Stephen Curry is one of the most valuable guards for the Golden State Warriors. His performance on the court makes him exhausting to defend. However, his coach, Brandon Payne, now wants to take him to the next level alongside Jimmy Butler.
At 37, Curry is no longer the athletic and agile young player he was in his early NBA years. He remains one of the most muscular guards, which gives him great endurance. Perhaps this is what his coach wants to leverage ahead of the new professional basketball season.
New areas for Stephen Curry to explore
In a report by The Sports Rush, former basketball player JR Smith said, “Delly almost died trying to guard Steph Curry,” highlighting how difficult it is to keep up with the Warriors star.
Now, Payne recently said he wants to combine Curry’s strength with Jimmy Butler’s endurance. This will allow Curry to assume roles he hasn’t had before or hasn’t fully explored in his NBA career. This strategy could be a bit risky for a franchise aiming for the championship this season.
“[Stephen Curry]’s still a guy that strikes fear in opposing defenses in a way that very few guys in the league can. … I think he’s got a chance to have a really great year for the Warriors.”@TimBontemps picks Steph to have the best season over Bron and KD this season 👀 pic.twitter.com/awEMTBfXYU
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) September 25, 2025
One of the roles Curry might take is as a passer. “Steph will start recognizing opportunities to play with Jimmy and operate in that mid-range area with his back to the basket. I think that’s certainly something he can continue to improve,” the coach said.
However, Curry recorded 0.0 post touches throughout the 2024-25 season. Is it appropriate to place him with his back to the basket with those stats? Payne’s intention may be to have Steph pass to players like Jimmy, who is an excellent cutter along the baseline.
“They have a sense of it, but it will improve as they play more regular-season games,” the coach assured, expressing his confidence that both players will complement each other to create strategic plays for the Warriors.
