Pivot Points: Are Stephen Curry And Monta Ellis The NBA's Top Back Court?

Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis fueled a comeback win against the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday night in which the Golden State Warriors erased an 18 point deficit to clinch the game in the final minutes.

The guards combined for 58 points and Curry also added nine rebounds in a dazzling shooting display which saw him go 13-18 from the field and play with the composure of a seasoned veteran.

The win doesn't do much for the Warriors in the standings but it does beg to question where the duo of Curry and Ellis rank among the top guard combos in the NBA.

If excitement alone were the barometer then the top spot would go the Warriors' duo hands down, because there is probably not a combination in the league which illicits the thrills that Curry and Ellis do.

In terms of production, Curry and Ellis average a combind 40 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds which puts them near the top of the league for point guard, shooting guard duos.

Houston's Aaron Brooks and Kevin Martin are another guard combination which could match Curry and Ellis in terms of points with a combined total of 38, but they trail in the areas of rebounds and assists.

Boston's Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen average less combined points than Curry and Ellis, but equal them in rebounds, and hold a slight edge in the assists category due to Rondo's 9.7 assists per game average.

There were questions about the ability of two 6'3" guards to coexist in the same space together, and some of those arguments are merited but have proved to be inconsequential on the strength of the duo's play.

The fact the Warriors are currently one of the worst teams in the league and despite the stellar play of Curry and Ellis, it hasn't carried over to progress in the victory category, but the blame is not theirs alone.

Golden State has fundamental flaws which rip to the core of the team, but Curry and Ellis are definite bright spots on a franchise that is suffering through a challenging time highlighted by turmoil.

Until there is help in the paint, a willingness to commit to the defensive end, and an ability to devise an intelligent offensive scheme, all the rainbow jumpers from Curry and all the pull-up jumpers in traffic from Ellis won't save the Warriors.

They may be the epitome of dysfunction, but their young talented duo gives fans a reason to watch the games, and on some occasions their faith is rewarded by spectacular efforts, like the one on Sunday night.

The Atlanta Hawks are true contenders but on this night they had no answer for Curry or Ellis, and that can pretty much be said for most opponents during the last couple of months.

They may not get the recognition of a top tandem due to the poor performance of their team, but Curry and Ellis sure do keep it interesting even when they are losing, and sometimes they give their fans a delightful surprise.