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“Russell Westbrook is better than Steph Curry because he has a higher field goal percentage”: Shaquille O’Neal hints at agreeing with the Lakers star being superior than Warriors MVP

Samir Mehdi
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“Russell Westbrook is better than Steph Curry because he has a higher field goal percentage”: Shaquille O’Neal hints at agreeing with the Lakers star being superior than Warriors MVP

Shaquille O’Neal shares a stat that shows Russell Westbrook boasting a higher field goal percentage than Steph Curry this ‘22 season. 

The mid to late 2010s saw NBA fans and analysts alike debate on was the best point guard in the league was: Russell Westbrook or Steph Curry. The latter of course, reveled in both individual successes such as MVPs, All-Star nods, and All-NBA selections along with team success like winning three championships in 4 years. 

The former however, has only been able to rack up individual accolades as he hasn’t reached a Conference Finals since 2016, let alone win a championship. Fast-forward to present day and Steph Curry is leading the Golden State Warriors to the best record in the league while Russell Westbrook and the Lakers struggle to get a top 6 seed in a weakened West.

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The clear disparity in greatness between the two hasn’t stopped Westbrook fans from putting out a couple stats that try to disprove Curry’s MVP legitimacy for this 2021-22 NBA season. 

Seems as though Shaquille O’Neal, of all people, may be on Russ’s side for this one. 

Shaquille O’Neal on the Steph Curry –Russell Westbrook debate. 

Shaquille O’Neal took to Instagram to share a graphic that ‘proved’ that Russell Westbrook was a better shooter from the field than Steph Curry. The graphic showed that the Lakers star has had 3 games where he shot 100% from the beyond the arc to Curry’s 0. It also pointed out that Russ has shot a higher percentage from the field than Curry.

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These stats of course, mean nothing as everybody knows field goal percentage is a flawed stat as it doesn’t take into account that 3-pointers are worth more than shots from within the arc. TS% and eFG% are much better measures of efficiency. Steph Curry blows the ‘triple double king’ out of the water in both these statistics. 

When it comes to Shaquille O’Neal posting these stats, it shouldn’t be looked at as all too serious as he puts up about 30 stories on Instagram a day. 

About the author

Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi

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Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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