Let's be real for a second. If you just look at a spreadsheet of Steph Curry playoff stats, you’re seeing the masterpiece through a screen door. You see the 27 points per game. You see the four rings. But the numbers alone—as gaudy as they are—basically fail to capture why NBA coaches lose sleep when they see the Golden State Warriors on the schedule.
Steph changed basketball. He didn’t just play it; he re-engineered the geometry of the court.
When people argue about Curry's postseason legacy, they usually bring up the lack of a Finals MVP until 2022. It's a tired narrative. Honestly, it's a lazy one. If you actually watch the tape from the 2015 or 2017 runs, you see "gravity." It’s a buzzword now, but back then, it was a revolution. Defenses were so terrified of Steph pulling up from 35 feet that they’d leave Kevin Durant or Klay Thompson wide open just to keep two bodies on the Chef. That doesn't show up in a box score.
The raw reality of Steph Curry playoff stats
If we're talking pure production, the guy is a machine. Through his career, Curry has maintained a scoring average in the playoffs that sits right around 27 points per game. That’s higher than his career regular-season average. Think about that. Most players see their efficiency dip when the whistles get tighter and the scouting reports get deeper in May and June. Steph? He gets more dangerous.
He’s not just a shooter. That’s the biggest misconception.
In the 2022 Finals against the Boston Celtics—arguably the best defensive unit of the last decade—Curry averaged 31.2 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. He shot 43.7% from deep on nearly 12 attempts per game. That’s video game stuff. But look at the rebounds. Look at the way he finishes at the rim among the trees. According to Basketball-Reference, Steph is a career 45% shooter from the field in the playoffs, which is absurd when you consider that half his shots are contested heaves from the logo.
Beyond the Three-Pointer
People forget he’s one of the best free-throw shooters in history. In high-pressure playoff moments, he’s basically a 90% lock. If the game is within three points and Steph is at the line, it’s over.
🔗 Read more: Calphin Aquatic Club Fremont: Why It’s Actually Hard to Get a Spot Here
And then there's the volume. Curry has made more playoff threes than anyone in the history of the sport. It isn't even close. He passed Ray Allen years ago. By the time he hangs them up, his lead in that category will probably be as unbreakable as Cy Young’s win record or Wilt’s 100-point game.
The 2022 Turning Point
For years, the haters pointed at the Steph Curry playoff stats and said, "Where's the Finals MVP?"
They ignored that he averaged 26/6/5 in the 2015 Finals. They ignored that he was the engine of the 73-win team. Then 2022 happened. That Game 4 in Boston was his magnum opus. 43 points. 10 rebounds. On the road. Down 2-1 in the series. It was the moment he grabbed the "all-time great" conversation by the throat and ended it.
He didn't have Kevin Durant as a safety net anymore. He had an aging Draymond Green and a Klay Thompson who was still finding his legs after two catastrophic injuries. Steph carried them. He was the system. That championship run bumped him into the top 10 players of all time for most serious historians, and the stats back it up. He led the playoffs in total points that year, proving he could be the undisputed "Bus Driver," to use Charles Barkley’s famous phrasing.
The "Gravity" Effect
We have to talk about the stuff that isn't on the back of a trading card.
The Warriors’ offensive rating with Steph on the floor versus off the floor in the playoffs is staggering. He draws "two to the ball" on almost every pick-and-roll. This creates a 4-on-3 advantage for his teammates. When Draymond Green gets a layup or Kevon Looney gets an offensive board because the defense is scrambled, that’s a Steph Curry stat in spirit.
Synergy Sports data has shown for years that Curry's presence alone improves his teammates' effective field goal percentage by a significant margin. He’s the only superstar who is just as dangerous without the ball as he is with it. He never stops moving. He’s a marathon runner with a jump shot.
Comparing Steph to the Greats
When you stack his postseason numbers against other legendary point guards, it's almost unfair.
- Magic Johnson: More assists, obviously, but nowhere near the scoring threat.
- Isiah Thomas: Tough as nails, but lacked the efficiency.
- John Stockton: The ultimate floor general, but couldn't take over a game as a scorer like Steph.
Curry is a hybrid. He has the handles of a point guard but the scoring gravity of a prime Kobe Bryant. His True Shooting Percentage (TS%) in the playoffs consistently hovers around 60%, which is unheard of for a guard who takes that many high-degree-of-difficulty shots.
The Flaws and the Fatigue
It hasn't always been perfect. We have to be honest.
The 2016 Finals haunt his resume. After a 73-9 season, Steph struggled with a knee injury and the physicality of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He averaged "only" 22.6 points and shot under 40% from the field. That Game 7 behind-the-back pass out of bounds? That’s a playoff stat that hurts.
Physicality has always been the blueprint to "stopping" him. Teams like the Grizzlies and the Rockets used to try to beat him up, bump him off his cuts, and make him defend 50 pick-and-rolls a game to tire him out. Sometimes it worked. But usually, Steph just adjusted. He put on 15 pounds of muscle over the last five years specifically to handle that postseason grind. Now, he finishes through contact better than almost any guard in the league.
🔗 Read more: Northern Ireland vs Luxembourg: The Football Rivalry Nobody Saw Coming
Clutch Time Performance
There’s a weird myth that Steph isn't clutch.
It’s mostly based on a few cherry-picked stats about "go-ahead shots in the final 10 seconds." But if you expand that to the final five minutes of close playoff games, he’s one of the most efficient scorers in league history. He’s a closer. He just closes games by hitting three straight triples at the six-minute mark to turn a two-point lead into an eleven-point blowout. By the time the "clutch" window starts, the game is usually over because of him.
What's Next for the Chef?
As Steph enters the twilight of his career, the Steph Curry playoff stats will likely see a shift. He might not be the guy playing 40 minutes a night every single round, but his efficiency isn't dropping.
He’s 35+ and still looks like the fastest player on the court because of his conditioning. His shooting isn't going anywhere. Even if his athleticism wanes, a 40% three-point shooter who knows every trick in the book is a nightmare in a seven-game series.
If you're looking to really understand his impact, stop looking at the points column for a second. Watch the way the opposing coach reacts when Steph crosses half-court. Watch the way the entire defense shifts three feet to the left just because he turned his head. That is the true measure of his greatness.
💡 You might also like: Cincinnati vs Texas Tech: What Most Fans Get Wrong About This New Big 12 Rivalry
Key Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
To truly appreciate Curry’s postseason impact beyond the basic box score, focus on these specific areas during his next playoff appearance:
Track "Screen Assists" and Indirect Gravity Notice how many times Steph sets a back-screen that leads to a wide-open layup for a teammate. This is the "hidden" part of his game. He is one of the best-screening guards in NBA history, using the fear of his own shot to free up others.
Observe the Fourth Quarter Conditioning Watch the defenders guarding him in the final six minutes of a playoff game. Usually, they are gasping for air while Steph is still sprinting through elevators. His cardio is a statistical advantage that shows up in fourth-quarter shooting percentages.
Contextualize the Efficiency Compare his True Shooting Percentage ($TS%$) to other high-volume guards. A $TS%$ above 60% in the playoffs is the gold standard for elite efficiency. If Steph is hitting that mark, the Warriors are almost impossible to beat in a series.
Evaluate Defensive Growth Stop looking at him as a defensive liability. Look at his "defensive win shares" and his ability to funnel players into help. He has become a plus-defender in his later years, which is a massive reason why the Warriors' defensive rating stays elite when he's on the floor.