Stephen Curry, in a Sports Illustrated interview (hat tip: CSN Bay Area), was asked about the best shooters in the NBA right now.
Curry’s top five:
- Stephen Curry
- Klay Thompson
- Kyle Korver
- Steve Novak
- Ray Allen
My top five:
- Stephen Curry
- Klay Thompson
- Kyle Korver
- Mike Miller
- Wesley Matthews
We mostly overlap, and I don’t think his list is unreasonable. Allen definitely has the career résumé, but I don’t think he’s quite elite anymore, and I believe Matthews is chronically overlooked in these rankings.
Overall, I think Curry is on the right track.
But he was also asked the best shooters of all time, and that’s where we differ more.
Curry’s top five:
- Reggie Miller
- Dell Curry
- Stephen Curry
- Steve Kerr
- Ray Allen
My top five:
- Ray Allen
- Reggie Miller
- Dale Ellis
- Kyle Korver
- Peja Stojakovic
Curry is close with all three of his players who differ from mine. One (Kerr) is his head coach with the Warriors. Another (Dell Curry) is his dad. And the third is himself.
So, maybe Curry is a bit biased.
But all three choices are definitely defensible. Kerr is the al-time leader in 3-point percentage (45.4). Dell Curry was ahead of his time as an outside shooter, and I believe Stephen Curry will retire as the best shooter of all time. I just don’t think he’s played long enough to justify inclusion in the top five yet.