Stephen Curry vs Peak Jerry West

[Matt15]

Current Stephen Curry or Peak West, who is the better player?

[Quotatious]

It's very close. Offensively, I'd give a slight edge to Curry, so it all depends on how big West's defensive edge really is. If he really was an all-time great perimeter defender and MJ-like two-way player, then I could see West being slightly better. If he's more like a Kobe level defender (I mean his reputation being better than his actual impact/consistency), then I'd give a slight edge to Curry.

It's a pretty interesting comparison because they are similar in a lot of ways.

[Samurai]

West and Curry are similar in that they can both play either G position. Their motion is also similar on the pull-up jumper and quick release. Curry is a better ball handler and West the superior defender. I would give the slight edge to West since I consider him as one of the all-time great defensive guards. His big edge on defense just slightly offsets the offensive edge Curry has.

[MisterRogers]

It seems like these Curry comparisons are the most popular threads on these boards...

[Pg81]

West no contest.

[Dipper 13]

West vs. Jordan or Wade would be a better comparison. West perhaps had the quickest shot release ever, while remaining in rhythm. His moves, notably the signature 2 dribble pullup shot would still be unguardable. Below are some clips of how quick he got into his shot off the dribble.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0slTJerxPTA&t=25s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6j0sui4574&t=15m38s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6j0sui4574&t=17m46s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6j0sui4574&t=18m58s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6J0ZbUk4fXk&t=8m6s



Also great defensive hands and anticipation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjwkiXiwzCY&t=3m10s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0v9_aiXvoSc&t=16m6s

[rockersdash]

Curry has the edge on offense while West has a very very very big edge on defense.

Since there are two sides to the game, it's West pretty easily.

[Devilzsidewalk]

West played in an era when it was acceptable for a guard to have no left hand and zero change of direction moves, so Curry in an enormous landslide.

[penbeast0]

Relative to his ear, Jerry West pretty easily. He and Oscar had a much bigger edge over the rest of the league than Curry does now (and Curry this year was probably as dominant relative to peers as anyone except Jordan and MAYBE Kobe since 1970). Would West have been better than Curry with today's rules or Curry competitive to West with 1960s rules? I would guess Curry would be superior with today's rules because while West could undoubtably learn to shoot the 3 extremely well, Curry is a ridiculous outlier in that respect. I would also guess that with only his 2 point shooting ability, Curry would not match up to West in 1960s basketball though he could have a good case for 3rd best compared to Hal Greer (or Sam Jones or Lenny Wilkens).

[Johnlac1]

West played in an era when it was acceptable for a guard to have no left hand and zero change of direction moves, so Curry in an enormous landslide.

You obviously know nothing about that era.

[DamnWestbrook]

Curry. If Curry played in the scrub league West played in he would have scored 60ppg.

[Pg81]

Curry has the edge on offense while West has a very very very big edge on defense.

Since there are two sides to the game, it's West pretty easily.

No, just no. Jerry West was one of the best scorers ever period especially in the playoffs where he managed around 27 ppg next to a chucking Baylor who took more shots than him and he still has by far the highest finals ppg record. He has the fourth highest all time ppg in the regular season and second highest pgg at 29.1 after MJs 33.5 ppg in the playoffs. What makes it even more amazing that he did so without a 3 point line.

Curry. If Curry played in the scrub league West played in he would have scored 60ppg.

What an utterly absurd statement.