Curry or Paul

[gouki88]

After a recent discussion, I was prompted to make this poll! I'm curious to see if everyone, or anyone, will argue so fervently for Chris Paul being better than Steph Curry right now

[Somebody]

Curry is better right now but if CP3 was still in his prime he'd have an argument. He never had really gaudy scoring stats but don't forget his assists and defense. He was as complete as PGs come and although Steph is the greatest flamethrower I've ever seen, I don't think I can say he's certainly better than CP3.

[gouki88]

Curry is better right now but if CP3 was still in his prime he'd have an argument. He never had really gaudy scoring stats but don't forget his assists and defense. He was as complete as PGs come and although Steph is the greatest flamethrower I've ever seen, I don't think I can say he's certainly better than CP3.

Yeah, I agree. But I was told that CP3 is currently better, hence the disagreement.

[Tr1boy]

Curry is better right now but if CP3 was still in his prime he'd have an argument. He never had really gaudy scoring stats but don't forget his assists and defense. He was as complete as PGs come and although Steph is the greatest flamethrower I've ever seen, I don't think I can say he's certainly better than CP3.

CP3 is better. His defense on Durant is a telling sign of how good he is defensively

Not that he stopped Durant completely but held his own vs a guy that is 9 inches taller + 50 pounds heavier

Curry has how many of these no show playoff games now? How many no shows do you remember from Paul?

Switch Curry with Paul in that wcf and Rockets(Curry) prob lose in 5 vs Rockets(Paul) had Gsw on the ropes. Too bad he got injured

[Tr1boy]

Curry is better right now but if CP3 was still in his prime he'd have an argument. He never had really gaudy scoring stats but don't forget his assists and defense. He was as complete as PGs come and although Steph is the greatest flamethrower I've ever seen, I don't think I can say he's certainly better than CP3.

Yeah, I agree. But I was told that CP3 is currently better, hence the disagreement.

Tell me..in a playoff game last shot of the game situation(s)...who would you want to bring up the ball to take/make a tough shot (iso). Paul or Curry?

[gouki88]

Curry is better right now but if CP3 was still in his prime he'd have an argument. He never had really gaudy scoring stats but don't forget his assists and defense. He was as complete as PGs come and although Steph is the greatest flamethrower I've ever seen, I don't think I can say he's certainly better than CP3.

Yeah, I agree. But I was told that CP3 is currently better, hence the disagreement.

Tell me..in a playoff game last shot of the game situation...who would you want bringing up the ball and getting you a tough iso bucket. Paul or Curry?

Seriously? Curry without question. He's won 2 rings, including dropping 34/10/6/3 in game 5 of last years Finals, and 25/8/6/3 in game 6 of 2015.

This was the first time Chris Paul has ever made it further than the Western Semis, and he's not even the best player on the team

[SparzWizard]

Four straight NBA finals appearances, made 9 three-pointers setting an all-time record in the NBA Finals, 2x NBA MVP, 2x NBA champion...yep.

Chris Paul? Multiple first/second-round exits, first time advancing to Western Conference Finals and lose in 7 games with home-court advantage, and begged to move teams twice (New Orleans, Los Angeles Clippers).

[gouki88]

Four straight NBA finals appearances, made 9 three-pointers setting an all-time record in the NBA Finals, 2x NBA MVP, 2x NBA champion...yep.

Chris Paul? Multiple first/second-round exits, first time advancing to Western Conference Finals and lose in 7 games with home-court advantage, and begged to move teams twice (New Orleans, Los Angeles Clippers).

Precisely. TP

[Androslav]

Steph, no contest for me.
I don't believe that CP3 is even eligible for this duel.
How much is the regular season star worth comparing to multiple regular season MVPs and a dynamo on 2(3) champ teams?
CP3 is the professor of basketball, but his small and fragile body never could hold up against the full-grown men NBA bodies. We have a decade-long sample size of his unavailability or playing under some physical restrictions, mostly in the playoffs.

[Sophomore]

Four straight NBA finals appearances, made 9 three-pointers setting an all-time record in the NBA Finals, 2x NBA MVP, 2x NBA champion...yep.

Chris Paul? Multiple first/second-round exits, first time advancing to Western Conference Finals and lose in 7 games with home-court advantage, and begged to move teams twice (New Orleans, Los Angeles Clippers).

Precisely. TP

Arguments about playoff history are really, really unconvincing. Are you telling me that if Curry and Paul switched teams 2014-17, the Clippers would have been going to the Finals while the Warriors watched from home? I don't think so. Heck, this year, when the team talent was about equal, if Paul didn't hurt his hamstring the Rockets would have beaten the Warriors.

To me, these two players are roughly equal. Curry is a better shooter (obviously) while Paul is a still very good shooter, and a much better and more versatile defender. Either is capable of a game where he puts a team on his back deep in the playoffs. And Curry is definitely capable of a real dud game - like last night.

Also - someone above faulted CP3 for being too fragile. Not sure how that works when you're comparing him to Steph Curry. Curry has had injuries that took him out for long stretches of the playoffs, and affected his performance when he got back.

[gouki88]

Four straight NBA finals appearances, made 9 three-pointers setting an all-time record in the NBA Finals, 2x NBA MVP, 2x NBA champion...yep.

Chris Paul? Multiple first/second-round exits, first time advancing to Western Conference Finals and lose in 7 games with home-court advantage, and begged to move teams twice (New Orleans, Los Angeles Clippers).

Precisely. TP

Arguments about playoff history are really, really unconvincing. Are you telling me that if Curry and Paul switched teams 2014-17, the Clippers would have been going to the Finals while the Warriors watched from home? I don't think so. Heck, this year, when the team talent was about equal, if Paul didn't hurt his hamstring the Rockets would have beaten the Warriors.

