Steve Nash Says Stephen Curry May Be Most Skilled Player in History of NBA
Golden State Warriors point guard and reigning NBA MVP Stephen Curry has started the 2015-16 NBA season by blitzing opposing defenses with stunning regularity, and according to one legendary floor general, Curry may be the most skilled player to ever grace the Association's hardwood with his presence.
In a piece penned by Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News, former NBA MVP and current Warriors player development consultant Steve Nash discussed Curry's maturation and explained how the 27-year-old's ever-expanding skill set separates him from his contemporary and historical peers.
"He’s maybe as skilled a player as we’ve ever had in this game," Nash said, per Kawakami. "But he has improvements to make as far as his feel and comfort, the cat-and-mouse thing, strategy and picking and choosing a spot, conserving energy and getting the same amount done. He can improve a lot, which is scary."
It's important to note Nash is not calling Curry the best to ever play the game. In fact, Nash made it abundantly clear in his conversation with Kawakami he wouldn't draw a direct comparison between the Warriors star and Michael Jordan.
"I wouldn’t compare him to Michael Jordan—I wouldn’t compare anybody to Michael," Nash said. "But I would say Steph is turning into a historical category of his own, in a way."
That logic is hard to argue with.
In the midst of the Warriors' 12-0 start, Curry leads the NBA in scoring at 33.7 points per game, which separates him from the game's other elite scorers by a terrifyingly wide margin, per ESPN Stats & Info:
However, it's the efficiency and flair with which Curry's scored that have made his season-opening statement so impressive.
With nearly 15 percent of the regular season in the books, Steph is shooting 52.1 percent from the field, 45.6 percent from three and 92.3 percent from the free-throw line.
| 56.1 | 48.1 | 44.6 | 44.3 | 40.7 |
And not only is Curry angling to join the esteemed 50-40-90 club, but he's on pace to shatter his own record for single-season threes made (286), according to CBSSports.com's Matt Moore.
It's easy to say Curry will eventually slow down considering how outlandish all these numbers appear. But based on his aggressive style of play within the Warriors' free-flowing offense, it's not out of the question to think Curry could continue to pile up points inside and outside at his current clips well into the dog days of the season.
