13th of April 2016: The Golden State Warriors, who are the reigning champions and have the 2015 NBA MVP Stephen Curry, set an NBA record for wins in a season. 73 out of a possible 82. Steph goes back-to-back and wins another MVP award, this time unanimously, a first in NBA history. Since then, the Warriors have won 2 NBA championships, and yet, everyone still considers Magic Johnson as the greatest point guard ever.
Historic numbers
Stephen Curry has an impressive resume. 2-time MVP; 3-time champion; Member of the 50-40-90 club; Scoring champion; Steals Champion; 5 times member of the All-NBA team. Chef Curry cooks, that’s the least we can say.
No other person in NBA history was ever named unanimous MVP, and that’s for good reason. People always have at least a little doubt or there’s at least a little debate over who’s going to be the MVP. Every player has at least one “hater” who’s not going to vote for them as the MVP. But Steph didn’t allow it. Nobody came close to him that season and haters had to admit that what they saw was simply greatness.
If you don’t think he deserved to be MVP unanimously, you’re just wrong, sorry to break it to you. The Warriors set a record for most wins in a season, one-upping the 95-96 Bulls; Steph was the scoring and steals champion; He was member of the 50-40-90 club (50% FG, 40% 3-point, 90% free throw) and he hit a flat-out ridiculous 402 3-pointers. Granted, they choked a 3-1 lead in the NBA finals, but the playoffs have nothing to do with him being the first unanimous MVP.
Greatest shooter ever
If you don’t think Stephen Curry is the best shooter ever, you’re wrong once again. Steph holds 4 of the top 6 spots for most 3-pointers in a season. When he set the absolute record for most 3-pointers in a season with 402 in 2016, he beat out the 2015 version of himself, who had scored a “mere” 286 3-pointers.
Not convinced? Curry has scored 11 or more three-balls in a game 8 times. The rest of the NBA, current or past, have 9 combined. He has scored 9 or more in 26 games.
You still need more proof? Stephen Curry shoots at a 44% rate from deep for his entire career, and has never dipped under 41% once in his 10 years in the league. That’s 5th best all-time, while he has taken more than the 4 ahead of him. Combined. (Fun fact: Steph’s brother Seth is ahead of him at number 3 and his coach Steve Kerr is number 1). Steph is also number 3 on the all-time 3-pointers made list, trailing only Reggie Miller and Ray Allen, while having played basically half as many games. He already surpassed Ray Allen to take the crown for all-time 3-pointers made in the playoffs, in 80 less games. Not to forget, his career 90.5% from the free throw line is the best in NBA history.
Changing the game
The result of Curry’s 3-point shooting is how the league is set up today. When Steph first came into the league, the average of 3-pointers attempted per game held steady at around 18 per game (per team). However, when Steph came back for the 2012-2013 season after an injury-riddled 2011-2012 season, 3-point attempts started rising to around 20 per game and in recent years, certainly after his historic 15-16 season, the attempts bombarded. Teams in the NBA are now attempting an average of 32 3-pointers per game.
Teams are designing their roster in order to be able to compete with the Warriors and their astronomical 3-point shooting, but thus far it hasn’t had much success. The Warriors have won 3 out of the last 4 titles, lost the other on in game 7 by 4 points and they are the number one seed in the west for the 4th time in 5 years.
Finals performances
Why do people not consider Steph the greatest point guard of all-time? Probably because he has not one Finals MVP to show for. He had to watch Andre Iguodala get the first one and Kevin Durant get the next 2 ones. Seen as though how selfless Curry is, he was more than happy to sacrifice Finals MVP’s to win. He even sacrificed potential regular season MVP’s by embracing Durant when he joined the Warriors in 2016.
But let’s take a look at Curry’s finals performances. Steph averaged 26 points and over 6 assists on over 44% shooting and 39% from 3-point land. Yet, Iguodala received Finals MVP for “locking up” LeBron James. He certainly did a good job slowing him down, even though he averaged 36 a game, but was nowhere near as important as Curry. LeBron could have put up 50 a game and the Warriors still would have won, as he had basically no help with Irving and Love out. So, Steph definitely deserved the Finals MVP award for that one.
Next up, the year they lost after having a 73-9 season and a 3-1 lead over the same Cavaliers in the Finals. Curry averaged just shy of 23 points and 4 assists on 40% shooting from both the floor and deep. Admitted, those aren’t great numbers and Curry took accountability for those and for choking the Finals.
The following year former MVP Kevin Durant joined the mix in Warriors-Cavs part 3. KD averaged 35 on 56% field goal and 47% from 3. He got the Finals MVP, deservedly so. But that doesn’t mean Curry was bad by any means. He averaged 27 points with 9.5 assists to go with it on 44% shooting from the floor and 39% from deep. The Warriors were just so good that even a great performance like Curry’s looked pedestrian in comparison to Durant’s.
And to finish out, Warriors-Cavs part 4: The one without Irving. The superstar had demanded a trade in the summer and his wish was granted as he was sent to the Boston Celtics in exchange for a package that revolved around Isaiah Thomas and a pick. The Warriors got it over with very quickly, as they swept the Cavaliers without any mercy. Durant averaged almost 29 with 7.5 assists, Curry 27.5 points with 7 assists. Once again, an MVP-worthy performance overshadowed by an even greater performance by his teammate.
Magic
People consider Magic Johnson the best point guard ever. At least, that’s the general consensus. Steph is a way better scorer and shooter, as opposed to Johnson, who is one of the best passers of all time. Magic has won 5 rings as opposed to Curry’s 3, and 3 Finals MVP’s against Curry’s 0. But Magic always played with at least 3, if not 4 Hall of Famers on his squad. So, no matter how stacked the Warriors are, Magic had the more stacked team, definitely in comparison to the rest of the league. Magic also lost 4 times in the finals while having the league’s undisputed most stacked team. Curry only has one finals loss and has won a ring with KD at his side every year.
To me personally, Steph is the greatest point guard as he has changed the league in a way that no player ever did, just by putting up historic numbers consistently and by doing things so Stephortlessly. I’m not saying that everyone should see it that way, but to think that Steph doesn’t already have a real case to be the best point guard ever, let alone what he can still add to that, is straight foolishness.
All stats courtesy of basketball-reference.com
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