To me, these two players are roughly equal. Curry is a better shooter (obviously) while Paul is a still very good shooter, and a much better and more versatile defender. Either is capable of a game where he puts a team on his back deep in the playoffs. And Curry is definitely capable of a real dud game - like last night.

Also - someone above faulted CP3 for being too fragile. Not sure how that works when you're comparing him to Steph Curry. Curry has had injuries that took him out for long stretches of the playoffs, and affected his performance when he got back.

That's all well and good, but I don't know how it can be argued that Paul is currently better than Curry.

Even if we're talking primes, if you put that 30ppg Curry on the 13-14 LAC team I see them beating OKC definitely. Paul simply isn't a dynamic enough scorer.

I also don't know whether Houston definitely wins if Paul is healthy. I would've been rooting for them, but it still would've been tight

[Androslav]

Four straight NBA finals appearances, made 9 three-pointers setting an all-time record in the NBA Finals, 2x NBA MVP, 2x NBA champion...yep.

Chris Paul? Multiple first/second-round exits, first time advancing to Western Conference Finals and lose in 7 games with home-court advantage, and begged to move teams twice (New Orleans, Los Angeles Clippers).

Precisely. TP

Arguments about playoff history are really, really unconvincing. Are you telling me that if Curry and Paul switched teams 2014-17, the Clippers would have been going to the Finals while the Warriors watched from home? I don't think so. Heck, this year, when the team talent was about equal, if Paul didn't hurt his hamstring the Rockets would have beaten the Warriors.

To me, these two players are roughly equal. Curry is a better shooter (obviously) while Paul is a still very good shooter, and a much better and more versatile defender. Either is capable of a game where he puts a team on his back deep in the playoffs. And Curry is definitely capable of a real dud game - like last night.

Also - someone above faulted CP3 for being too fragile. Not sure how that works when you're comparing him to Steph Curry. Curry has had injuries that took him out for long stretches of the playoffs, and affected his performance when he got back.

It is easy to explain and understand;
CP3 has finished relatively healthy twice in the last 8 years of playoffs.
Up until this year, he couldn't stay healthy for 2 rounds his entire career, let alone the obligatory 4 that eventual champ has to perform. On the other hand, Curry did that 4 years in a row and counting. Not 100%, but game ready, in his jersey and on the floor. Not in a suit, and on the bench. CP clearly showed us that he can't play 3 let alone 4 straight series, and let alone consecutive years in a row.

Once you get to this level of talent - The availability is the best ability.

And if both are healthy: Curry is 1st unanimous MVP, CP is not.

[Birdman]

Right now its Curry..Paul is getting old and body dont holding up

[Tr1boy]

Four straight NBA finals appearances, made 9 three-pointers setting an all-time record in the NBA Finals, 2x NBA MVP, 2x NBA champion...yep.

Chris Paul? Multiple first/second-round exits, first time advancing to Western Conference Finals and lose in 7 games with home-court advantage, and begged to move teams twice (New Orleans, Los Angeles Clippers).

Precisely. TP

Arguments about playoff history are really, really unconvincing. Are you telling me that if Curry and Paul switched teams 2014-17, the Clippers would have been going to the Finals while the Warriors watched from home? I don't think so. Heck, this year, when the team talent was about equal, if Paul didn't hurt his hamstring the Rockets would have beaten the Warriors.

To me, these two players are roughly equal. Curry is a better shooter (obviously) while Paul is a still very good shooter, and a much better and more versatile defender. Either is capable of a game where he puts a team on his back deep in the playoffs. And Curry is definitely capable of a real dud game - like last night.

Also - someone above faulted CP3 for being too fragile. Not sure how that works when you're comparing him to Steph Curry. Curry has had injuries that took him out for long stretches of the playoffs, and affected his performance when he got back.

Exactly. Well written

[Moranis]

Four straight NBA finals appearances, made 9 three-pointers setting an all-time record in the NBA Finals, 2x NBA MVP, 2x NBA champion...yep.

Chris Paul? Multiple first/second-round exits, first time advancing to Western Conference Finals and lose in 7 games with home-court advantage, and begged to move teams twice (New Orleans, Los Angeles Clippers).

Precisely. TP

Arguments about playoff history are really, really unconvincing. Are you telling me that if Curry and Paul switched teams 2014-17, the Clippers would have been going to the Finals while the Warriors watched from home? I don't think so. Heck, this year, when the team talent was about equal, if Paul didn't hurt his hamstring the Rockets would have beaten the Warriors.

To me, these two players are roughly equal. Curry is a better shooter (obviously) while Paul is a still very good shooter, and a much better and more versatile defender. Either is capable of a game where he puts a team on his back deep in the playoffs. And Curry is definitely capable of a real dud game - like last night.

Also - someone above faulted CP3 for being too fragile. Not sure how that works when you're comparing him to Steph Curry. Curry has had injuries that took him out for long stretches of the playoffs, and affected his performance when he got back.

I think you can make a pretty compelling argument that the Warriors are nowhere near as good with Paul instead of Curry.  Paul's iso heavy ball dominance just wouldn't work that well on the Warriors.  His slower and worse shooting, would also bog down that entire offense.  Now he is a better defender, but not nearly enough to make up for the much less efficient and deadly offense.  Now do I think the Clippers with Curry instead of Paul are winning titles, probably not, but I do think they would have made the WCF at least once in that timeframe, because Curry is just so good shooting the ball he can make up for a lot of the Clippers other deficiencies.