For some, however, he still hasn’t made the cut. Former Brooklyn Nets guard Mike James recently criticized Curry’s game.
While James’ opinion is simply an opinion, Chris Broussard opened up another conversation. He questioned whether James might be regurgitating Kevin Durant’s opinions, stating:
On the “Players Choice” podcast, James listed his top five current players, notably not including Curry. He said:
How valid are Mike James’ comments about Steph Curry?
Mike James’ belief in Curry’s game being one-dimensional primarily comes from Curry swaying away from the practice of a traditional point guard. Draymond Green functions as a “point forward” for the Golden State Warriors.
The comments have elicited a flurry of responses to highlight their illegitimacy. However, James is correct that Curry doesn’t function as a primary ball-handler. However, based on this fact, Curry’s exclusion from the upper-echelons of NBA players could be a stretch.
Steph Curry plays in a system designed for ball movement and unselfish play, staving off any ball-dominant heroes. The fact that Curry has a low usage rate and still competes with the best in the league should be enough for his inclusion.
Steph Curry has finished in the top-10 in usage rate on four occasions in the last eight years. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid have finished in the top 10 on that list for four consecutive years since the 2018-19 season. Luka Doncic has finished in the top 5 every year since 2019.
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