Even before he set the new record for most 3-pointers made in NBA history, fans and peers regarded Stephen Curry as the greatest shooter of all time. A general misconception about Curry’s games is that he is all he is and doesn’t bring much more to the table, which couldn’t be further from the truth. Curry’s movement off the ball and around screens allows the entire Golden State Warriors’ offensive system to flow, and it sure does to a historic extent. Once Curry started to develop into one of the best players in the world and an all-time shooting talent, the Warriors started to win and win a lot.
- Stephen Curry’s Best Records vs. Individual Opponents
- Stephen Curry Also Holds Winning Records Against Fellow Superstars
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Since the 2014-15 season, the Golden State Warriors have made 6 NBA Finals appearances and have been victorious in 4 of them. This is why when we get to the topic at hand today and Curry’s “individual” dominance over other NBA stars, it is important to mention his teammates as well. During this time, Curry won 2 MVP awards, including the first and only unanimous selection in NBA history. He has also won 2 scoring titles and been named to 8 All-NBA Teams, including 4 First Teams. There has also been quite the supporting cast around him to maximize success.
First, when we speak of the Warriors’ recent dynasty, you have to mention the likes of Draymond Green and Klay Thompson. In a lot of ways, Green is the floor general for the Warriors and, in his prime, was their best defender on the floor. Thompson has established himself as one of the better 3-point shooters in history next to Curry, and a lot of that has to do with finding open looks off of the ball. Then there were the years he was joined by Kevin Durant. Curry always seems to be viewed as the second option when they were together on the floor, but it was more like a 1A and 1B situation with Durant happening to grab both Finals MVP awards on their 2 title runs.
As we examine Curry’s overall record against individual opponents today, it is important to remember that this by no means is the end-all-be-all in any debate. Stephen Curry is undefeated against 331 different players in his NBA career. Some of them are former All-Stars and NBA champions, while others are probably players you have never heard of. Either way, it is interesting to see the reasons behind these undefeated records and how Curry has made an impact in their matchups.
These are Stephen Curry’s best-undefeated records against other NBA rivals.
*Rule*: Players must have played at least 9 games against Stephen Curry in order to qualify for this list*
Stephen Curry’s Best Records vs. Individual Opponents
15-0 vs. Devin Harris
13-0 vs. Harrison Barnes
13-0 vs. Buddy Hield
12-0 vs. Lance Thomas
11-0 vs. Quincy Acy
10-0 vs. Jeff Withey
10-0 vs. Kevin Seraphin
9-0 vs. Christian Wood
9-0 vs. Justin Anderson
As you can see from the list above, Stephen Curry has a 9-0 record or better against 9 of his NBA peers. There are a few notable names and a couple more that probably have you scrambling to Google right now, wondering who they are. By the time Curry had hit his stride in 2015, Devin Harris was in his second stint with the Dallas Mavericks. By this time, he was a bench player just trying to hang around playing 18-20 minutes a night. Curry feasted on the Mavs during his peak seasons, averaging 24.3 PPG, 6.6 APG, and 1.9 SPG on 42.2% shooting from three and 46.4% overall. Harris, on the other hand, started in just 3 of their 15 meetings and averaged just 7.5 PPG in 19.5 minutes per game of action.
Stephen Curry’s next best perfect record against an opponent actually comes against a former teammate. Harrison Barnes made his NBA debut with the Warriors in the 2012-13 season, just as the Warriors were headed into their dynasty years. Barnes stuck with the Warriors through their 2015 championship and 73-9 record season in 2016. Since his days in Golden State, Barnes has been a member of 2 struggling teams trying to find their identity. He spent a year and a half in Dallas after Dirk left and as Luka Doncic was taking over. He has now spent the last 3 seasons with the lowly Sacramento Kings. In head-to-head matchups, they have each started all 13 games against each other. Curry has the upper hand with the 13-0 record while averaging 28.2 PPG and 6.6 APG on 43.7% shooting from three and 49.4% overall. Barnes has held his own with 19.0 PPG and 6.0 RPG on 46.7% shooting.
Stephen Curry also holds an undefeated 13-0 record against Barnes’ former Kings teammate Buddy Hield. Unfortunately for Hield, he has been on some bad Kings and Pacers teams since coming into the NBA that has never seemed to be competitive. Hield, known as a three-point shooter himself, has to want to finally get a win over the successful Curry as soon as possible. Hield has done okay against the Warriors with Curry on the floor, starting 8 of 13 games and averaging15.3 PPG and 4.6 RPG. Curry has gone nuclear on Hield’s teams in return. Curry averages 31.2 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 6.6 APG, and 1.9 SPG when facing off against Hield’s teams. He also shoots just a fraction under 50.0% from the field overall and a ridiculous 47.3% from three on 12.8 attempts.
Stephen Curry’s next best-undefeated record is 12-0 against one Lance Thomas. For those of you that don’t know who Lance Thomas is, he was a forward who made his debut in 2011 for the New Orleans Hornets. He enjoyed a 9-year career in the NBA in mostly a bench role for the Hornets, Knicks, and Nets. At his best in 2016, Thomas averaged 8.2 PPG and 2.2 RPG in 59 games for the Knicks. In head-to-head matchups, Curry averaged 21.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and 5.2 APG in 12 games against Thomas, who started just half of their matchups and averaged 4.1 PPG. Another landslide matchup for Stephen Curry.
Last but not least, Curry’s 5th best-undefeated record comes against journeyman big man Quincy Acy. Curry is 11-0 in head-to-head matchups with Acy, who only started in 2 of the contests between them. Between when he was drafted in 2012 and 2019, Acy played for 6 different teams in 13 seasons. He was never a bonafide starter for any of the teams he played for but did appear in starting lineups from time to time. In their matchups, Curry averaged 24.9 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 6.5 APG, and 2.0 SPG. He shot 51.4% from the floor overall and 46.5% from three on 9.2 attempts. Acy, meanwhile, averaged just 5.0 PPG and 4.9 RPG.
Stephen Curry Also Holds Winning Records Against Fellow Superstars
We have already discussed some of Curry’s greatest matchups in which he has come out victorious every time he stepped out on the court against that player. Although he may not be undefeated, he also holds significant winning records against some of the biggest stars in the game head-to-head as well. Curry is 30-23 against fellow point guard Chris Paul, good for a 56.6% win rate. He is also 24-18 against LeBron James, which is a 57.1% win rate. Against Damian Lillard, Steph and his teams are 26-8, or a 76.5% win rate. There are many others who Steph and the Warriors have gotten the best of as well, but that is for another day.
Again, the head-to-head record comparison is one filled with flaws and lacks context. However, you cannot help but think that maybe the best shooter in the game, along with his team, take up some sort of real estate in these players’ heads. Take Harrison Barnes, for example. Do you think Barnes doesn’t want to win badly against his old team and Stephen Curry? Of course, he does. Do you think LeBron James isn’t angry at the fact that he has a losing record against Curry in the playoffs and regular season? You’d be crazy to think he doesn’t care. As much as it may not matter when evaluating a player’s greatness against another, it does matter to the ones playing the game.
Credit the source: Basketball Reference
