Stephen Curry is on the verge of making history. He is 1,322 points away from the 25,000-point mark and will likely become the 26th player in NBA history to reach that mark by the end of next season. He would be only the fifth active player to reach that milestone after LeBron James, Kevin Durant, James Harden and Russell Westbrook. However, Gilbert Arenas still believes that Curry is not as gifted a point scorer as Devin Booker and Trae Young.
In an episode of Gil’s Arena Podcasts, the crew got into a heated debate about the difference between a scorer and a shooter. Arenas argued that he doesn’t see the Warriors superstar as a natural scorer and rates him as an impeccable shooter. He added that he believes Booker and Young are better scorers than Curry.
The three-time All-Star argued:
“Devin Booker is seen as more of a scorer than Steph. Natural scorer… Trae Young is seen as more of a natural scorer than Curry… We take the handle off you and say one, two, pull up. How does he survive? Point to point to point… That’s not his game… Our brain doesn’t identify him as a natural scorer, (but as) natural archer. Those are two different things.”
Arenas underlined his point by saying that if most fans, analysts and former players had to pick a winner in a one-on-one game between Curry and Damian Lillard or Kyrie Irving, they would choose Irving and Dame.
His argument was essentially that guards like Booker and Young can create and score from anywhere on the court. He claimed that the two young stars can beat any player one-on-one, block a shot without getting to their favorite positions, and have more finishing moves than Curry.
Arenas’ opinion may be nuanced, but most would find it absurd given Curry’s scoring potential. The Warriors superstar is not only one of the top 30 point scorers in NBA history, but also a two-time scoring champion. He is one of only 19 players to have won the NBA scoring title multiple times.
Of all the stars to win the award, Curry is the only player to win it while also having a 50-40-90 season. He accomplished the feat in the 2015-16 season when he shot 50.4% from the field, 45.4% from beyond the three-point line and 90.8% from the free throw line. He is one of only nine players with an officially recognized 50-40-90 season and the only one to win a scoring title that season.
Curry is not only an exceptional scorer, but he is also astonishingly efficient. Arenas could argue that he is a “pure shooter” rather than a “pure scorer.” However, the numbers suggest otherwise.
