National Basketball Association

Lionel Hollins on stopping Kyle Korver: 'Not like we're talking Curry'

Published Apr. 21, 2015 2:26 p.m. ET

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Fact: Atlanta Hawks wing Kyle Korver was second to only DeAndre Jordan in effective field goal percentage for qualified players in the 2014-15 season. He was the only non-big man in the top four.

Fact: Korver shot 49.2 percent on 3-pointers this season.

Fact: Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry shot 44.3 percent on 3-pointers this season.

Fact: Nets coach Lionel Hollins said the two don't exactly stack up, per the New York Daily News.

“How many shots did [Korver] take [in Game 1] and how many did he miss? See, if he’s that good, he’d make all of them.” Hollins said. “Everybody misses, man. He’s a good shooter, I acknowledge that, we acknowledge that as a team, we game plan for him because he is a great shooter. But until he starts shooting 100%, we’ve got to play and be in position to help, and then recover, and close out.

“It’s not like we’re talking (Stephen) Curry. Korver, he’s a great come-off-the-screen guy, he’s great with moving without the ball, but he rarely puts the ball on the floor like Curry and shakes you up.”

Fact: As great as Korver is, Hollins isn't wrong. There's nothing inflammatory about his statement. Yes, Korver's numbers are higher, but he doesn't carry the burden that Curry does, and the ball isn't in his hands nearly as often. The usage-efficiency trade-off is a real thing, and Curry used almost twice as many of Golden State's possessions as Korver did for the Hawks.

Both are great players, and both can destroy a defense. But Korver's no Curry, and Curry's no Korver. Hollins is right.