Basketball rims are 18 inches in diameter. Because the ball descends at an angle θ, the hoop acts as an ellipse with major axis 18" and minor axis 18" × sin(θ). A ball with diameter 9.4" has zero margin for error below 32°. Curry's signature 53-55° rainbow arc increases the effective target ellipse by over 18% compared to flatter jump shooters.
High-arc balls lose vertical kinetic energy when striking the back iron or glass, damping ricochets and converting potential rebounds into “shooter's rolls.” This simulator computes realistic normal velocity damping ($e \approx 0.62$ on tempered glass, $e \approx 0.45$ on steel rim rims).
Remaining with a single franchise across 16+ seasons requires biomechanical preservation. Steph Curry's dip-and-sweep rhythm transfers lower-body ground reaction force directly into release velocity without taxing shoulder fatigue, allowing 35-foot bombs with identical release mechanics.