Steph Curry showed us his flexibility during Game 1 of the NBA Finals after he knocked down a three-pointer, kicking his legs high up in the air. It looks awfully familiar to what we see on NFL Sundays:
Could Steph Curry be an NFL punter?
Marquette King thinks he could with a little work.
No surprise he was loose, the way the Warriors easily handled the Cavaliers in 113-91 in our NBA Finals trilogy.
The kick inspired its share of memes, but Raiders punter Marquette King saw the bigger picture — promise on the football field:
Outside of one small adjustment, King was impressed with Curry’s form:
A key to being an NFL punter is obviously leg strength. While Curry isn’t a big guy, he’s certainly not lacking power.
In the summer of 2015, ESPN’s Tom Haberstroh talked to then-Warriors trainer Keke Lyles (no relation), who said Curry could deadlift 400 pounds. Only the 7’0, 270 pound Festus Ezeli was able to lift more. Those strong glutes and hammies will come in handy trying to pin teams in the NFL.
Curry was also good at kicking both legs. It’s likely because his training involves a lot of single-leg work, per ESPN’s Pablo Torre:
Some 90 percent of Curry’s lower-body strength work with Payne is one-legged: single-leg reverse lunges, rear-foot elevated single-leg squats, single-leg dead lifts.
So what about technique? Sure he could use some work, but King wasn’t originally a punter himself — his college coach forced him to switch from wide receiver to keep his scholarship. Now King’s one of the best punters the NFL has to offer.
Curry managed to become the greatest shooter in NBA history and is one of the elite ball-handlers in the game today. With a little practice, maybe he could at least be the worst punter in the NFL.
Draymond Green might also have some tips. Strength in numbers, right?
