Stephen Curry Has Revolutionized High Volume Scoring

Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry has revolutionized high volume scoring in a way that the NBA has never seen. Being such a high volume scorer has put Stephen Curry in an exclusive elite point guard class. Curry averaged 30.1 points per game last season. Of course, there have been higher scoring averages in the past. In fact, there have been 28 higher scoring averages in NBA history. However, no player has ever exceeded a scoring average of at least 30 points per game with the level of efficiency that Stephen Curry has managed to achieve.

Stephen Curry is the only player in NBA history to average at least 30 points per game while shooting at least 50 percent from the field, 40 percent on 3-point field goals, and 90 percent on free throws. To be exact, Curry shot 50.4 percent from the field, 45.4 percent on 3-point field goals, and 90.8 percent on free throws. It is hard enough to shoot sufficient percentages to be a member of the exclusive “50-40-90 Club” but Stephen Curry did it at such a volume that has never been done before.

The only players that have qualified for the scoring leaderboard and have made the 50-40-90 Club are; Stephen Curry (2015-16), Kevin Durant (2012-13), Steve Nash (2005-06, 2007-10), Jose Calderon (2007-08), Dirk Nowitzki (2006-07), Steve Kerr (1995-96), Reggie Miller (1993-94), Mark Price (1988-89), and Larry Bird (1986-88). This is even without a minimum scoring limit, so it truly shows how difficult it is to shoot at this level of efficiency if only nine players in NBA history have managed to do it.

When a scoring minimum of 10 points per game is placed on members of the 50-40-90 Club, it eliminates Steve Kerr since he only averaged 8.4 points per game. If the minimum is set at 15 points per game for the 50-40-90 Club, Jose Calderon is eliminated as well since he only averaged 11.2 points per game. Now that those two players have been removed, it leaves Stephen Curry, Larry Bird, Kevin Durant, Dirk Nowitzki, Reggie Miller, Mark Price, and Steve Nash. All of the previously listed members have had at least one season averaging at least 18 points per game while being a member of the 50-40-90 Club.

There have been four players in NBA history that have averaged at least 20 points per game and also shot 50-40-90 shooting figures. Those players were; Stephen Curry, Larry Bird, Kevin Durant, and Dirk Nowitzki. Larry Bird is the only player in NBA history to reach this mark in multiple seasons, he did it twice during his career. Stephen Curry certainly has the opportunity to join Larry Bird during the 2016-17 season. Even after the Golden State Warriors signing Kevin Durant, Curry should easily manage to have a scoring average of at least 20 points per game, so matching Larry Bird shouldn’t be an issue.

Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Larry Bird are the only players in NBA history to average at least 28 points while shooting 50-40-90 figures. Of course, Larry Bird did this multiple times during his career and this might actually be a mark that Stephen Curry may not match. Having Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green all in the same lineup may prevent Stephen Curry from averaging at least 28 points per game next season. This just goes to show how great Larry Bird truly was during his NBA career.

There is a legitimate possibility that Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant could become the first set of teammates to ever post 50-40-90 shooting figures while averaging at least 25 points per game. Curry and Durant most likely will not see their scoring suffer that dramatically where they drop below the 25 points per game mark, especially if they both shoot at this insane of an efficiency rate. Not only could Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant become the first pair of high volume 50-40-90 Club teammates, but they could simply become the first pair of 50-40-90 Club teammates ever.