Golden State Warriors: Steph Curry was better than Steve Nash

Stephen Curry vs Steve Nash: Who was better in their prime?

ONTARIO, CA - OCTOBER 12: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors drives to the basket against Steve Nash #10 of the Los Angeles Lakers on October 12, 2012 at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2014 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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Defense/Intangibles

Curry: 8

Both 6-foot-3, Curry was a force on the defensive end during his injury-free 2015-2016 campaign. While not typically a great on-ball defender, Curry did manage to post a league-high 2.1 steals per game.

With a career-high 4.1 defensive win shares, Curry put in the work on the defensive end and wasn’t messing around during the All-Star game either, recording four steals in the exhibition. Curry statistically speaking has taken a step back defensively since that season.

His handles, shooting, defense, and team success made him the clear choice for MVP during the 2015-2016 season. For defense/intangibles, Curry was given eight. He wasn’t an elite defensive stopper, but he was impactful on the defensive end.

Nash: 6

With just 0.8 steals per game and 0.1 blocks per game, Nash wasn’t a liability on the defensive end, but he was far from an elite defender. With a mere 1.7 defensive win shares, Nash certainly lost a few points on the defensive end of this comparison.

However, ultimately, Nash was the best point guard in the NBA.

His ability to command an offense and find players in the right situations was incomparable and extremely imperative to the Suns’ success that season. Nash was truly at the top of his game although he wasn’t able to win MVP.

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