{"id":48672,"date":"2022-10-18T08:00:50","date_gmt":"2022-10-18T12:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=48672"},"modified":"2022-10-17T19:35:41","modified_gmt":"2022-10-17T23:35:41","slug":"top-nba-players-2022-23-2-stephen-curry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2022\/10\/18\/top-nba-players-2022-23-2-stephen-curry\/","title":{"rendered":"Top NBA Players 2022-23: #2 Stephen Curry"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stephen Curry<\/b><\/a>, fresh off earning his first-ever Finals MVP award, also earns the number two spot on our list of the best players for the upcoming 2022-2023 season. The <\/span>three-point king<\/span><\/a> surpassed Reggie Miller to become the all-time career leader in made threes last season. Curry made his eighth appearance at the\u00a0 All-Star game and the All-NBA team last season. <\/span><\/p>\n

Despite his transcendent performance in the <\/span>Golden State Warriors<\/span><\/a>\u2019 NBA Finals win over the <\/span>Boston Celtics<\/span><\/a>, Curry actually performed below his normally lofty standards in the regular season. Could Curry, who turns 35 in March, actually be better next season?<\/span><\/p>\n

Top NBA Players 2022-23: #2 Stephen Curry<\/h2>\n

Stephen Curry\u2019s 2022-2023 Season<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Curry\u2019s tremendous playoff performance, including the first-ever <\/span>Conference Finals<\/span><\/a> MVP award, masked what was (in Stephen Curry\u2019s universe) a subpar offensive season. Defensively, Curry had more responsibility than ever to start the season with slender <\/span>Jordan Poole<\/b><\/a> in the backcourt instead of the rugged <\/span>Klay Thompson<\/b><\/a>. He responded with his best defensive season by far, but it\u2019s fair to wonder if his energy waned a bit on offense.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Curry shot 38% from three last season, the only full season of his career in which he shot under 40%. His two-point percentage dropped four full points (from 56.9% to 52.7%); interestingly, he attempted fewer twos per game than any other season in his career. Normal shooting regression (or progression, in this case) would suggest Curry will easily be over 40% from three this season. It\u2019s worth monitoring Curry\u2019s performance from two as he ages.<\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, Curry is an all-time great player, and the normal rules of aging don\u2019t historically apply to the very best players.<\/span> LeBron James<\/span><\/a>, fresh off averaging over 30 points a game at age 37, is just the latest example. Tim Duncan remained an effective defensive anchor (bulky Punisher knee brace and all) for 19 seasons with the <\/span>San Antonio Spurs<\/span><\/a>. Michael Jordan returned from a (second) retirement lasting three seasons to average over 22 points for the <\/span>Washington Wizards<\/span><\/a> in 2001-02. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar kept lofting skyhooks until he was 41.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s the company Curry keeps, and that track record suggests Curry has a number of seasons left as a top player on a contending team. His incredible skills should help offset his relative lack of size compared to the players above.<\/span><\/p>\n

Stephen Curry\u2019s Outlook with the Warriors<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Warriors enter the season as one of the few teams with realistic championship aspirations. They\u2019ll hope the trio of <\/span>James Wiseman<\/b><\/a>, <\/span>Jonathan Kuminga<\/b><\/a>, and <\/span>Moses Moody<\/b><\/a> can offset the departures of <\/span>Gary Payton II<\/b><\/a>, <\/span>Otto Porter Jr.<\/b><\/a>, and <\/span>Nemanja Bjelica<\/b><\/a>. Curry\u2019s on-court gravity will help the young players expand their games under less defensive pressure. His leadership skills will help integrate them with the team\u2019s vets.<\/span><\/p>\n

Curry\u2019s leadership has already been given a strong test with <\/span>Draymond Green<\/span><\/a>\u2019s shocking punch of Poole during practice. Green rejoined the team ahead of their final preseason game against the <\/span>Denver Nuggets<\/span><\/a> and did not receive a suspension. The microscope the ever-controversial Green will be viewed under will come equipped with the strongest lens imaginable this season. Now that Poole has signed a contract extension, any interaction between the two will be parsed like the Zapruder film. <\/span><\/p>\n

GM Bob Myers has already made it clear the entire organization will depend on <\/span>Curry\u2019s leadership<\/span><\/a> this season. Rather than wilt under the additional pressure, Curry has made thriving under this kind of adversity a defining character trait throughout his career.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Last Word on Stephen Curry<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Other than team accomplishments, Curry has only two things for which to play: legacy and respect. Few legends have had their merits or play debated by fans and media as endlessly as Curry. Even fewer Finals MVPs have had to work as hard for their standing in the league to be recognized.<\/span><\/p>\n

ESPN\u2019s NBA rank is flawed, but it is a universally-recognized player ranking system that is annually updated. Comparing Curry\u2019s ranking to those of past Finals MVPs is a puzzling exercise:<\/span><\/p>\n