Steph Curry is the best player on the league’s best team. He’s made major strides as a defender this season while continuing to improve as a finisher in the paint. He boasts basketball’s fourth-best PER and is the only player in the league averaging at least 23 points and eight assists per game. MVP? Curry certainly has the resumé of past award winners, including 2011 honoree Derrick Rose. And while the Chicago Bulls’ floor general hasn’t anointed Curry MVP, Rose says the Golden State Warriors superstar is at least the best point guard in the NBA.
The quote is courtesy of ESPN’s Jeff Goodman, who asked point guards around the league for their opinion on basketball’s preeminent shot-maker. The full article is behind a paywall, but Goodman teased its highlight on twitter:
Derrick Rose on Stephen Curry and where he ranks among NBA point guards: "You've got to put him up there at No. 1." – http://t.co/wqe2OWDCS5
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) January 16, 2015
Coming from Rose, that’s especially high praise. The Bulls’ quiet star normally shies away from bestowing compliments on opposing players. Does his appraisal of Curry hold up?
Absolutely.
Chris Paul is a better quarterback. John Wall a more disruptive defender. Russell Westbrook a more intimidating physical presence. Damian Lillard a more explosive finisher. And Rose is certainly faster with the ball.
But there simply isn’t a more impactful point guard in the league at the moment than Curry. His unlimited range bends defenses to create opportunities for his teammates. His passing and ballhandling wizardry is arguably unmatched. And his continued development at the rim and on defense mitigate his most glaring deficiencies of the past.
That’s not to say that Rose’s assessment is ironclad. There’s an argument to be made for Paul, Westbrook, Wall, and even Lillard as king of the point guard hill. The NBA has never been more rife with dominant ballhandlers.
Considering team and individual performance this season, though, Curry stands above the exalted rest. We can only hope Rose regains his former glory to add yet another worthy competitor to Steph’s current seat on the throne.
What do you think?
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