Stephen Curry is closing in on creating history. He is 1,322 points away from the 25,000 mark and will likely become the 26th player in NBA history to reach that mark by the end of the upcoming season. He’d become only the fifth active player to achieve that milestone after LeBron James, Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook. However, Gilbert Arenas still believes that Curry is not as gifted a scorer as Devin Booker and Trae Young.
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On an episode of the Gil’s Arena podcast, the crew got into a heated debate about the difference between a scorer and a shooter. Arenas argued that he doesn’t view the Warriors superstar as a natural scorer and classifies him as an impeccable shooter. He added that in his estimation, Booker and Young are better scorers than Curry.
The three-time All-Star argued,
“Devin Booker would be considered more of a scorer than Steph. Natural scorer… Trae Young is considered more of a natural scorer than Curry… We take away your handle and say one, two, pull up. How does he survive? From spots to spots to spots… That’s not his game… Our brain doesn’t identify him as a natural scorer, [but as a] natural shooter. It’s two different things.”
Arenas drove home his point by saying that if asked to pick a winner in a one-on-one game between Curry and Damian Lillard or Kyrie Irving, most fans, analysts, and former players would pick Irving and Dame.
His argument basically was that guards like Booker and Young can create their shot and score from anywhere on the court. He claimed that the two young stars could beat any player one-on-one, bank a shot without getting to their favorite spots, and have more finishing moves than Curry.
Arenas’ take might be nuanced, but most would find it nonsensical, given Curry’s scoring potential. In addition to being one of the top 30 points scorers in NBA history, the Warriors superstar is also a two-time scoring champion. He’s one of only 19 players to win the NBA’s scoring title multiple times.
Of all the stars who have won the award, Curry is the only player who won it while also registering a 50-40-90 season. He achieved the feat in the 2015-16 season, shooting 50.4% from the field, 45.4% from beyond the arc, and 90.8% from the free throw line. He’s one of only nine players with an officially recognized 50-40-90 season and the only one to win a scoring title in said campaign.
Curry is not only an exceptional scorer but also stunningly efficient. Arenas can argue that he’s a ‘pure shooter’ and not a ‘pure scorer.’ However, the numbers suggest otherwise.
