Tuesday night featured the two of the best players in college basketball and the match-up lived up to the hype.
Oklahoma defeated Davidson 82-78 in a ridiculous back and forth game. Stephen Curry and Blake Griffin, two very different players playing different positions, had very similar levels of dominance.
Curry only shot 12-29 from the field, but also went 6-15 from three-point range and a perfect 14-14 from the line. The crazy thing is he had an off
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about 1 month ago
I respectfully disagree with the comparison. Paul's game is all about penetration and passing... he is not a pure scorer. Paul relies on his strength to make him successful.
Curry is the purest of scorers. He will never be able to get into the paint like Paul. He is not strong enough. Also, his passing skills are still TBD.
I totally agree that Curry will be a top 5 pick. I think a favorable comparison would be Juan Dixon with the sweetest shooting stroke ever!
about 1 month ago
Curry is great, but I think he may be a bit overhyped because he plays for such a small school. He definitely is one of the best shooters in college basketball, if not the best, but I don't think you can compare to him Chris Paul. Maybe Paul wasn't the same player he is now when he was in college, but Curry has not shown any signs of being Chris Paul. When I've watched Curry, the only way he gets his assists is when teams double-team him up top and he has someone else open on the wing or maybe inside.
He's just a scorer.
from about 1 month ago
Hi Ari,
That was my point, Curry is limited in his capability to show he is a good passer. He does not have the weapons around him. Paul did a quality supporting cast and still distributed the ball well, but my impression of him in college was that he was a scorer first and that's how he would play in the NBA.
about 1 month ago
Might turn into a Reggie Miller or Ray Allen kind of guy, but not Chris Paul.
about 1 month ago
I would think he ends up closer to an All-Star version of Steve Kerr...same touch on the ball...deadly from deep, same size...about 6'1, 6'2... 180 and can run the point if necessary...I say an All-Star because I believe Curry is a better ball-handler and passer, but to ask him not to shoot would be like asking Paul not to pass...it's just not going to happen. Also, keep in mind his dad was a great NBA player (Dell Curry) also deadly from deep and I would imagine has quite a few private coaching sessions with Stephen preparing him for the NBA physically and mentally.
about 1 month ago
I liken him to a Ben Gordon, although he seems to have a better feel for the game.
about 1 month ago
Paul and Curry are two completlet different players. Curry is mainly just a great 3 point shooter while paul is a scorer and a facilitator. Curry is more of a short reggie miller if you needed a comparison.
about 1 month ago
Yeah, the guy who said Curry is the purest of scorers has it spot on. The Reggie Miller comparison seems pretty good, with a little bit of Curry's father Dell mixed in there. Possibly with moderate point skills as well, but he'll always be a shooter. Paul relies more on his court vision and his ability to make everyone around him better.
about 1 month ago
I think Curry will struggle to find a game in the NBA. Does he have the talent to get to the point where he becomes a capable scorer in the NBA? Yes. Seeing how Curry is 6'1" he's going to have to work on his ball handling skills and passing skills.
Curry will have to handle the pace of the NBA as well as the more athletic guards in the NBA. Teams will know about not leaving Curry wide open because he can hit the 3. They will force him to put the ball on the floor and create.
So, is Curry the next Chris Paul? Not a chance. Will Curry have his struggles in the NBA? Yes! Will Curry become a good player in the NBA? Yes. He just will need to develop his game more.
about 1 month ago
I noticed the title of this article. And then I noticed that the body of the article was something other than NO in giant letters, so I figured I'd drop a line.
If you want to compare Curry to someone, compare him to Ray Allen. A guy who can move without the ball, lightning quickness, ability to drive, but definitely score first. I'd argue that no one on the planet has the total package as a point guard like Chris Paul. Curry can't pass like Paul can, but there is no question Curry can play great pro ball.
Good read, I just disagree with the comparison.
about 1 month ago
I don't know about this one... For one, Paul is still so young!!! His name isn't exactly written into NBA History, not even close.
about 1 month ago
2 different types of players.
Stephen Curry=Mark Price.
You heard here first, the Garlic boy.
about 1 month ago
Ok….
