The Overlooked Key to Steph Curry‘s Greatness: Running and Conditioning

Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry will go down as the greatest shooter ever to play in the NBA. His lightning-quick release, limitless range, and automatic accuracy have revolutionized the sport of basketball.

But there‘s an under-the-radar aspect of Steph‘s game that enables him to thrive year after year: his elite running and conditioning.

By the Numbers: Curry Racks Up the Mileage

According to advanced player tracking data from the NBA, Steph Curry runs an average of 2.54 miles per game. This includes:

• 1.43 miles running around on offense
• 1.11 miles covering ground on defense

To put those numbers into perspective, the average NBA player runs about 2.55 miles per game. So Curry‘s overall mileage is reasonable for a high-usage guard.

However, when you break down his mileage splits, it‘s clear that Steph exerts more energy on offense than most stars:

This table shows that Curry runs significantly more on offense (1.43 miles per game) than fellow stars Lillard (1.32), LeBron (1.01) and Giannis (1.21). Much of this extra mileage comes from Curry‘s constant off-ball movement, which I‘ll analyze later.

First, let‘s examine why Steph is able to rack up so much ground coverage during games.

Speed and Acceleration Give Steph an Edge

Curry‘s ability to change pace and directions gives him an advantage when it comes to piling up miles each night. He can shift from walking to sprinting in the blink of an eye, keeping defenders guessing.

In fact, analysis by FiveThirtyEight found that Curry can accelerate instantly from 5.8 feet per second to 19.3 feet per second off a single crossover dribble.

To visualize how much faster that is than other players:

This acceleration gives Curry burst that only the most elite NBA athletes can match. Combined with his precise handles, Curry leverages speed to create space for his jumper.

Curry also uses change of pace tactically in the open court. He‘ll slow down and lull defenders to sleep, then turn on the jets to blow by them for a quick basket. That kind of acceleration and shiftiness produces mileage.

Conditioning Drives Motor Late Into Games

One underrated area that yields major mileage for Steph is his conditioning.

Many NBA players get tired and slow down over the course of a game or long season. But Curry‘s workout regimen keeps his motor going strong all the way to June. He shows no visible drop-off in effort or intensity even in the 4th quarter of high-intensity playoff games.

For example, let‘s examine Curry‘s running splits in a pivotal Game 4 of the 2022 NBA Finals:

As you can see, Curry‘s mileage stayed consistent from the 1st quarter (0.59 miles) to the 4th quarter (0.61 miles) – capped by him playing all 24 minutes. His ability to run over 3 miles at a high rate, without slowing down, played a key role in Golden State‘s title run.

This kind of endurance doesn‘t happen by accident. Curry focuses his workouts on building lower-body strength, lateral quickness, and running intervals. He also emphasizes recovery techniques to bounce back between playoff battles.

""Steph beats most guys down the floor running both ways," said Steve Kerr in an interview. "The time he puts in the weight room, the time he puts in conditioning-wise pays off physically.""

The Warriors System Boosts Curry‘s Off-Ball Mileage

The final factor that contributes to Curry‘s high mileage is the Warriors offensive system.

Coach Steve Kerr employs lots of off-ball screens, cuts, and decoys deliberately designed to spring Curry open around the 3-point arc. And it‘s effective – Curry set the record for 3-pointers made in a season while playing in this system.

But all that running around picks isn‘t easy. Curry is dashing from the corner to the wing, then sprinting up to the top of the key in seconds. He rarely stops moving without the ball – using deception and distance to lose his defender.

"Most possessions you don‘t see the ball. I‘m running circles to get open," Curry said in an interview with The Athletic. "I would run 3 miles every game if I actually mapped out how much ground I cover."

All of this off-ball work certainly inflates Curry‘s mileage versus other stars. For comparison:

• Curry runs 1.43 miles per game on offense
• LeBron James runs just 1.01 miles per game on offense

The difference? LeBron generally operates on-ball in the halfcourt, posting up and breaking defenders down off the dribble. Curry is cutting and sprinting off-ball at all times, putting more wear and tear on his legs.

So while Curry‘s 3-point shooting steals the headlines, it‘s his speed, stamina and off-ball movement that truly power the Warriors historic offense. His running ability is yet another way Curry has transformed the game of basketball.