Who Is Better Curry Or Lillard?

On a recent podcast episode with Draymond Green, Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard opened up about his respect for Steph Curry. The two star guards have faced off several times over the years, which has given Lillard an up-close look at the one player he can accept coming behind in point guard debates.

When asked about Steph Curry, Lillard said, “At my position. If you say who’s the best at this, who’s first like this, Steph is the one person I can accept coming behind. Steph came from a mid major, Steph went through injuries, Steph teams struggled. Steph is a two-time MVP, three-time champion. I respect Steph.” While the Curry vs.

Lillard debates never contained much substance, they did gain some unnecessary momentum during the 2019-20 season when Steph was sidelined with a broke hand. That noise has since been silenced, and Lillard is okay with it. Scroll to Continue In their career head-to-head matchups, Curry is 26-8 vs.

Lillard, including a 10-0 record in playoff games. In those games, Curry is averaging 32.0 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 6.8 APG, while Lillard is averaging 26.7 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 5.9 APG. While both have put up elite stats vs. the other, Curry’s are a tier above. Capped off with his career-high 62-point performance against Lillard, Curry has been dominating those battles for years.

While fans of Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors will rightfully point to all of these statistics when presented with the rare argument for Lillard’s case over Curry, the debate has now been settled by Lillard himself. One of the best point guards of his era, and a member of the NBA’s Top-75 list, Dame himself has no issue being ranked behind Steph Curry.

Who is a better shooter Curry or Lillard?

Stephen Curry is a Much Better Scorer than Damian Lillard – Steph Curry is known for his prolific three point shooting, being by far the best shooter ever. In terms of being a high volume efficient scorer he’s arguably the best ever. Steph Curry and Dame Lillard cannot compare in the scoring department.

These numbers were Steph’s 2016-2019 seasons, not including this last season as he only played 9 games. Dame Lillard leads in PPG and Offensive Rating, but that’s because he had over 1,000 more minutes played than Steph. He plays more often as the Warriors really rest their players towards the end of that season.

Who is Damian Lillard better than?

Scoring – Damian Lillard – Damian Lillard is a better scorer than Luka Doncic this season, averaging 29.8 PPG to Luka Doncic’s 29.1 PPG. While the difference is minuscule, Lillard is still a better scorer due to his elite ability from deep, being able to make shots from the longest of distances.

While Doncic’s scoring is elite, he struggles at times from the perimeter, while at times forcing bad shots. Damian Lillard has had years to master being the first option on offense for a playoff team. While Doncic and Lillard are both first options for their respective teams in scoring, Lillard has more experience doing it on a higher level: his scoring has led them to be the 4th seed in the Western Conference while the Mavericks with Doncic are 10th.

Lillard gets the edge here.

Who shoot better Curry or Kyrie?

Steph Curry vs. Kyrie Irving – Offensive comparison – Both the Golden State Warriors superstar and the 2012 Rookie of the Year are incredible offensive threats. They have a lot of tricks in their bags and are extremely tough to guard. Steph Curry vs. Kyrie Irving – Offense comparison in regular season. (Image via Sportskeeda) In their head-to-head matchups so far, Curry has been slightly better on the offensive end. Surprisingly, Irving shot better from 3-point range. Irving converted 41.9% of his 3-point shots against Curry, which is an amazing mark.

1. On the other hand, the success rate of the greatest shooter in the game was 39.7%.
2. Both players had some fantastic high-scoring games against each other, with Curry outscoring Irving in 15 of their 29 matchups.
3. Curry recorded a high of 49 points against Irving, while Irving played for the Boston Celtics.

Irving’s highest scoring game against Curry was a 41-point performance in Game 5 of the 2016 Finals. In terms of assists, both point guards have recorded a single-game high of 11 assists in their matchups.

Who is the most efficient shooter in NBA history?

17. Steve Nash – 4 of 21

Years Played: 1997-current Games Played: 934 Minutes Per Game: 31.1 Two-Point Attempts Per Game: 7.3 Three-Point Attempts Per Game: 3.4 Free-Throw Attempts Per Game: 2.8 Two-Point Percentage:,512 Three-Point Percentage:,432 Free-Throw Percentage:,900 Points Per Game: 14.4 Steve Nash is one of the best shooters the game of basketball has ever witnessed. While he and Mark Price are the only two point guards ever to shoot 50-40-90 in a season on 10 or more shot attempts per game, Nash is the only player to have accomplished the feat more than twice (he did it four times). A two-time MVP and seven-time All-Star, the Canadian Nash has made seven All-NBA teams in his 14-year career. He’s second only to Price in all-time free-throw percentage and ranks fifth in three-point percentage. ESPN’s John Hollinger called him the greatest shooter simply because Nash’s “Combined Shooting Rating” (two-point percentage plus three-point percentage plus free-throw percentage) is the highest in NBA history. So why in the world do I rank Nash the 17th-best shooter ever, you ask? Because his “Combined Shooting Rating”—a B.S. stat like Hollinger’s that I just made up a second ago—is just 13.6 per game. Add up all of Nash’s shot attempts per game and this is what you get. In other words, Nash only attempts 13.6 shots per game total, That’s 7.5 shot attempts per game fewer than the average player on this list. The average shots per game taken by a guard with Nash’s career shooting percentages is 18.4. If Nash took five to seven more attempts per game, it is highly likely he would fall out of Hollinger’s top 10. Either way you cut it, Nash would still rank as an all-time great shooter. I give him the nod over Price because of the greater variety of shots he can make (running one-handed scoop shots, high-arching tear drops in the paint, etc).

