“It brings out the best in you” - Stephen Curry talks about going up against Chris Paul as both point guards start the season strongly and enter the MVP conversation
Stephen Curry and Chris Paul have been two of the best point guards in the NBA over the last ten years. After Curry led the Golden State Warriors to a 118-96 victory over the Paul-led Phoenix Suns, Curry was asked about his battles with Paul.
Chris Paul moved around from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Houston Rockets, and now with the Suns. He has faced Stephen Curry in the playoffs for every team he has been on. Paul beat the Warriors in the 2013-14 playoffs in the first round while with the Clippers and then lost to the Warriors in back-to-back playoffs from 2017-2019 with the Rockets.
After the Warriors victory, Stephen Curry was asked about playing against Paul, and he said:
"The constant battles we have had over the years with the Clippers, and Houston and all that, now with Phoenix. It's dope to see the evolution of both of our careers. The fact that we're still in a situation where we're playing meaningful games. It brings the best out of you for sure."
Stephen Curry has high praises for one of the best point guards in NBA history and has the utmost respect for him. It is excellent when two players always compete against each other at the top of their games, and the Western Conference has seen that with Paul and Curry.
The two have been at the forefront of point guards in the NBA, and it has been great to see them battle it out in the Western Conference. They are the leading teams with the best and second-best record in the NBA, which makes Curry and Paul easy MVP candidates.
Stephen Curry versus Chris Paul, who is the better point guard?
Stephen Curry and Chris Paul could end their careers as two of the best point guards to ever play in the NBA. They join many other great NBA point guards in the discussion, but these two playings simultaneously make the debate very interesting.
Curry and Paul are two different point guards, who are both elite in their own right. Chris Paul plays downhill and loves having the ball in his hands to run the offense while being a tenacious defender. Curry is more of a pure scorer, and even though he can run an offense, he often plays off-ball, allowing him to run through screens to get open threes.
In his career, Paul has averaged 18.2 points and 9.4 assists per game. He is also a six-time steal champion, with nine All-Defensive selections. Paul has led the NBA in assists per game on four different occasions and looks to do it again this season at 36 years old.
Curry, for his career, has averaged 24.3 points and 6.5 assists per game. Curry has won two MVPs, three NBA Finals, and two scoring titles. Even though Curry has not led the NBA in assists like Paul, he has led the NBA in made threes six times and looks set to do it again this season.
Stephen Curry and Chris Paul will end up as two of the best point guards in NBA history, and even though they are different players, they both make their teams better.