Statistics back up argument to an extent that Curry’s all-round game is on par…
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry has revealed his belief that he is better on offense than Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James.
When asked during an interview on “The Dan Patrick Show”, the Warriors star picked himself over James but gave a rational reason for his choice given his ability to produce assists for his team-mates and improve the entire team around him.
“A better offensive player, me or LeBron? That’s the first time I’ve ever been asked that question. Me,” Curry said in the interview.
“He obviously demands a lot of attention on the floor, but I like to say I can distribute, get my teammates involved and be a playmaker as well.”
Based on statistics taken from last season, Curry led James in assists per game with 8.5, ranking him fifth in the league overall, while James had 6.4 to come in at 11th.
Curry also led his rival in total 3-pointers with 261, which was 38 more than any other player in the NBA last season while the former Miami Heat forward had 116. Curry’s shooting percentage from beyond the arc was 42.4 percent with James trailing again at 37.9 percent.
However, perhaps the most significant statistic in favour of James is that he ranked third in the league with 27.1 points per game, while Curry was seventh at 24.0, with the 29-year-old also leading with 56.7 percent field goal shooting compared to the Warriors star’s 47.1 percent.
Nevertheless, both players were in the top 10 in player efficiency rating with James second at 29.40 and Curry 10th at 24.13.
However, there are various factors to consider in this debate, with Curry playing in a highly competitive Western Conference while James has generally dominated the East with the Heat for the past four years.
Given that they play in different positions and their respective games are vastly different, it is difficult to settle the argument. Based on statistics alone, it is arguably much closer than many would expect.
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