Who has the best PER of all time?

Career PER leaders

Who is the best leader in NBA history?

Who is better Lillard or Kyrie?

On-Court Performance – A quick look at the hard stats will tell you that both of these players play very similar games. They have similar stat lines, so it can be hard to distinguish between the two. Lillard of 24.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game with shooting splits of 43.6%/37.1%/88.9%.

Meanwhile, 22.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game with splits of 46.6%/39.0%/87.7%. Irving’s shooting percentages look slightly better, but Lillard’s career true shooting percentage is a tick higher (57.8% to 57.2%) because he shoots more 3-pointer and free throws. Lillard separated himself a bit this year in the numbers category, especially with Irving hurting and only playing 20 games.

Dame was averaging 28.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game before the hiatus. His 61.9% true shooting mark would be a career best. Kyrie was at 27.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game before his season ended due to shoulder surgery.

Who is considered the goat of NBA?

The GOAT debate in the NBA is one that will be going on forever, and though there are really just two or three legit candidates, fans have their personal favorites who they’ll back no matter what. Because arguments about the NBA GOAT spring up often among groups of friends or on social media, we decided to make things easier for you by creating a GOAT debate cheat sheet where we give you the best stats and arguments for every GOAT candidate imaginable, from Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to lesser discussed candidates like Oscar Robertson and Shaquille O’Neal,

We should mention that the arguments for certain candidates aren’t foolproof due to the fact that some statistics, like blocks and steals, and awards, like Player of the Month or 3rd Team All-NBA, didn’t exist early on in the NBA, meaning players like Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain could have an even stronger case if they did.

Regardless, you can check out our GOAT debate cheat sheet and the arguments that can be made for each candidate below. Most All-NBA selections: Passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant and stands at No.1 with 18 selections. He’s both the youngest and fourth-oldest to be selected for an All-NBA team. One caveat here: There was no All-NBA 3rd Team during Abdul-Jabbar’s time in the NBA.

If there had been, perhaps he would top this list. Most All-NBA 1st Team selections: With 13, he has two more than the next guys: Bryant and Karl Malone, Most points scored in the playoffs: He’s running up the score by now. With 7,631 already, he’s got over 1,600 more points than the player in second (Michael Jordan).

Most playoff games won: Moved past Derek Fisher and Tim Duncan in 2020. He’s got a 65.4 percent winning percentage in the playoffs. That’s slightly worse than Jordan, who had a 66.5 percent win rate in the playoffs. Most steals in the playoffs: Jordan and Scottie Pippen are right behind him, but he may continue to extend his lead over the years to come.

• Most playoff Win Shares: He’s No.1 in playoff Win Shares by a mile at 55.7.
• In second place is Jordan at 39.8.
• Third is Duncan with 37.8.
• Most playoff game-winning buzzer beaters: At five, he has the most playoff buzzer beaters ever.
• He has as many as Jordan (3), Bryant (1) and Kawhi Leonard (1) combined.

Strangely enough, he has more playoff buzzer beaters than regular-season buzzer beaters, of which he only has two. Best Value Over Replacement Player in regular season: He’s No.1 in regular-season VORP at 142.6. Second place is Jordan at 116.1 and third is John Stockton at 106.5.

Best Value Over Replacement Player in playoffs: He also leads all players in NBA history in playoff VORP at 33.9. Most consecutive double-digit scoring games in the regular season: One of his crazier accomplishments. He’s the first player ever to hit 10-plus points in 1,000-plus games in a row. Most Player of the Week awards: If he wins one more of these, he’ll double the next player on the list, Kobe Bryant.

He does benefit here from the NBA moving to give out two Player of the Week awards weekly (one for each conference) starting in the 2001-02 season. Most Player of the Month awards: He has more of these than the next two players on the list combined (Bryant and Jordan). Most Finals MVPs: He’s got two more Finals MVPs than the No.2 player on the list, LeBron James. Along with Shaquille O’Neal, he’s the only player to win Finals MVP three times in a row and he did it twice. The NBA didn’t start giving out Finals MVP until 1968-69, however, so Bill Russell might be No.1 on this list had the award existed in his era.

Highest career scoring average: He almost lost his top spot here to Wilt Chamberlain during his Wizards days, but now, it’s extremely likely he’ll remain No.1 for years to come. He averaged 30.12 points per game for his career while Chamberlain averaged 30.07 points per contest. No other player is above 27.36.

Most scoring championships: He’s got an astonishing 10 scoring titles on his resume. Chamberlain is second with seven and no other player has more than four. From 1986-87 to 1997-98, he won the scoring championship every full season he played. Most 1st Team All-Defense selections: A true two-way player, he was named to 1st Team All-Defense a record nine times.

