When we look back 15 years into the past, nobody thought we would be at the point where Stephen Curry is at the forefront of the discussion for one of the greatest players ever. He was supposed to be an undersized point guard whose game would never translate to the NBA level. Instead, Curry would change the game with his unlimited shooting range and efficiency and defy all the naysayers by having one of the most remarkable careers in NBA history. With four NBA championships, one Finals MVP award, and two MVP awards, it is only fitting that Curry be highlighted as the next player whose playoff resume we dive deep into.
Recently, we spoke about Michael Jordan’s playoff resume, which has always been a crucial part of his legacy as the GOAT. Today, with Stephen Curry, we will highlight the ups, downs, and everything in between regarding his playoff career. Whether it be for the way his style of play defied years of how the game is “supposed to be” played or the fact that some people will always hate on greatness, Curry still doesn’t get the full amount of respect that his career deserves. Hopefully, the article below will bring his incredible playoff resume into clearer focus for those who are still in denial.
This is Stephen Curry’s playoff resume per season.
2009-10 Playoffs
Stephen Curry’s Playoff Stats: N/A
Playoff Result: N/A
After being selected as the seventh overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors, Stephen Curry was inserted into their lineup as the starting point guard almost immediately. He was expected to mesh with Monta Ellis in the backcourt and in 77 starts, Curry impressed even as a rookie. He averaged 17.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 5.9 APG, and 1.9 SPG. He shot 46.2% overall and 43.7% from three on 4.8 attempts as well. Unfortunately, the Warriors would win just 26 games under coach Don Nelson and miss the NBA playoffs by a long shot.
2010-11 Playoffs
Stephen Curry’s Playoff Stats: N/A
Playoff Result:
Curry’s second season would be an improvement from his first season both on an individual and team level. Ellis and Curry still shared the backcourt, with Curry making 74 starts at the point guard spot. Curry would end up being the team’s second-leading scorer with 18.6 PPG behind Ellis’ 24.1 PPG. He would also add 5.8 APG and 1.5 SPG, leading the Warriors in assists on the season. The Warriors would improve by 10 wins to a 36-46 record, but unfortunately, it still wasn’t enough for Golden State to reach the NBA playoffs. Furthermore, things began to deteriorate internally, and the Curry/Ellis backcourt would soon be coming to an end.
2011-12 Playoffs
Stephen Curry’s Playoff Stats: N/A
Playoff Result: N/A
In 2011-12. Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors would suffer a setback in their quest for a spot in the NBA playoffs. Due to injuries, Curry would be limited to just 26 games during the season. In those 26 games, he averaged just 14.7 PPG and 5.3 APG. About midway through the season, the Warriors had the decision to make about which guard they were going to continue on with between Curry and Minta Ellis. Ultimately, Ellis was dealt to the Bucks in exchange for Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson, and Curry was dubbed the point guard of the Warriors’ future. In just a few short seasons, it would be abundantly clear that they made the right selection.
2012-13 Playoffs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXios8hZyN8
Stephen Curry’s Playoff Stats:23.4 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 8.1 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Playoff Result: Lost Second Round (San Antonio Spurs def. Golden State Warriors 4-2)
The 2012-13 season would be much better for Curry and the Warriors as they would advance to their first playoff appearance since drafting him in 2009. Curry would make 78 starts and average 22.9 PPG, 6.9 APG, and 1.6 SPG to lead the Warriors to 47 wins. In the first round of the playoffs, Curry and the Warriors would meet the Denver Nuggets. The Warriors would prevail in six games behind Curry’s 24.3 PPG and 9.3 APG on 44.2% shooting from beyond the arc.
In the second round, Curry and the Warriors ran into the powerhouse known as the San Antonio Spurs. In this series, the Warriors would fight valiantly but fall to the eventual Western Conference Champions in six games. Curry would lead the charge with 22.5 PPG and 6.8 APG. It was not enough to overcome San Antonio’s well-rounded attack, but it was a good sign that Golden State was just a few pieces away from being a real contender.
2013-14 Playoffs
Stephen Curry’s Playoff Stats: 23.0 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 8.4 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Playoff Result: Lost First Round (Los Angeles Clippers def. Golden State Warriors 4-3)
The 2014 season would be another step in the right direction for Stephen Curry and the Warriors, but not quite close to where they wanted to be yet. Curry would earn his first All-Star selection and average 24.0 PPG, 8.5 APG, and 1.6 SPG. The Warriors would win 51 games, surpassing the 50-win mark for the first time since drafting Curry and setting up another intense battle during the NBA playoffs.
During the first round of the playoffs, Curry and the Warriors would find themselves in a tough matchup with the Lob City Los Angeles Clippers. After a brutal back-and-forth series, the Warriors and Clippers would find themselves in a Game 7 situation to advance. Despite 33 points from Curry, the Clippers would take Game 6 by a score of 126-121 and thwart any chances of Golden State matching their run from 2013. The heartbreak wouldn’t last long for Curry and the Clippers, as everything was ready to run around.
