Stephen Curry proved he's still one of the best in the world during his semi-final and Gold Medal-clinching performances at the Paris Olympics, and now the Golden State Warriors will need the 2x MVP to remain somewhere near his prime if they want to be a playoff team this season.
Despite being 36-years-old and preparing to enter his 16th NBA season, Curry is still widely regarded as a top 10 player in the league. That was reflected in Action Network's recent unveiling of their top 100 players ahead of the 2024-25 season, with Curry ranked ninth on a list that was unsurprisingly headed by 3x MVP Nikola Jokic.
A pair of young players were prematurely ranked ahead of Warriors superstar Stephen Curry
You won't find too many arguments with the top four that was rounded out by Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. From there it gets a little more controversial, particularly in regard to a couple of young players who feature ahead of Curry in the rankings.
After Joel Embiid came in at number five, Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton was a surprise selection at sixth. The 24-year-old is undoubtedly one of the league's brightest young stars, but has he really done enough yet to surpass Curry?
Haliburton and Curry are both vastly different point guards, with the former having led the league in assists last season while the veteran averaged over six points more per game. They're both great in their own right, proven in the fact they were each part of the All-NBA Third Team last season.
The Pacers star did lead his team to the Eastern Conference Finals, but he also rode the bench without impact at the Olympics while Curry was busy putting up 17 threes and 60 points across the final two games.
Another even more notable ranking was Victor Wembanyama's place at number eight. The French Phenom was incredible in his rookie season and will have likely earned a top 10 place by the end of year two, but putting him that high already not only seems a little premature, but also a little disrespectful to veterans like Curry who have achieved so much.
Wembanyama is a once-in-forever like prospect, but perhaps let him win some accolades and achieve some team success before ranking him as such. Between he and Haliburton, Warrior fans could easily argue that Curry should remain in the top six at least for the time being.