• He’s tied with Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Gary Payton for most 1st Team All-Defense selections ever.
• Best career PER: He’s got a slight lead on LeBron James here.
• His 27.9 career PER is tops in league history (minimum: 1,000 minutes played) while James’ 27.3 is No.2.
• Best regular-season Box Plus/Minus (BPM): Once again, he’s No.1 here with a slight lead on James.

His 9.2 regular-season BPM – “a basketball box score-based metric that estimates a basketball player’s contribution to the team when that player is on the court,” per Basketball-Reference – is tops in league history and James’ 8.9 is third. Best playoff BPM: Among players with at least 2,000 career playoff minutes, he’s No.1 in BPM at 11.1. Best scoring season: In 1961-62, he averaged 50.4 points per game. You know that’s never going to be topped. Top scoring game: He famously once scored 100 points in a game. Kobe’s 81-point masterpiece vs. the Raptors comes at a distant No.2. Most rebounds in career: He’s got over 2,300 more rebounds than the No.2 finisher, Bill Russell, and over 6,400 more rebounds than the No.3 player on the list, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Most rebounds per game: One of just two players ever with over 22 rebounds per game for a career. The only other is Russell. Top rebounding season: He’s the only player ever to average 25-plus rebounds per game in a season and he did it three times. One of those years, he averaged 27.2 rebounds per contest.

Most times leader in rebounds: He led the league in nightly rebounds 11 times in his career. That makes him the player to have led the league in rebounding the most times. Most rebounds in a game: On Nov.24, 1960, he secured 55 rebounds in a game against the Boston Celtics. Most MVP awards: His six career MVP awards are the most for a player ever. He won three apiece with Bucks and Lakers. At No.2, Bill Russell and Michael Jordan are tied with five each. Most points scored: His 38,387 career points are the most for a player ever.

He’s got almost 1,300 more points than the No.2 player on the list, LeBron James. Most All-Star selections: He was an All-Star 19 different times, the most for a single player in league history. He only missed All-Star honors once in his 20-year career. Most regular-season wins: At 1,074, he’s got the most regular-season wins in NBA history.

He has 60 more wins than the next player, Robert Parish, He’s one of just three players with over 1,000 regular-season wins along with Parish and Tim Duncan. Most regular season Win Shares: He’s No.1 in career Win Shares with 273.4. He’s over 25 Win Shares higher than second place, Wilt Chamberlain. Most NBA titles won: At 11 championships, he’s the only player with more rings than fingers. Most Finals appearances: He made the Finals 12 times and only lost one of them. LeBron James is tied for third with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with 10 Finals appearances.

Most rebounds in playoffs: He’s the only player with over 4,000 rebounds in the postseason. Best rebound average in the playoffs: His 24.9 rebounds in the playoffs is No.1 all-time. He’s one of just two players along with Wilt Chamberlain to average 20 rebounds in the postseason. Highest career Defensive Win Shares: At 133.6, he has the No.1 mark in Defensive Win Shares ever.

Second place in the stat for a career, Tim Duncan, trails pretty far behind at 106.3. Highest assists per game: He averaged an astounding 11.2 assists per game for his career. He’s one of just two players, along with John Stockton, with over 10 assists per game for a career. Most assists in the playoffs: His 2,346 assists in the postseason is No.1 and No.2 on the list, LeBron James, is almost 500 behind.

He’s the only player ever with over 2,000 assists in the playoffs. Highest assist average in playoffs: Only player ever to average more than 11 assists in the postseason, and he’s at 12.3. Second place is Stockton at 10.1. Most triple-doubles in the playoffs: His 30 playoff triple-doubles is the most ever, though LeBron James is closing in with 28 now.

No.3 on the list, Jason Kidd, is miles behind at 11. Most 1st Team All-Defense selections: He’s in a tie with Michael Jordan, Kevin Garnett and Gary Payton for most 1st Team All-Defense selections with nine each. Most All-Star Game MVPs: He won All-Star Game MVP four times, putting him in a tie with Bob Pettit for the most all-time. Most seasons with a winning record: He had a winning record 19 times, every year of his career. That’s seven more than the second-place player. Most wins with the same team: He’s the only player with more than 1,000 wins with the same team. All-time blocks leader: His 3,380 career blocks are the most ever, almost 600 more than second place, Dikembe Mutombo, He has the most blocks on record, though Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain would probably have more if blocks were recorded in their heydays. Most seasons with best field-goal percentage: He had a career field-goal percentage of 58.2 percent, he led the league in field-goal percentage 10 times. He’s the only player to do that at least 10 times.

Who’s better Curry or LeBron?

RELATED: Draymond sends hilarious Game 7 tweet, trolls Celtics coaches – Jordan’s cultural impact might never be equaled. His shoe brand has prospered through two generations, with no reason to believe it won’t make it three or four. Neither LeBron nor Steph could compete with that.

• MJ won six rings and five MVP awards and generally is placed No.1 on any list.
• LeBron won four championships with three different teams and owns four MVP awards, all before Steph won his first.
• Curry has four rings and two MVP awards, including the only one by unanimous vote.
• LeBron and Steph belong in the all-time top five.

