Honestly, if you look at the raw numbers from the 2016 NBA Finals, you might think they’re okay. Decent even. But anyone who lived through those two weeks in June knows better. It was the most bizarre, polarizing stretch of basketball for a guy who had just become the first unanimous MVP in league history.
We’re talking about a season where the Golden State Warriors won 73 games. They were invincible. Then the Finals happened.
When people pull up the steph curry 2016 finals stats, they usually point to the 22.6 points per game. On its face? Not terrible. But context is everything in the NBA, and the context of 2016 is a tangled mess of knee braces, physical muggings, and a series of "what ifs" that still keep Warriors fans up at night.
The Raw Numbers: A Surface Level Look
Let's just get the basics out of the way. Over those seven games against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Curry averaged:
- 22.6 Points
- 4.9 Rebounds
- 3.7 Assists
- 40.3% Field Goal Percentage
- 40.0% Three-Point Percentage
- 92.9% Free Throw Percentage
Wait. 40% from three on nearly 12 attempts per game? In a "bad" series? That’s the Steph Curry tax. Most players would sell their soul for those shooting splits in the Finals. But for Curry—the guy who had just averaged 30.1 points on 50/45/90 splits in the regular season—it felt like a massive regression.
The real kicker wasn't the shooting, though. It was the playmaking.
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Curry averaged 4.3 turnovers to just 3.7 assists. He is one of the few superstars to ever finish a seven-game Finals series with more giveaways than dimes. That’s where the "choker" narrative really found its legs. You've got the most efficient offensive engine in history suddenly stalling out when the lights were brightest.
Game by Game: The Rollercoaster
It started weird. Game 1 was a blowout win for Golden State, but Steph and Klay Thompson combined for only 20 points. They didn't even need to be great because Shaun Livingston decided to turn into mid-range Michael Jordan for a night.
Then came Game 4. This was the "he's back" moment. Curry dropped 38 points. He hit seven threes. The Warriors took a 3-1 lead, and the series felt over. This is the part of the steph curry 2016 finals stats that people forget—he actually had the Cavs on the ropes.
But then Game 5 happened. And Game 6.
By the time we got to Game 7, Steph looked gassed. Or hurt. Probably both. He finished the deciding game with 17 points on 6-of-19 shooting. That’s the image burned into everyone’s brain: Curry trying to shake Kevin Love on the perimeter in the final minute and failing to get a clean look.
The Injury Elephant in the Room
You can't talk about these stats without talking about the MCL sprain. Remember the Houston series in the first round? Steph slipped on a wet spot, his knee buckled, and he missed two weeks.
He came back for the Portland series and had that legendary "I'm here!" 17-point overtime, but he wasn't the same. His lateral quickness—the very thing that allows him to create space against bigger defenders—was noticeably hampered.
In the regular season, Steph was blowing by bigs. In the 2016 Finals, Tristan Thompson and Kevin Love were able to stay in front of him on switches. If he's 100% healthy, does he shake Kevin Love for that game-tying three in Game 7? Maybe.
Why the Assists Dried Up
The Cavaliers’ defensive strategy was essentially a legal assault. Tyronn Lue decided that the refs weren't going to whistle everything, so the Cavs grabbed, held, and bumped Curry every second he was off the ball.
Because he was struggling to create separation, the Warriors' "motion" offense turned into a "static" offense. His assist numbers tanked because he couldn't get into the paint to collapse the defense. When he did try to force the issue, it resulted in those uncharacteristic turnovers, like the infamous behind-the-back pass to Klay that sailed out of bounds in Game 7.
Basically, the Cavs turned a beautiful symphony into a mud fight. And Curry is a finesse player who was forced to play a power game while nursing a bum knee.
The Impact of the 3-1 Lead
Stats don't capture the psychological weight of that series. When Draymond Green got suspended for Game 5, the pressure shifted entirely to Steph.
In Game 5 at home, he put up 25 points, but Kyrie Irving and LeBron James both dropped 41. It was a statistical anomaly that broke the Warriors' spirit. By Game 6, Curry was so frustrated he threw his mouthpiece and hit a fan.
- Game 5: 25 PTS, 8-21 FG
- Game 6: 30 PTS, 8-20 FG (Fouled out)
- Game 7: 17 PTS, 6-19 FG
The efficiency just evaporated as the series went on. He was 1-for-6 in the fourth quarter of Game 7. That's the stat that haunts the legacy of that 73-win team.
How the 2016 Finals Changed Steph
Looking back, those steph curry 2016 finals stats were a turning point. He realized he needed more bulk. He spent the next few offseasons getting stronger so he wouldn't get pushed around in the playoffs again.
He also learned when to be aggressive and when to let the game come to him. If you compare his 2016 numbers to his 2022 Finals MVP performance, the scoring is higher (31.2 PPG), but the poise is what really stands out.
The 2016 version of Steph was a superstar still learning how to handle a defense designed solely to break him. The 2022 version was a finished product.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans and Analysts
If you're debating Steph’s legacy or just looking at historical data, keep these three things in mind:
- Watch the off-ball movement: Don't just look at the shooting percentage. Watch how many times he was grabbed without a whistle. It explains the fatigue.
- The "Gravity" Factor: Even when he was shooting poorly, the Cavs refused to leave him. This opened up lanes for Harrison Barnes (who unfortunately couldn't hit a barn door that series) and others.
- The MCL Context: A Grade 1/2 MCL sprain usually takes 4-6 weeks to fully heal. Steph was playing high-intensity Finals basketball at week four.
If you want to dive deeper into how Curry adjusted, go back and watch the 2017 Finals. The stats are better, sure, but the way he handles the physical pressure is night and day. He went from being a victim of the 2016 narrative to the guy who controlled the tempo of every series thereafter.
The 2016 stats are a scar, but as any athlete will tell you, scars are just lessons you can't forget.