Golden State Warriors point guard Steph Curry is one of the best players in the world, but one Hall of Famer and six-time NBA champion still puts him a bit below some of the other players in the Warriors’ much-anticipated NBA Finals matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“I think we have to also look at it now that he’s not the best player on either team,” Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen said Tuesday on ESPN’s “The Jump.”
“Even though he’s a two-time MVP or a unanimous MVP, right now, he’s not the best player on his team. He’s not a dominant player. He’s a great player, and the things that he does out on the basketball court force Cleveland to have to do things to get the ball out of his hands, but in terms of what LeBron (James) and (Kevin Durant) can do, those guys can dominate you in all areas of the game. Rebounding, to blocking shots, to defending, to scoring. They beat you all across the board.”
It’s hard to disagree with many of Pippen’s opinions here.
James and Durant are better all-around players and harder to stop offensively. Not only can Durant and James shoot well from the outside, they also are much more physically imposing than Curry when driving to the basket or creating their own shot off the dribble.
Curry no doubt is a tremendous player, and his legendary shooting ability allows him to put up between 30 and 40 points in any game. But he didn’t play up to his normal standard in last season’s NBA Finals, and it was one reason why the Cavs were able to overcome a 3-1 series deficit to prevent the Warriors from winning back-to-back titles.
That loss, combined with recent criticism like Pippen’s, should provide Curry with all the motivation he needs entering Game 1 on Thursday night.
Thumbnail photo via Soobum Im/USA TODAY Sports Images