What neither MJ nor LeBron did was change the game. Too unique. Steph did. By being the most common uncommon superstar we’ve ever seen. Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Who is better shooter Curry or Thompson?

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson has no problem saying he and Stephen Curry are the best guards in the NBA, When asked by reporters to name the best NBA players at each position on Saturday, Thompson named Curry the best point guard in the league and himself as the best shooting guard, per Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group.

• I’m going to go with myself,” Thompson said.
• We’re 26-1.
• I have confidence in myself.
• To be fair, Leung noted Thompson threw his hands in the air when saying he was the top shooting guard, suggesting there was some humor involved.
• Thompson also said Chicago’s Jimmy Butler and Houston’s James Harden were in the mix for best shooting guard in the league.

Yet it’s hard to argue there is a better backcourt duo going than Curry and Thompson. Curry is the reigning NBA MVP, yet he has somehow improved this year. He leads the NBA in points per game (31.8), field goals made (283) and three-pointers made (131), and he’s shooting a career-high 52 percent.

Not surprisingly, Thompson called Curry the better shooter of the two—but he doesn’t think there is a huge gap. “Right now, Steph’s a better shooter,” Thompson said. “I’m trying to catch him. Just by a little, though. Not by a lot. I can’t say he’s way better than me. He is one of the greatest, and it’s an honor to be in the same backcourt with him.” Thompson started slowly this season, shooting 45.7 percent overall and 43.3 percent from three-point range in November.

But he has turned things on in seven games this month, scoring 27 points per game with an overall shooting percentage of 50.8 and a three-point percentage of 47.3. Golden State’s backcourt duo averages 51.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game.

But Thompson is still gaining his stride, so those numbers could go up. The Warriors have amassed an incredible stable of young talent, which is headlined by the Splash Brothers. Curry and Thompson should be recognized as the best backcourt pairing in the NBA for what they have already accomplished and what is sure to come based on the results so far this season.

Stats via Basketball-Reference.com,

Who is a better shooter KD or LeBron?

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images Not since the salad days of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird in the 1980s has the NBA seen two superstars simultaneously performing at such insanely high levels as LeBron James and Kevin Durant are right now. The former has been hogging the headlines of late for his historic string of six straight games with 30 or more points on 60-plus percent shooting from the field.

1. The latter has simply continued about the business of securing his fourth consecutive scoring title amidst an offensive season for the ages,
2. On Thursday night, they’ll face off for the last time until (possibly) the 2013 NBA Finals, when the Oklahoma City Thunder host the Miami Heat in the final game before the All-Star break for both teams.

So far, LeBron has owned KD head-to-head. James’ teams have won eight of 10 regular-season meetings, including a 103-97 nail-biter this past Christmas. Here’s a look at how they’ve stacked up against one another in those 10 games (via Basketball-Reference ):

And in five postseason meetings, four of which went LeBron’s way in the 2012 NBA Finals:

What we see appears to be an amplification of more “natural” strengths and weaknesses between the two in the postseason. LeBron becomes the more aggressive attacker, getting to the line and forcing his primary defender (KD) to pick up fouls far faster than he normally would.

Durant, for his part, is plenty effective piling up points from the perimeter. Both turn the ball over with greater frequency, due in part to using a greater share of possessions as well as to the tightening of the opposing defense over the course of a seven-game (or, in this case, five-game) series.

Then again, neither of these statistical comparisons is all that reflective of where basketball’s two preeminent players stand today. James has evolved into a “power guard” who punishes his opponents with a burgeoning post-up game in the paint and a sharpened three-point shot from the perimeter, in addition to his requisite skills as a ball-handler and distributor.

1. As for Durant, he’s left behind any notion of himself as “just” a mild-mannered spot-up shooter to become a scary-efficient scorer who strikes fear into the hearts of his opponents on a nightly basis.
2. And, ultimately, these samples are still a bit too small to derive anything all that definitive from them.

Before we delve into the really gory details of how these two measure up right now, let’s have a cursory glance at the overall basics so far in 2012-13. We’ll omit the per-36-minute stats, since James and Durant garner such similar playing time. In both cases, the raw numbers are stunning.

1. LeBron is third in scoring, fourth in minutes, seventh in field-goal percentage, eighth in free-throw attempts, 11th in assists, 12th in steals, 18th in three-point percentage and 26th in rebounding.
2. Durant’s relative rankings are similarly impressive—first in scoring, second in free-throw attempts and free-throw percentage, second in minutes, 11th in three-point percentage, 17th in steals, 23rd in field-goal percentage and 26th in blocks.

Which is to say, LeBron and Durant both sit among the top 30 in no fewer than eight major statistical categories.and that they’re both incredibly versatile on both ends of the court. It’s no wonder, then, that they’re Nos.1 and 2 in Player Efficiency Rating, which is an aggregate of those stats tracked by modern box scores.

• LeBron once again leads the pack with a PER of 31.29, with Durant bringing up the “rear” at 29.24.
• At a glance, it’s easy to discern that LeBron is more of a facilitator than Durant.
• He’s dishing out nearly seven dimes per game, which is right around his career average.
• D has certainly stepped up his game in this regard, with a career-best 4.4 helpers, but he remains well behind James in the realm of creating shots for others.