2014-15 Playoffs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-dxPX4njxI
Stephen Curry’s Playoff Stats: 28.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 6.4 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Playoff Result: Won NBA Championship (Golden State Warriors def. Cleveland Cavaliers 4-2)
Under new Head Coach Steve Kerr, the Warriors unleashed an outside attack on the NBA that propelled both Curry and them as a team to greatness. During the regular season, Curry would be named MVP as he went off for 23.8 PPG, 7.7 APG, and 2.0 SPG while shooting 44.3% from three on over 8.0 attempts. He would lead the NBA in free throw percentage as well and lead the Warriors to 67 wins alongside teammates Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
In the playoffs, the Warriors would make their way through the first three rounds with wins over the Pelicans, Grizzlies, and the Rockets in the Western Conference Finals. This would set up a clash between the Golden State Warriors, led by Curry, and the Cavaliers, led by LeBron James, for the first of four straight meetings between the two in the NBA Finals. Curry would average 26.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 6.3 APG to lead the Warriors to victory in six games for their first NBA championship since 1965. Finals MVP honors would go to Andre Iguodala for his timely defensive efforts on LeBron James, but many believe the award should have been Curry’s.
2015-16 Playoffs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPpA9LSYt3s
Stephen Curry’s Playoff Stats: 25.1 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 5.2 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Playoff Result: Lost NBA Finals ( Cleveland Cavaliers def. Golden State Warriors 4-3)
During the 2015-16 season, Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors would make history in both positive and negative fashion. During the regular season, Curry and the Warriors would finish with a 73-9 record overall, surpassing the 72 wins by the 1996 Chicago Bulls for the most in NBA history. Stephen Curry would also be named the first and only unanimous MVP in NBA history, winning his first of two career scoring titles with 30.1 PPG to go with 5.4 RPG, 6.7 APG, and 2.1 SPG. He did this with all-time great efficiency going for 45.4% from three on 11.2 attempts. It would be Curry’s first 50/40/90 season of his career.
In the NBA playoffs, it was pretty much a foregone conclusion that we would see the Warriors and the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals, and that is exactly what we got. Curry and the Warriors came into the NBA Finals as the heavy favorites and started off the series with a 3-1 lead, looking for their second straight NBA title. However, what proceeded would be a collapse of epic proportions, with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving leading the Cavaliers to four straight wins and the greatest upset in NBA playoff history. The Warriors were left reeling after letting history slip through their fingertips. What proceeded would rock the NBA for years to come.
2016-17 Playoffs
Stephen Curry’s Playoff Stats: 28.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 6.7 APG, 2.0 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Playoff Result: Win NBA Championship (Golden State Warriors def. Cleveland Cavaliers 4-1)
During the 2016 offseason, the entire NBA world would be rocked by the Golden State Warriors’ acquisition of Kevin Durant to their already historic roster. With that pickup, the Warriors became nearly unstoppable as they added the most talented scorer in the NBA to a lineup that already had Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. In the regular season, Curry would average 25.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 6.6 APG, and 1.8 SPG. He was still the clear best shooter in the world with 10.0 attempts per game from three knocked down at a 41.1% rate.
The NBA playoffs would be a breeze for the Golden State Warriors. They would sweep each of their first three opponents in the Trail Blazers, Jazz, and Rockets to set up their third straight meeting with the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. This time, the Cavaliers stood no chance against the firepower packed by Golden State, and the Warriors were champions once again, downing the Cavaliers in five games. Durant would be named Finals MVP, but Curry delivered as well, with 26.8 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 9.4 APG, and 2.2 SPG on 44.0% shooting overall and 38.8% shooting from three.
2017-18 Playoffs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiUhlRWFWZk
Stephen Curry’s Playoff Stats: 25.5 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Playoff Result: Won NBA Championship (Golden State Warriors def. Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0)
With a full season and an NBA championship under their belt already, the Golden State Warriors coasted through to another 58-win season in 2018. Both Kevin Durant and Curry averaged 26.4 PPG to lead the team, with Curry shooting 42.3% from three on 9.4 attempts from the field. For the second season in a row, it became inevitable pretty quickly that the NBA championship would be theirs for the taking, and it didn’t take long for that to come to fruition.
The Warriors would start the playoffs with five-game series wins over each of the Pelicans and Spurs. In the Western Conference Finals, the Warriors would take on James Harden and the Houston Rockets and, after falling down 3-2 in the series, advance after winning the final two games. In the NBA Finals, it would be the fourth straight meeting between the Warriors and Cavaliers led by LeBron James. Despite James’ Herculean efforts, the Warriors would sweep the Cavaliers in four games for their third championship in four seasons. Durant would win Finals MVP once again, but Curry was incredible with 27.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 6.8 APG, and 1.5 SPG. The Warriors were officially one of the greatest dynasties ever and Stephen Curry as a player was now being thrown around as one of the greatest of all time.
