Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors. (Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)
Shaquille O’Neal could not be more impressed by what Stephen Curry is doing leading the Golden State Warriors this season.
Despite the Golden State Warriors likely bound for the play-in tournament, Shaquille O’Neal has the highest respect for how well point guard Stephen Curry is playing this year.
Golden State has been ravaged by injuries since losing the 2019 NBA Finals to the Toronto Raptors nearly two years ago. Curry missed most of last year and his backcourt buddy Klay Thompson has not played a game since tearing his ACL in that particular NBA Finals. Curry has gotten back to playing at a superstar level. If his team were better, he could seriously win MVP.
Is O’Neal right to believe that Curry is the best player in the NBA today or is he off his rocker?
Shaquille O’Neal believes Stephen Curry is the best player in basketball today
Initially, you are probably second-guessing yourself and saying, “no way” internally about O’Neal’s comment. Then again, you heard the rest of the Inside the NBA analysts tend to agree with him. Curry is one of four truly transcendent players in the game today, meaning he can carry a bad team to a winning record, which is exactly what he is doing with a middling Golden State team.
What helps Curry’s case for being the best player in the NBA today is two-fold. One, he is a playing at a ridiculously high level, on par with his unanimous MVP seasons from a few years ago. And two, some of the other top candidates for best player in the game today are hurt. Not being available in recent years has hurt LeBron James and Kevin Durant to some extent in this regard.
Yes, Curry just might be the best player in basketball right now, even as crazy as that may sound.