To be sure, this has plenty to do with different roles for each, along with disparate skill sets. James is the hub of the Heat offense, and he has diversified his repertoire to include passing out of the post in addition to finding guys off the dribble from the perimeter.

Durant has taken on more creative duties since James Harden’s departure, but he still relies rather heavily on fellow All-Star Russell Westbrook to initiate the offense and spread the proverbial wealth. Clearly, the edge in “Point Guard-ness” belongs to LeBron. James’ superior pure point rating (PPR)—which takes into account assists, turnovers and pace—drives home this notion further.

What about scoring, then? How do they compare in this regard? Aside from the obvious, overarching themes that both score a ton and do so with incredible efficiency, that is. They both rank among the top 10 in the NBA in true shooting percentage, which accounts for three-point shots and free throws.

Durant is fifth overall with a percentage of,657, compared to LeBron’s mark of,636, which checks in 10th. KD’s advantage makes intuitive sense here. He gets to the line more often and shoots a far higher percentage than does LeBron, as detailed earlier. Durant also takes and makes more threes than his South Beach counterpart.

A point driven home by their respective shot charts: Notice how LeBron (top) takes nearly half of his shots at or near the rim—46.4 percent, to be exact. That’s a remarkable share of “easy” shots for a player who used to butter his bread from the outside.

• James’ next-biggest share of shots comes from the left block (7.6 percent), which makes sense considering his new-found love of and proficiency for posting up.
• Durant’s certainly no slouch in this regard.
• More than a third of his attempts have come within eight feet of the basket, with another fifth from the “ring” between eight and 16 feet away.

What’s most intriguing about Durant, though, is the extent to which his shots have been spread around the floor. He takes long twos and corner threes sparingly but feels free to fire away from the top of the key and on each wing, in addition to his usual artistry from within 16 feet.

• For those of you who like pie, here’s a rather colorful breakdown of each player’s shot distribution: Now, take a look at how Durant and LeBron perform from each zone, and you’ll begin to understand why they take their shots from where they do: There are two big takeaways here: 1.
• LeBron probably takes so many shots at or near the rim because he’s really, really, really good at finishing from there.

His 73.1 percent mark on shots within eight feet of the basket is tops among all players with at least 30 attempts in that range, per NBA.com’s stats database. Again, we turn to LeBron’s superior size, speed, strength and athleticism, which allows him to drive to the rim at will and bully defenders on the block.

• If you’re LeBron and you have those attributes at your disposal, it would behoove you to rack up easy shot after easy shot.2.
• D’s more egalitarian distribution likely has something to do with his ability to shoot accurately from so many different spots.
• Grantland’s Zach Lowe came to a similar conclusion, albeit using more sophisticated (and more exclusive) data.

Durant shoots at or above the league average from most anywhere on the floor. Better yet, he seems to understand how to maximize his strengths and minimize his weaknesses in this regard. He’s attempted 101 shots combined between the four zones in which he shoots worst.

That comes out to a relatively measly 10.8 percent of his looks spent in his least accurate areas. Evidently, LeBron and Durant approach scoring differently. James is a bruiser with blinding speed who’s best served banging bodies around the basket. Durant, meanwhile, is a tall, wiry leaper who can get to the cup, but whose height and smooth shooting stroke allow him to soften up opposing defenses from wherever he pleases.

On the whole, though, these two appear to be trending toward a convergence in brilliance. Both are on track to become basketball prototypes: smart, athletic players with size who can do it all offensively (dribble, pass, shoot, post up, etc.) and man all five positions defensively without fouling.

To that end, James has become a far more dependable perimeter shooter, and Durant is improving as a passer. LeBron has been one of the NBA’s best defenders since at least 2008-09, when he earned his first All-Defensive selection. Durant has improved considerably on that end and figures to earn some defensive accolades of his own in short order as a result.

Both have also taken up residency in the low post, but LeBron is currently well ahead of Kevin’s curve in that regard. Which is to be expected of a guy who’s approximately 45 pounds heavier and nearly four years older, as LeBron is in comparison to KD.

• But that’s what’s “scary” about Durant—that he’s as good as he is now, with so much upside yet to be exercised and time in which to do so.
• D still has yet to fully mature, be it physically or emotionally.
• The work he’s put in so far has made him stronger, and his experiences in the NBA have toughened him up to the point where he’s now a far cry from the ” Mr.

Nice Guy ” on the court that he was up until recently. To be sure, LeBron might not be done improving either, at least if his recent run of success is any indication. If James wants to stave off Durant’s heel-nipping, he’ll have to continue to sharpen his outside shot and his low-post game while blowing up the box score as he has for the last nine-plus seasons.

• Or, better yet, he can just keep winning, perhaps even at Durant’s expense.
• LeBron will have another opportunity to do just that on Thursday night, with others—at the All-Star Game and, perhaps, in the NBA Finals—soon to come.
• Because as these two superstars surely know, the only stat that truly matters in differentiating the best from the rest is that which is measured in wins and losses.

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Why is KD the best scorer of all time?

