Doc Rivers reveals why he and Giannis Antetokounmpo love studying Steph Curry’s game

“If I didn’t coach in the league and I just loved the basketball the way I loved it, I’m going to watch Steph Curry play every day, every chance I get,” Rivers explained.

“He’s going to do something extraordinary. He moves without the ball and it’s hard to not respect that type of player.”

Steph Curry Final MVP Stat Catch Doc Rivers’ Attention

It is easy to focus on Curry’s success from deep, but it’s the way he moves the ball inside of the offense that impacts the Bucks system. Rivers pointed out one step in particular that stands out among the rest.

“One of my favorite stats in NBA history was when Steph won the MVP the year they won their first title, he had the ball in his hands 47% less than the year before,” Rivers noted.

When other teams get their stars taking more time away from controlling the ball, there are 100 reasons for their lack of success. But with Curry and the Warriors, it was the long-standing system and style that allowed the guard to embrace the change.

“Steph can obviously run the ball as much as anyone in the NBA, but the fact that it didn’t slow down what he does best shows just how good he is at playing ball. The ball doesn’t need to be in his hands for him to take over a game.”

To help better improve the team’s movement around Giannis, they spend time looking over how Curry’s plays come together. Rivers made note that Giannis Antetokounmpo and the players around him are only going to benefit from studying how Steph operates away from the ball.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Loves Watching Steph’s Film

Despite Giannis and Curry being two very different types of players, what Curry has been able to do with long-standing success in the NBA is something all players want to accomplish.

“I say this term, our players cringe when I say it, like we’ll watch film and I say, ‘right guys, the first clip is coach’s p_rn’. It’s some beautiful play,” Rivers revealed.

Rivers didn’t shy away from including other big names in the sport such as LeBron James. With players of this caliber growing up in the same era, there is a lot of movement value that can be mixed into real systems in the NBA today.

“Steph has it all the time [on the film]. LeBron in his heyday, just his passing. You would pay to watch him play. Giannis, you would pay. It’s not a long list,” he added.