Chris Paul is a pure point guard. Yes he is a scoring point guard, most All-Star PGs can score, but he is no doubt a passer. Maybe the term you are looking for is dribble-first, not shoot first. If I had to criticize Paul’s game it would be that he dribbles too much in the half court.
Paul has ALWAYS been a passer. As a FR at Wake he averaged 14.9 and 5.8 and was the 2nd leading scorer on the squad. That center who you can’t find the name of was Eric Williams (use Google or ask me, I will help you) and he averaged 12.2 and 5.7 boards that year. As a soph Paul averaged 15.3 (3rd leading scorer on team) and 6.6, he was 13th in the nation in assists just a few spots behind Raymond Felton and Deron Williams. That season Williams averaged 16.1 and 7.7 boards.
Curry is a pure shooting guard. If you are unaware, last season he played with Jason Richards who led the nation in assists with 8.1 per game. Richards helped create opportunities for Curry to score. Curry has yet to exhibit any real NBA point guard skills. He is closer to Salim Staudamire then Chris Paul.
Ricky Rubio has a much better shot at being the next Chris Paul, NBA teams should draft HIM. Reggie Miller and Ray Allen are very kind comparisons for Curry.. he is a little guy, very undersized.
from about 1 month ago
A smaller, faster ray allen.
from about 1 month ago
I guess I'm replying to everyone, I am not predicting that Stephan Curry IS the next Chris Paul, I'm just saying he reminds of the way Chris Paul played in college. I said if he hits his ceiling maybe he'll be the next Chris Paul, who knows? Definetely not a prediction on my part. In fact I agree with you that Ray Allen and Reggie Miller are more reasonable comparisons but to reach their level would be very difficult for him as well. Allen and Miller are both 6'7, Curry is 6'2. I think Curry can drive to the basket better than both of them, but they are very similiar in terms of range and ability to create their own shots. I also said that Chris Paul transformed into a ridiculous player on his own level that no one is even close to right now, so for Curry to be even a poor man's Chris Paul would be a tall order. John you mentioned that Chris Paul was 13th in the nation in assists and his big man that year was Erik Williams. That was sort of my point, even though Chris Paul did pass the ball well in college I got the impression he was a scorer first in college and that would not change in the NBA. Obviously I was dead wrong. But imagine if Curry had a big man like Erik Williams at Davidson, is it inconceivable to think that maybe he would closely resemble Chris Paul at Wake, in terms of both scoring and distributing the ball?
from about 1 month ago
I think that can go as a 2 way street. What if Paul played at Davidson? This season Curry has to show he can pass, but last year if he was playing with a solid big it would have taken away from his numbers, because he wasn't the primary distributor.
I understand now that you were just reminded of Chris Paul by Currys play, I guess I don't see it. I think Curry is better at getting to the cup than Miller, but not better than Ray. Allen is a very good finisher in traffic and can get to the cup. Curry will be in a whole new world when he tries to penetrate NBA Ds.
Lastly Chris Paul DID pass the ball well in college. He did not lead the nation in assists, but he wasnt at 4 APG like the overrated Jerryd Bayless. Now there is a guy who cannot pass
about 1 month ago
I don't know about the whole Blake Griffin-Marvin Williams thing at the end. The difference is that Williams was almost a complete potential-based pick, and Griffin is actually proving himself at a competitive level.
John made the point of Ricky Rubio being a more likely fit for your comparison. It's true, and if Brandon Jennings (the bratty diaper dandy lol) is as good as advertised, he is more likely to be a CP3 type.
from about 1 month ago
If memory serves me correctly, Marvin Williams was a player of the year candidate the whole year, I think he proved himself just as much if not more at UNC than Griffin is currently
from about 1 month ago
He was solid in college. Not a stud like Griffin. Griffin is putting up numbers like 29 points and 17 rebounds, whereas Williams was putting up numbers like 14 points and 8 rebounds.
27 days ago
No. He may remind you of Chris Paul in the NCAA but he won't be the dynamic player that CP is once he is drafted. I like Curry, but let's not get ahead of this kid, yet.
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