I know this is reaching for American audiences (and I know I show bias as an American fan), but it's a fair question to ask who had a bigger impact on how their sport is played.
Neuer changed how goalkeepers play entirely, which has more made teams play out the back and build up their play through goalkeeper, but Steph changed how *all of basketball is played.* 3 point shooting has completely taken over the sport and it's a critical part of the sport now.
Would love other takes though!
by CaptPierce93
8 Comments
Steph
Curry’s success made teams finally realize that math that has been in front of them for basically forever. If you shoot 40% from 3 point range, and 48% from 2 point range, it all of a sudden makes sense to shoot more 3 pointers at a slightly lower success rate that is overcome by 33% more points. The downside it, it made the game kind of predictable and boring over the long run.
Neuer changed the entire layout of how a team sets up based on refining how a single position no longer is simply stuck standing on the line all gamer, but is now integrated into both the offense (distribution) as well as defense (being able to play higher average lines ).
Like Curry, Neuer’s approach started being adopted by basically everyone else in some way. The changes from how Neuer plays also in part helped Guardiola refine his possession based tactics into what they are now, and what almost any team out there uses to some extent.
Classic goal-keeper still relevant today, while in basketball almost all classic basketball role faced extinction in just 5 years of Curry dominances.
Neuer- there have always been good shooters in Bball he’s not revolutionary by making a higher percentage of shots
Steph has completely changed modern basketball with the new emphasis on the 3 pointer. I’d go with him but it’s close.
I’m not a basketball fan but this is the first I’ve heard of Neuer changing the game. The special thing about Neuer is how good he is as keeping the goal. Victor Valdes was doing plenty with his feet for nearly a decade before Neuer popped up, and it only became relevant once the outfield players became possession-obsessed.
The keeper is a handy piece in the jigsaw, but the idea he was some sort of driving force is just a lie.
Steph effect on “modern” basketball is closer to cryuff with the early “total football” concepts where he demonstrated a different way to play the game that teams were eventually forced to follow, similar to the small ball warriors. Manu I’d say is closer to Magic in that they were/are elite players who changed how the position could be played/how talent was evaluated at that position but most teams aren’t going have that freak of nature in their position to fully use the styles they developed in their respective positions.
Curry changed the game more, neuer changed the position more