Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving are two of the best point guards in NBA history. With both the stars possessing smooth handles and accurate jump shots, the 6-foot-2 players are some of the toughest assignments for any defender. While Steph is known for his off-ball movement, Kyrie has the ability to knock down contested shots. This is precisely why Donovan Mitchell has named the two guards as the toughest players he has had to defend.
Advertisement
Steph has revolutionized modern basketball. Being the greatest long-distance sharpshooter in the game, The Baby-Faced Assassin causes havoc as soon as he enters the frontcourt. Apart from knocking down more than 42% of his shots from beyond the arc, Curry is even an underrated finisher at the rim.
Whereas, Kai is one of the best ball handlers in league history. Putting the defender on skates, Irving is able to create open looks off the dribble with ease. A shotmaker with smooth touch near the rim, Uncle Drew has a deep offensive arsenal.
Being an undersized guard, Mitchell finds it even more difficult to prevent the two from going on a scoring rampage.
Donovan Mitchell breaks down why Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving are tough to guard
On an appearance on the Run Your Race podcast, Spida was asked to name the toughest players he has defended. After giving it a slight thought, the Cleveland Cavaliers leader named Kyrie and Steph.
“It’s between Kai and Steph, bro.”
Don would go on to explain his picks.
The 26-year-old first spoke about Chef Curry’s continuous movements. Mitch further mentions how the GSW MVP would take advantage as soon as the defender would “f**k up”, displaying some clear yet playful frustration.
‘Steph, because that motherf***er don’t stop running around, bro. Like bro, he don’t stop. And the thing about Steph is the minute you f**k up it like ‘All right, bet, I got you’.”
Eventually, the 2023 All-NBA 2nd Team member went on to talk about Irving being one of the “most skilled basketball players” ever. Explaining how the 2016 champ would swish some of the most contested shots, Donovan said:
“And then Kyrie bro, motherf**ker got counter upon counter upon counter. I’ve contested some of Kyrie’s jump shot, and we’ve locked hands, and that sh*t’s hit nothing but net. He is one of the most skilled basketball players to ever play this game. I swear.”
While Steph is more accomplished than Kyrie, both the stars score the ball at almost the same efficiency.
- Steph’s career splits: 47.5/42.8/90.9
- Kyrie’s career splits: 47.2/39.1/88.5
What’s even crazier is that the two have lodged pretty similar stats during their head-to-head matchups against Mitchell.
- Steph: 26.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.2 steals.
- Kyrie: 26.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.1 steals.
Given those insane numbers, it really is hard to disagree with Mitchell.
“Is Steph a top 10 player? Yeah”: Shaquille O’Neal
During the Lakers-Warriors series in the 2023 playoff, Shaquille O’Neal officially added the 9-time All-Star to his top 10 list.
In an appearance on ESPN’s First Take, Shaq spoke to Stephen A Smith about Curry’s inclusion among the likes of Kobe, LeBron, Mike, and Wilt, among a few others, in his prestigious list.
“When it comes to the greatest shooter of all time, Steph Curry is in there by himself. So does that make him top 10? In my opinion, it does. I love the way he plays the game, great energy, great passion.”
“Is he a top 10 player? Yeah. You’ve gotta take out somebody. You’re definitely not taking me out, you’ve gotta take out somebody else!”
Curry has 2 MVPs, 4 titles, 1 Finals MVP, 2 scoring titles, 9 All-Star appearances, and 9 All-NBA selections under his belt. As the Big Aristotle correctly mentioned, being one of the most decorated guards and the greatest shooter of all time, Steph absolutely deserves a spot in the top 10 list.
