Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry shunned from top point-guard spot

Despite two separate injury issues and a second-round playoff elimination, Golden State Warriors’ superstar Stephen Curry continued to showcase his stardom as one of the NBA’s best players in 2022-23.

The 35-year-old averaged 29.4 points last season — the third most of his career — shooting an electric 49.3% from the field and 42.7% from three-point range. Yet despite also adding 6.1 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game, the presumptive best point-guard in the league apparently isn’t quite that.

Stephen Curry has been ranked as the second best point-guard in the league, with the Golden State Warriors’ phenom falling behind Luka Doncic.

In a recent article ranking the top 24 point-guards in the league, HoopsHype’s Frank Urbina has Curry behind Dallas Mavericks’  Luka Doncic. It’s a controversial decision after, despite otherworldly numbers from the Slovenian, the Mavericks were one of the most disappointing teams in the league last season finishing 11th in the Western Conference.

Golden State didn’t do anything overly memorable either, but their playoff standing did at least allow Curry to produce one of the best games of his career — a 50-point Game 7 masterclass on the road in Sacramento.

"“Despite being fully in his mid-30s already, Warriors lead guard Stephen Curry is still one of the best players in basketball, an elite scorer from the outside (as well as from around the basket), a good rebounder for his position and a solid playmaker”, Urbina wrote."

Labelling Curry a ‘solid playmaker’ is a major understatement. Sure, he’s not picking apart defenses on his way to double-digit assists like Doncic often is, but his sheer shooting threat poses a threat and opens up spacing that can’t be properly evaluated purely by the numbers.

There’s certainly an argument to be made for Doncic, led by the fact he was just named to the All-NBA First Team for a fourth consecutive season. He’s also just 24-years-old — presumably on the way up while Curry must be approaching a decline of sorts.

At the end of the day, they’re both all-time great players who each sets of fans will claim as the best point-guard in the league. Would either franchise dare trade one for the other? Absolutely not.

The Warriors and Mavericks faced off in the 2022 Conference Finals, with Curry and Golden State getting the chocolates on their way to a triumphant championship. With the playoff aspirations of both teams, the question of ‘best point-guard’ could again take focus in a postseason battle between the two next season.