Most everyone agrees that NBA players hit their peak in their late 20’s.

Steph Curry is 33 years old and he’ll be 34 years old by the end of the regular season. In his age range, the vast majority of guards of his size and position are already seeing declines in their play. Superstars become role players and are no longer capable of playing at the level they’re used to, but not Curry.

He’s not just playing like the superstar he’s been, but Curry is performing even better than he’s ever played.

Why is that? I won’t go over how the game “slows down” as you gain experience. All players that last in the NBA begin to figure things out simply by playing the game. No, we’re going to go over the very specific reasons why Curry is showing out 4-5 years after his MVP season.

1. He’s stronger

The primary reason why a 33 year-old Curry is as dominant as he’s shown is also the most-apparent one – he’s bigger. Curry is not only stronger, but it’s obvious that Steph has put on a lot more muscle. And this isn’t just the natural bulking up we typically see a rookie put on over the years, we’re talking about Curry looking entirely different even from his MVP seasons.

His shoulders are visibly bigger. His arms are filled out. He still has a baby face, but his body is more mature.

What does that mean? It means that not only can Curry play through phsyicality and take hits, but more imprortantly, his increased upper body strength makes it easier for Curry can hoist up three point shots. With more strength, he doesn’t need as much space to shoot his shots, he can release his bombs quicker and from much further out. Couple the additional muscle all with his acuracy from behind the arc, and that makes for an even deadlier Steph Curry; one that can shoot faster, easier and from even further out.

2. Threes

As the best shooter the league has ever seen, Steph Curry’s name is synonymous with three pointers and rightly so. More than half of Curry’s points come from behind the line. For example, 255 of his 442 points Curry has scored comes from three pointers, that’s more than 57% of his points coming from behind the arc according to 12Bet. Thefact that Curry gets the majority of his points behind the line means he’s not being  worn down as other high-scoring players that have to work harder to get their points.

Simply, Curry shoots the ball and the comparable physical contact he takes on is very low.

3. Curry is the system

The offensive system that Golden State runs is to not only to free up Curry, but at the end up the day, the system serves to preserve his body.

In order to get open shots, Curry doesn’t have to back down players. He’s not breaking down his defender off the dribble. He’s not getting hit going into the paint. He’s not running guys through picks. Yes, Curry does all of this, but mostly, he’s running off picks and set plays that free him (or his teammates) up. Remember how Curry gets the majority of his points (see #2).

And all of these reasons work off one another. Curry’s offensive impact derives from the fact that he’s the best shooter in the history of the league, the system is built around getting him (and Klay Thompson) open, and his added muscle and strength allows Curry to shoot threes without having to fully gather himself.

All this results in the preservation of Curry’s body from not getting nearly as battered over the years. This is why we’re seeing a 33-year old Curry dominating when other players of the same age are on the decline.