CJ McCollum On Stephen Curry: "He's Changed The Game For The Better, But He's Also Changed The Game For The Worse..."

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The 3PT shot is a huge part of the game today, and we have Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors dynasty to thank for that. Every team has wanted to emulate the 3PT shooting of the Warriors, and that has ushered in this current era of basketball. This modern era has been good for the scoring guards in the league, but there is still some debate on whether it's good overall for basketball.

On his "Pull Up" podcast, Portland Trail Blazers star CJ McCollum has recently stated that Stephen Curry changing the game was both good and bad. McCollum mentioned that kids want to be like Stephen Curry, but sometimes lack the skills to do what he does.

I think Curry is the best pure scorer in the league right now, as it stands, because of how he scores. Moves without the ball, he can score in iso situations, he finishes well around the rim. He's a 95 percent free throw shooter, so virtually automatic when he gets to the line. And he's just a wizard. He's someone you have to look for at all times. He does things and you literally think, like, how is that possible?

I think that he has changed the game for the better, but he has also changed the game for the worse, because a lot of kids are trying to replicate some of the things that he's doing, and some of that stuff just isn't virtually possible for kids. You have to get the reps in, you have to really practice your game, and as George Hill once said in the Finals, he said sometimes he just throws it up there and it appears as if God is just dropping it into the basket, which is very, very accurate at times.

It is obvious that you need lots of dedication and practice to reach Stephen Curry's level, but there is also the simple fact that what Stephen Curry is able to do with the basketball is abnormal. While there are some negatives in terms of Stephen Curry changing the game, there is also the good: Shaquille O'Neal notably stated that Curry "has given them a chance" when referring to little kids trying to emulate his play. Stephen Curry has offered a blueprint to how a smaller guard can succeed in the league and has single-handedly changed the game.