Kevin Durant might be the scariest perimeter scorer since Michael Jordan. Gregory Shamus/Getty Images Kevin Durant ‘s scoring prowess has reached the point where we must wonder whether he is the best wing scorer since Michael Jordan, Durant surpassed Jordan’s streak of 25-point games, which puts him in the discussion of great scorers.

• To figure out whom his main competitors are, we will look at perimeter players who have won multiple scoring titles since Jordan played his last game with the Chicago Bulls,
• Here are the players who fit the description, listed by scoring titles: Allen Iverson (four), Kobe Bryant (two) and Tracy McGrady (two).

That’s quite an impressive assortment of names, and it’s certainly a testament to Durant’s talent that he is in this discussion. He will be only 26 years old by the time next season starts, but his youth has not stopped him from making history. Durant has already collected three scoring titles and will add a fourth one at the conclusion of the regular season. Kevin Durant knowns how to get buckets. Sue Ogrocki Durant’s game has so many layers to it that he has become an unstoppable scorer. Standing at 6’9”, Durant is always going to be a matchup nightmare at the small forward position. There simply isn’t any defender equipped to bother his jump shot and stay with him from a lateral quickness standpoint.

• The Point Forward’s Rob Mahoney explains: Kevin Durant is a scorer, and that he will always be.
• His jumper will always be effortless, and the backspin on his shot will always make a subtle splash in the net upon its landing.
• The instincts and abilities that have made Durant the most potent scorer in the league over the last few seasons won’t soon wane, and defenses will always be forced to account for his scoring potential from the moment he steps on the court.

The one weakness Durant had previously stems back to his first two seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, He wasn’t strong enough to shake physical defenders, and consequently, he often caught the ball and had to initiate his offense a few feet behind the three-point line. LeBron James has trouble staying with Kevin Durant. Alan Diaz LeBron James echoed that sentiment in January to the media, per ESPN.com : “Individually, he can’t be stopped by any one-on-one player. There’s nobody that can guard him one-on-one.” Durant is an exceptional shooter off the dribble, which at times forces defenders to crowd him.

• He owns the highest field-goal percentage on pull-up jumpers among players attempting at least five such shots per game, according to SportVU data tracking,
• As a result, teams will at times try to take away Durant’s air space, which allows him to blow past them with his solid ball-handling skills.
• What’s more, he is also a good spot-up shooter, and the combination of Durant’s gifts causes defenders to commit mistakes.

Watch below as Shawn Marion tries to defend Durant. Marion is so worried about getting beat off the dribble that he simply forgets to actually guard Durant at the three-point line: One can understand Marion’s fear. Durant converts 58 percent of his shots on drives, which is the league’s second-best figure among players attempting at least five drives per game, according to SportVU data tracking,

As impressive as his perimeter game is, Durant is also quite a load in the low-post area. Per Synergy Sports (subscription required), the player known as the Slim Reaper hits 47.6 percent of his post-up shots. Durant is not your average post player, though. The very best usually have a go-to move they love to use.

Normally, this pet shot serves as a means to set up defenders. For instance, Michael Jordan loved using fadeaway jumpers as well as baseline drop steps on the low block, He often faked these moves and got defenders to bite. It allowed Jordan to get to the hoop for scores.

1. But Durant is different.
2. Because his post-up skills aren’t quite yet refined, he just catches the ball in the post and takes fadeaway jump shots.
3. Have a look: Durant is in the learning stages, but it’s probably wise to think that he will follow in LeBron James’ footsteps and progressively evolve as a player with his back to the basket.

Nonetheless, Durant is as deadly as they come in this setting. Remember, Durant’s prime is still roughly two seasons away. The likes of Bryant and Jordan started operating on the low block in their late 20s and early 30s, around the time they reached their physical and mental peaks as players.

Thus, we are probably a few years away from Durant becoming unstoppable in the low post As if things weren’t already unfair enough for the league, Durant marries all of this with a 40.9 percent conversion rate from downtown. These details help us understand how it is that he pours in 30 points on a nightly basis without looking too bothered by defenders.

Interestingly enough, Durant might be a more accomplished scorer than most of his predecessors. Take Allen Iverson as an example. Many remember him as one of the greatest finishers in NBA history, but the numbers paint a different picture. Per NBA.com, Iverson hit 60 percent or more of his shots in the restricted area twice (1999-00 and 2000-01) during his 14 seasons.

He wasn’t a particularly good shooter, nor did Iverson always take good shots, as evidenced by his career 42.5 percent shooting mark. Granted, Iverson was great at getting himself to the free-throw line, and he could make even the best defenders look silly with his crossover, That leaves us with Tracy McGrady and Kobe Bryant.

McGrady was basically the origin point for Durant. McGrady’s repertoire was essentially a mirror image of what Durant consistently displays. T-Mac was a skilled ball-handler and explosive finisher at the rim. Also, he was a proficient pull-up jump shooter who thrived in isolation situations.

