they don't rival the Splash Brothers.

Others might prefer former Indiana Pacers star Reggie Miller over Allen, but Miller’s technique was not pretty. Sure, he got the desired results, but his mechanics won’t ever be taught or emulated.

My personal all-time favorite jump shot belongs to Allan Houston. Every time he fired away, I was convinced it was money. Everything about his form was perfect: His left elbow was always at the optimal angle, while his follow-through was simply impeccable.

His jumpers always had terrific arc and bounced gracefully off the rim when he actually missed. Yes, even his misses looked delightful. Similarly to Allen, he’s never had a teammate capable of matching his prowess and appearance.

Another guy in the same boat is Voshon Lenard. (Warning: Contains music with NSFW language.)

He played 12 seasons in the league and drilled 38.4 percent of his treys. Lenard’s form was a tad unconventional, but it got results.

While most players’ shooting pocket is near their stomach area, Lenard’s was a bit closer to his shoulders and chin. Also, instead of aligning his shooting hand with his right leg, it was a bit closer to the middle of his body.

It sounds weird, but his form was pretty and allowed him to quickly get shots off even in the face of stifling defense. Lenard was lights-out from the perimeter and even played alongside another borderline great shooter, Dan Majerle, with the Miami Heat during the 1996-2000 campaigns.

Player	Field-Goal %	3-PT Field-Goal %	Free-Throw %
Voshon Lenard	43.0	40.4	79.6
Dan Majerle	40.7	35.6	75.1

This Miami tandem could have qualified for honorable mention were it not for Majerle's shooting form. He had a decent-looking shot (nothing spectacular) and finished at No. 27 in all-time three-point baskets.

It’s worth mentioning he also finished in the same spot for attempts.

I could have overlooked Majerle’s pedestrian shooting form just for the sake of inclusion, but his numbers suggest he’s probably the worst shooter mentioned in this piece. Thus, Lenard and Majerle don’t make the cut.

This highlights the exclusive club that Curry and Thompson belong to. There simply aren’t that many great shooters with picture-perfect forms who have played together.

Admittedly, finding a pair of teammates with terrific forms coupled with the ability to actually make it rain is a bit difficult. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and this beholder is a tough judge as it pertains to shooting mechanics.

With that said, I found one duo that can compete with Golden State’s starting backcourt, both from a stylistic and production standpoint.

This pair is going to the Hall of Fame: Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash. Basketball-Reference.com tells us they were teammates from the 1998-99 through 2003-04 seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, and boy, did they scorch nets together.

Player	Field-Goal %	3-PT Field-Goal %	Free-Throw %	True Shooting %
Steve Nash	46.8	41.6	89.8	58.5
Dirk Nowitzki	46.4	37.2	85.3	57.7

They are probably the best shooters in league history at their respective positions, and I doubt many would challenge that. In addition, their forms are straight out of a basketball clinic.

Nash’s jumper looks a bit like a push shot because of the way he places his shooting hand underneath the ball. It’s almost as if his previous coaches wanted to make sure he always put enough spin on shots and figured that by placing his hand in that manner, it would give the ball its required rotation to roll in.

It sounds weirder than it actually looks. His form looks terrific and would likely prompt any stranger to NBA basketball to believe that this Nash guy looks like a sniper.

As it pertains to Nowitzki, his technique is on par with that of the best-looking shots in basketball history. His arms and elbow align perfectly, and Dirk completes this masterpiece with perhaps the best follow-through in the sport.

What’s more, he launches with a high release and tremendous arc on his shots, which means there’s practically no point in trying to contest his jumpers because no one will ever truly bother the 7'0" marvel. Other than the players already mentioned here, I’m not sure anyone can compete with Dirk’s shooting technique.

With that said, Curry and Thompson are the best in my book, and they will only get better with age. Between the shooting strokes and the possibility both will improve as shooters (running through screens, setting up defenders and understanding defensive coverage), I can't pick anyone above them. Not even Nash and Dirk.