NBA Myth Busters - Steph Curry is among the Top 5 players in the NBA
As I continue to debunk some of the most popular myths and narratives with the 4th article in this series, I must admit that this particular topic has been the hardest amongst the lot. As you read the title, it may seem laughable and hysterical at first.
Is the greatest shooter of all time not amongst the top 5 players today? He's averaging 29 Points, 5 Rebounds and 6 Assists. We all saw how Golden State Warriors suffered in his absence. How is he still missing from your Top 5?
Well, there is no denying the greatness of Steph Curry. He has changed the way the game is played. With all due respect and love to him, I feel there are 5 other guys who are better all-around players than Curry as of today. Let's get straight into it.
Debunking the Myth -
Currently, The Top 5 Players are -
1) LeBron James
2) Kevin Durant
3) Anthony Davis
4) Giannis Antetokounmpo
5) Kawhi Leonard
LeBron James
LeBron is just having that kind of a season once again. The King is currently averaging 28 Points, 7 Rebounds and 7 Assists per game. Outside of shooting, LeBron is better than Curry in literally every category. (LeBron is averaging 52% from the field this season by the way)
LeBron is clearly better than Curry and it's not even close. It is easy to believe otherwise, because casual basketball fans love his persona and all the crazy shots Curry puts up on a nightly basis, but as a basketball player, LeBron is undeniably better.
Kevin Durant
Let's talk about Kevin Durant now. This could get a little tricky as the Warriors collapsed recently without Curry. KD can't seem to carry the Golden State Warriors past the finish line. They looked like a disaster without Curry, who was sidelined due to injury. I get that. But here's the thing. Kevin Durant can do almost everything that Curry can do, but Curry is not even close when it comes to matching Durant's offensive arsenal.
Durant is almost 7 feet tall with ball handling skills of a 6 feet tall guard. He can pull-up on literally anyone in the league. His offensive prowess is off the charts. Kevin Durant has led the league in scoring on 4 different occasions. All said and done, Durant will go down as a Top 5 Scorer of all-time.
Having said that, who's the better defender? Durant, by far. Who's the more versatile defender? Durant. Who won back-to-back Finals MVP awards? Durant. The most important player on the Warriors team is Steph Curry. But who's the best player on that team? Durant. He's is putting up 29 Points, 8 Rebounds and 6 Assists per night this season.
Giannis and Davis
Anthony Davis and Giannis Antetokounmpo are 25 and 24 years old respectively. At the age when other players are trying to figure out what to do in their early careers, Davis and Giannis are putting on monster performances night after night after night.
Davis is currently averaging 28 Points, 12 Rebounds and 5 Assists, while Giannis is the early favorite to win the MVP award, with averages of 27 Points, 13 Rebounds and 6 Assists and almost 4 Blocks.
The Brow is arguably the best PF/Center in the League. The Greek Freak is not too far behind and is the best scorer in the paint. Why are they better than Curry? Sheer dominance. Their size makes them unguardable.
Kawhi Leonard
Kawhi Leonard is the one guy that people love to ignore. A healthy Kawhi is the best 2-way player in the world. We need to stop giving defense less importance over offense, because Kawhi Leonard is as good a defender as we have ever seen in the NBA. Offensively as well, he's still averaging 27 Points per game. He just brings a lot more to the table than Steph Curry.
LeBron, KD, Davis, Giannis, and Kawhi are all bigger and more athletic than Curry. It's not their fault that they're just bigger and more versatile! Curry is the best point guard in the league today, but he's not even half as versatile as the aforementioned players.
Steph Curry is the best shooter, but these guys are all averaging the same points without shooting that well and they bring a lot more to the table. I have nothing but respect for Steph, but these guys are just on another level of dominance.
There you have it folks, the myth that Steph Curry is a top 5 player in the NBA is now busted.