Stephen Curry Spent A Summer Changing His Shooting Form And It Helped Make Him The NBA's Best Shooter

While there are players this season shooting higher percentages, none of them are able to shoot with such accuracy while handling the ball and being hounded by defenses like Curry does.

However, Curry's shooting stroke didn't come naturally. A profile on Curry's shooting from Ben Cohen of the Wall Street Journal breaks down how Curry had to change his shot just so he could have a chance to play in college.

When Curry was in high school he was still shooting from his waist - a common trait among shorter, weaker players who need the power to get the ball up to the proper height, especially from far distances. Curry's father, Dell, a former NBA player told WSJ, "On every team he ever played on, he was the smallest guy, so he had to find ways to get around that."

Knowing players at higher levels would block his shot, Curry spent a summer changing his shooting form. He slowly moved his release point higher so that he was shooting the ball above his head. This coincided with a growth spurt that brought him to 6'3", and suddenly, Curry had a shot that would be difficult to block at any level.

Curry told Sports Illustrated's Chris Ballard it was "the most frustrating summer." 

Of course, other things factor into his stroke, including his quick release, which Reggie Miller told the Wall Street Journal makes him impossible to guard. Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra also said Curry's release is the fastest he's ever seen.

As we can see, it seems to be working for Curry.