Evidently, the Philadelphia 76ers are without the services of three-time All-Star Ben Simmons because he is unwilling to play for the organization at this time. In response, multiple players have needed to supplement his efforts. Fortunately, Philadelphia’s backcourt has answered the bell. Firstly, sophomore guard Tyrese Maxey is having moderate success as the 76ers’ starting point guard. Secondarily, guard Seth Curry upped his production and his offense is very important to this faceless 76ers team.
Season Averages
Seth Curry is averaging career-high numbers in multiple categories this season. The Philadelphia guard averages 16.3 points per game (career-high), 2.7 assists per game, 2.8 rebounds per game (career-high), shoots 51.2% from the field (career-high), and hits 42.7% of his threes. Undoubtedly, much of this success is because of Curry’s heightened offensive role in Simmons’ absence. And that’s before we even consider the number of injuries and COVID-19 cases the 76ers have endured. Statistically, Seth Curry is involved in 19% of Philadelphia’s possessions when he’s on the floor (19.0 Usage Rate).
Good morning to Seth Curry who is still the only member of the 50/40/90 club.
— Zach Ciavolella (@ZachCiavoNBA) December 4, 2021
51.2 FG% / 42.7 3P% / 90.2 FT% pic.twitter.com/juL6N0Iu1D
What Makes Curry So Lethal?
Without a doubt, the main factors of Seth Curry’s success are his efficiency, ability to run a pick-and-roll, shooting off of screens, shot-creation, and capability to finish at the rim. When you combine all these things, you have yourself an excellent offensive player, which Curry certainly is. He has a true-shooting percentage of 64.4%, which is 9.1% above the league average. In addition, the 76ers guard has an effective field-goal percentage of 60.9%, and that’s 8.9% above the NBA average. Also, he’s shooting 45.5% on his overall two-point attempts. Curry’s elite efficiency is bred from a knack for getting to his sweet spots on the floor.
Seth Curry’s Versatility
The shooting guard’s bread and butter comes from the mid-range and beyond the arc. To back this up, Seth Curry is netting 63.6% of his shots from 10 to 16 feet and knocking down 52.9% of his attempts from 16 to 23 feet this season. The marksman is able to score in the midrange at this efficient rate because he’s such a skilled shooter coming off of screens and off the dribble. Further, he possesses the power to hit pull-up shots. That is evident when considering that Curry hits 50.0% of his catch-and-shoot attempts. He connects on 48.4% of his pull-up jumpers. Curry has grown into a versatile threat on all three levels of the floor and can knock down shot in a variety of contexts.
Joel Embiid and Seth Curry’s Fit
Joel Embiid and Seth Curry were a match put together in heaven. The guard-center duo play very well off of each other because of Embiid’s dominant post presence and Curry’s lights out shooting. As such, the Curry-Embiid dribble handoff is extremely effective. Regularly, Embiid sets a screen on the perimeter, and Curry either attacks the basket or knocks down an effortless jumper. Curry is redeeming 4 points on 50% shooting from the field as the ball-handler in the pick-and-roll. That is good for the 87th percentile in the NBA.
Philadelphia scores 110.4 points per 100 possessions when Embiid and Curry share the floor. Moreover, the ball movement is great when both players are in, as it’s estimated that 56.8% of points are assisted. To add on, the 76ers score the ball very efficiently when this duo is playing, with the team registering a true-shooting percentage of 57.7% in those shared minutes. Generally, when Joel Embiid shares the hardwood with shooters like Seth Curry, there’s a lot of off-ball movement and spacing. As a result, the team has a much more fluid half-court offense. All in all, Joel Embiid and Seth Curry’s fit together elevates Philly’s offense.
Film Analysis
It’s one thing for me to speak about how great an offensive player Seth Curry is. It’s another to actually see for yourself how versatile and effective Curry is. (All clips below are from @mrcrockpot of The Painted Lines)
Seth Curry gets the ball at the perimeter via Georges Niang, then hits John Collins with an effective pump-fake to get to the midrange for the uncontested two-pointer. Evidently, this emphasizes Curry’s ability to find his spots on the floor and his awareness to take the highest-percentage shot.
The two-man game between Seth Curry and Joel Embiid is on full display. As seen, Embiid sets a pick for Curry at the perimeter. Then, the 76ers’ guard rejects the defense’s invitation to funnel to the rim and elects to pull the trigger on an uncontested three-point look. This shows the effectiveness of Embiid’s screen-setting — when he does it well — and the dynamic between this duo.
Shake Milton dishes the ball to Seth Curry in transition. Afterward, Curry pump-fakes the daylights out of Delon Wright before cashing in on a crafty layup. This exemplifies Curry’s versatility and ability to score at all three levels.
Seth Curry and Joel Embiid work together to cut Atlanta’s soon-to-be-erased lead down to 2 points. Embiid sets a pin-down screen below the extended elbow and Seth Curry flashes out to the wing. It’s essentially a practice shot, and Tyrese Maxey kicks the rock to Curry for the significant three-pointer. To emphasize, this clutch possession displays the effectiveness of the Embiid-Curry duo.