• Watch him dribble out the clock and then drain a contested trey: However, there is one key difference between McGrady and Durant: Durant does everything better from a scoring standpoint.
• When comparing both players, it’s probably best to look at McGrady’s production with the Orlando Magic as opposed to the Toronto Raptors,

McGrady started out his career in Toronto, but he only became the focal point of the offense in Orlando. Through his first seven years with the Magic, he averaged 26.9 points on 43.8 percent shooting, per Basketball-Reference, Teams had trouble finding defenders that could match both his size (6’8″) and athleticism. Kobe Bryant has scored in seemingly every way known to man. Danny Moloshok The Black Mamba might have the most complete scoring arsenal of any perimeter player since Jordan. Bryant is an exquisite ball-handler and also one of the best wing post-up players in league history.

• Furthermore, he scores with floaters, pull-ups, fadeaway jumpers and baskets right at the rim.
• Bryant has devised every conceivable way to put points on the board, and it’s helped him become the Los Angeles Lakers ‘ all-time leading scorer.
• Count Durant as one of Bryant’s fans, based on words he shared with Los Angeles Daily News ‘ Mark Medina : He’s the greatest of all time.

His skill is second to none. Him and MJ are neck and neck as far as skill. Kobe is the top two best ever in just having skill, footwork, shooting the 3, shooting the pull-up, posting up, dunking on guys and ball handling. Kobe and Jordan are 1 and 1A. Durant’s repertoire does not yet rival Bryant’s, and even then, it might not matter. Kevin Durant just never seems to have off nights. Scott Halleran/Getty Images Durant is the most efficient scorer in league history, and it’s really not all that close. His marksmanship from every area on the floor, coupled with his superb free-throw shooting, makes him one of the most destructive scorers ever.

• Durant’s proficiency makes his competition look average in comparison.
• Have a look at his career scoring average and shooting figures when matched up against the players with multiple scoring titles since Jordan retired.
• Pay careful attention to the last column, which refers to true shooting percentage.

It’s every shooting figure bunched up together (courtesy of Basketball-Reference):

The graph reveals that Durant is easily the most efficient scorer of the group. What’s more, Durant has a knack for taking great shots, but don’t be fooled into thinking that his shot selection is all that different from other notable scorers. Indeed, starting in the 2008-09 season, 82games.com tracked player field goals in accordance with shot clock usage. Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant both have to occasionally take “bad” shots. Harry How/Getty Images He has been known to take multiple shots late in the shot clock, and he’s not alone. The data reveals that both Durant and Bryant have taken roughly 14 percent of their shots with approximately 21 seconds or more having elapsed on the shot clock.

Durant owns the best true-shooting percentage of an illustrious group of Hall of Famers and eventual Springfield-bound players. Furthermore, Durant is the only player in NBA history to average north of 25 points while posting a 60 percent true shooting figure. Michael Jordan often stands alone in history. Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images Durant’s point production essentially places him in the discussion with Jordan. To be clear, Jordan is the greatest perimeter scorer in league history. Basketball-Reference.com tells us he has the most scoring titles (10) of any player, and Jordan accomplished this while making roughly half of his shots.

• Durant outpaces His Airness in terms of efficiency, but Jordan scored more points on average.
• In addition, Jordan adjusted his game as his athleticism diminished over the course of his career.
• Durant has not yet had to make such changes to his game, and it’s obviously impossible to determine right now if he will.

However, Durant has progressively added moves to his repertoire with each new season, which suggests he should be able to continue evolving as his career progresses. Durant is on pace to accumulate four scoring titles in his first seven seasons, which isn’t too far off track from Jordan, who collected five in the same time span.

Also, if Durant were to average 27 points per game the rest of the way (owns a 27.4 career scoring average), he would surpass Jordan’s career 32,292 points by age 36 roughly. Durant might never catch Jordan, but the idea that Durant has a shot is indicative of the fact he is the greatest perimeter scorer since Jordan.

All stats accurate as of April 6, 2014.

Who is the best shot in the world?

Biography and early career – Born in Freeport, Texas, Jerry was a Texan for three days before moving with his family to southern where he lived for the next thirty-seven years. Although he was the third born of five boys, Jerry Charles Miculek Jr. was named after his father after being born on his birthday.

Is Curry the best shooter of all time?

Stephen Curry is the new 3-point king – Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors celebrates with his father, Dell Curry, after breaking Ray Allen’s 3-point record | Al Bello/Getty Images Stephen Curry has long been considered the greatest shooter in NBA history, but he just made it official by breaking Allen’s all-time record of 2,973 career threes.

And the most incredible part of the feat? He did it in 511 fewer games than Allen. By the time he eventually walks away from the NBA, Curry might surpass 4,000 — or even 5,000 — threes, depending on how much longer he plays. Curry also ranks eighth all-time in 3-point percentage at 43.1%, which is ridiculous if you take volume into account.

Incredibly, Curry has made more threes than all seven players above him on that list have even attempted. The future Hall of Famer also holds the record for the most threes in a single season (402), most threes in the playoffs (470), and most threes in the NBA Finals (121).

Who is better shooter Curry or Thompson?

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson has no problem saying he and Stephen Curry are the best guards in the NBA, When asked by reporters to name the best NBA players at each position on Saturday, Thompson named Curry the best point guard in the league and himself as the best shooting guard, per Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group.

