Stephen Curry or LeBron James: Who is more dangerous in Play-In?

The NBA has officially chosen chaos by implementing the single-game Play-In format to help decide the final playoff seedings. With Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors set to take on LeBron James and the defending champions — now is a better time than ever to break down who is more dangerous to face in a winner takes all game.

The NBA Play-In Tournament could come down to pure star power. If this is the case, who is more dangerous, Stephen Curry or LeBron James?

Before we even start, I want to first acknowledge that it probably doesn’t get any better than James and Curry in regard to winning a single game. Sure, names like Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Damian Lillard deserve recognition, I think most would pick James or Curry as the two most dangerous elimination game threats in the entire league.

Why? Well, let’s start with the King. For all the criticisms of not being clutch, James has drilled more playoff game-winners than anyone who has ever lived. He also averages the most Game 7 points (34.7) per game in NBA history.

A few notable moments on his resume include 45 points on the road against Boston to advance to the NBA Finals — and, of course, his Game 7 triple-double in the 2016 Finals against Curry and the Warriors.

This brings us to Curry, who just like James, has wrongfully been accused of being a ‘choker’ at various points of his career. Now, we can all agree both James and Curry have stumbled on the biggest stage before (Curry in 2016, James in 2011) but at the end of the day, you do not want to be on the other end of these matchups.

Curry has averaged 27.2 points per game in the playoffs since 2014, an increase over his career regular-season averages (24.5). His scoring in the NBA Finals is down slightly at 26.5 but he has ranked in the top-10 for clutch points in each playoff appearance since 2014-15.

Some of Curry’s biggest games have come with his back to the wall. Remember 2019, when Curry scored 30 points in the second half against Houston to win the series in spite of Kevin Durant’s injury? Or 2016, when he helped propel a 3-1 comeback to defeat Durant in Oklahoma City?

Even so, I think the crown has to go to James in this scenario. While yes, Curry holds an unprecedented power to rain down 3-pointers and swing the momentum of any single game — James is capable of dominating every facet of the game from start to finish. Though both are incredible in their own way, James’ all-around strength allows him to dictate the pace of a game and force opponents to play his style.

However, it should be noted James will be playing with more rust than ever heading into the postseason. Meanwhile, Curry and the Dubs are rolling as one of the league’s hottest teams. This could sway the odds into Curry’s favor. Soon, we will find out who is more dangerous as Curry and James submit another chapter into their historic rivalry.