2018-19 Playoffs
Stephen Curry’s Playoff Stats: 28.2 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 5.7 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Playoff Result: Lost NBA Finals (Toronto Raptors def. Golden State Warriors 4-2)
During the 2018-19 regular season, the Warriors dynasty began to show its first signs of cracking. It had nothing to do with the results, as the team would win 57 games and head toward the NBA playoffs as the heavy favorite. An incident between Kevin Durant and Draymond Green reared its ugly head during a seemingly normal regular season game but would ultimately lead to Durant’s departure. Meanwhile, Curry would lead Golden State in scoring with 27.3 PPG on 43.7% shooting from three on a ridiculous 11.7 attempts. He had just one thing on his mind, a three-peat as NBA champions.
At first, chances of an NBA title looked as good as ever, with the Warriors picking up six-game series wins in each of their first matchups against the Clippers and Rockets. An injury to Durant kept him out of the Western Conference Finals, but Curry stepped up. He averaged 36.5 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and 7.3 APG in a four-game sweep of Portland on 42.6% shooting from three, giving them momentum heading into the NBA Finals. Unfortunately for the Warriors, they could not escape fate as Durant further injured himself with a torn Achilles, and Klay Thompson went down with a torn ACL during the Finals. This allowed the Raptors and Kawhi Leonard to take advantage with a 4-2 series win and their first NBA title ever. For Curry, he gave it all, as he had with 30.5 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 6.0 APG, and 1.5 SPG.
2019-20 Playoffs
Stephen Curry’s Playoff Stats: N/A
Playoff Result: N/A
Life after Kevin Durant would be as rough as ever for the Golden State Warriors, as it would also be life without Klay Thompson for nearly two full years as well. The season would only end up being even more of a disaster after Curry suffered a broken hand, needed surgery, and missed all but five games. Without Curry and Thompson, the Warriors were a lost cause for 2020, finishing 15-50 on the season and not participating in the Bubble restart during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Warriors’ first season after Durant’s departure would be as bad as it could possibly get, but a champion never stays down long.
2020-21 Playoffs
Stephen Curry’s Playoff Stats: N/A
Playoff Result: N/A
Curry would return with a vengeance in 2020-21 but still without his Splash Brother Klay Thompson by his side and with their first-round pick James Wiseman playing just 39 games. Curry would have a tremendous season on an individual level, taking home his second scoring title, averaging 32.0 PPG on 42.1% shooting from three on 12.7 attempts. The Warriors would go just 39-22 in the 72-game season, qualifying for the play-in tournament. The Warriors would lose not one but two play-in games to the Lakers and Grizzlies to miss the playoffs for the second straight season.
2021-22 Playoffs
Stephen Curry’s Playoff Stats: 27.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 5.9 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Playoff Result Won NBA Championship (Golden State Warriors def. Boston Celtics 4-2)
The 2021-22 season may have just been Stephen Curry’s most impressive season and playoff run ever. After two years of missing playoffs and doubt from media pundits around the world, the Warriors battled their way back to playoff contention. They got Klay Thompson back from injury after two years of setbacks and fought their way to a 53-29 record. Curry led the way for them with 25.5 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 6.3 APG on 38.0% shooting from three.
As the playoffs progressed, everyone began to take the Warriors seriously for the first time since 2019. Curry led them to wins over the Nuggets in round one, Grizzlies in round two, and the Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals. In the NBA Finals, they were set to do battle with the Boston Celtics for the right to be called NBA champions. This would be the series that Curry cemented himself as a top 10 player in NBA history. He averaged 31.2 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 5.0 APG, and 2.0 SPG to secure his fourth NBA championship but, more importantly, immortalized himself forever with the Finals MVP award that had eluded him for all this time.
2022-23 Playoffs
Stephen Curry’s Playoff Stats: 30.5 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 6.1 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.5 BPG
Playoff Result: Lost Second Round (Los Angeles Lakers def. Golden State Warriors 4-2)
Back to defend their title in 2022-23, once again, the world began to doubt the Warriors. This time, it would be due to a preseason fight between Jordan Poole and Draymond Green, as well as an abysmal 11-30 record in away games during the season. To top it off, Curry would miss 26 games due to injury and the Warriors would fight to a 44-38 record and a spot in the playoffs as the seventh seed. In the first round, the Warriors would go to a seventh game with the three-seeded Kings in their first playoff appearance in 17 years.
In Game 7, Curry would turn in an all-time performance with 50 points which stood as an NBA record for about two weeks until it was broken by Jayson Tatum. The win set up a clash with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round. The matchup heavily favored the Lakers, who would secure the series in six games. Curry led the Warriors the best they could with 26.7 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 7.5 APG on just 34.3% shooting from three. Despite the setback this season, one thing we have learned is to never count out Stephen Curry and the Warriors. There is no doubt that they will be back in championship contention at least one more time in his career.
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