• I’m going to go with myself,” Thompson said.
• We’re 26-1.
• I have confidence in myself.
• To be fair, Leung noted Thompson threw his hands in the air when saying he was the top shooting guard, suggesting there was some humor involved.
• Thompson also said Chicago’s Jimmy Butler and Houston’s James Harden were in the mix for best shooting guard in the league.

Yet it’s hard to argue there is a better backcourt duo going than Curry and Thompson. Curry is the reigning NBA MVP, yet he has somehow improved this year. He leads the NBA in points per game (31.8), field goals made (283) and three-pointers made (131), and he’s shooting a career-high 52 percent.

1. Not surprisingly, Thompson called Curry the better shooter of the two—but he doesn’t think there is a huge gap.
2. Right now, Steph’s a better shooter,” Thompson said.
3. I’m trying to catch him.
4. Just by a little, though.
5. Not by a lot.
6. I can’t say he’s way better than me.
7. He is one of the greatest, and it’s an honor to be in the same backcourt with him.” Thompson started slowly this season, shooting 45.7 percent overall and 43.3 percent from three-point range in November.

But he has turned things on in seven games this month, scoring 27 points per game with an overall shooting percentage of 50.8 and a three-point percentage of 47.3. Golden State’s backcourt duo averages 51.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game.

1. But Thompson is still gaining his stride, so those numbers could go up.
2. The Warriors have amassed an incredible stable of young talent, which is headlined by the Splash Brothers.
3. Curry and Thompson should be recognized as the best backcourt pairing in the NBA for what they have already accomplished and what is sure to come based on the results so far this season.

Stats via Basketball-Reference.com,

Is Curry a sharpshooter?

Stephen Curry: Ranking the Sharpshooter’s 5 Best Performances – 0 of 7

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports Stephen Curry ‘s five-year career for the Golden State Warriors has been a terrific one. But as a rookie primarily heralded as a deadly outside shooter, questions over his lack of strength and experience as a point guard loomed over Curry. However, he quickly proved he belonged in the NBA, despite nagging injuries that prevented him from playing consistently healthy seasons. The sharpshooter dazzled with his ridiculous range, underrated quickness and craftiness around the rim. Now, half a decade into his career, Curry is one of the best point guards in the NBA. And more recently, it can be argued that he is among the best players. After being snubbed from the 2012-13 All-Star team, Curry attacked the second half of the season with a vengeance. He poured in 40-point performances, constant double-doubles and fueled a postseason stint that nobody saw coming. Through his first four years, Curry made 147 more three-pointers than anyone in NBA history. The former Davidson Wildcat had officially broken through. However, he has done so in the most unusual of ways. Curry’s style of play has differed from the generational evolution of the position, which is now being played by lightning-quick players with endless athleticism. He has developed his own mold. Curry’s production comes off his ability to shoot from anywhere in the gym, whether off the dribble or catch. He doesn’t use extreme explosiveness but rather uncanny shiftiness to escape defenders. Curry finishes with elegant precision around the rim by using floaters and crafty layups instead of jaw-dropping dunks. His complete, unique scoring repertoire mixed with improved passing skills has fueled him to NBA stardom. Let’s take a look into his greatest performances as a professional.

Why Steph Curry is the best shooter in NBA history?

Reason 3: Desire to be the best – “Growing up around the game, going to camps with me, all that played a part,” Dell says. “I also think by being exposed early, he learned how to play the right way. He was always smaller than everyone so he knew he would have to have the guard skills.” Which brings us to The Third Reason: Steph Curry put in the work, then and now, on fundamentals and skills.

• It’s the gene in the vein of all the greats.
• It was “the desire,” said Seth Curry, that set his older brother apart from the pack and continues to do so.
• Even though he’s been the best at it for a long time, he’s still working on his game and improving,” Seth says.
• Seems like every year he’s improving his 3-point shooting.

He knows everybody’s trying to come up with ways to stop him, so that’s the special part in what he’s doing right now.” Image: Curry celebrates after hitting the game-winning shot for the Warriors in overtime against the Oklahoma City Thunder The Steph Curry Practice Experience is unique in its originality, repetition, intensity and relentlessness. There’s a variety of ball-handling drills, followed by shooting from all spots on the floor, and then rinse and repeat, to sharpen muscle memory.

He executes trick shots not just for kicks. Curry practices them just in case he feels the need to pull one out of his bag during a game. The process takes hours and it’s done almost daily. His co-pilot is Bruce Fraser, the Warriors assistant coach nationally famous for passing the ball back and forth.

For those left spellbound by the constant clicking of the official Curry 3-point meter, here’s a question: Can you imagine how many undocumented 3-point shots Curry has made, meaning, in a lifetime’s worth of practice? “I spent time last summer watching him work,” Dell says.

• Your average NBA player couldn’t work with Steph.
• He puts so much pressure on himself in the drills that he does, the shots that he makes, how quickly he gets from one drill to the next.
• Players try to keep up with him and they can’t.
• I’ve seen other players work and they do the little things.
• Steph does things at the fastest and hardest pace.

There’s a reason he turned out this way.”

Indira Usman