Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving – sign one, trade one. Not an easy choice is it?
Two of the most talked about young point guards in the NBA go head-to-head on Sunday in Cleveland.
Curry’s Golden State Warriors (18-13 win-loss) are at Quicken Loans Arena to face Irving’s Cavaliers (10-19). The game will surely be fun, as both teams are known for their high-energy and fast paced playing styles.
Boston Celtics guard Jordan Crawford was excited about the matchup.
This curry vs Irving battle already nice!!!
— Jordan Crawford (@jcraw55) December 29, 2013
Curry and Irving are remarkably similar, however, they have a few key differences that set each other apart.
Both are scorers. Curry leads the scoring race with 23.2 points per game, Irving averages 22.5. Irving is a natural scorer and can put the ball in the hoop more ways than Curry can. Curry is a remarkable shooter, pretty much from anywhere on the court. He can dominate a game just by his ability to shoot over a defender.
Curry is a much better passer, he does it more frequently and he does it more accurately. With 9.5 assists per game, he comes second in the league, only behind Chris Paul. Irving will need to approve this area of his game, being the primary ball handler he needs to do a better job of getting other players in positions to score. He’s averaging six assists per game.
Both are good rebounders for their position, however, Curry has the edge. Collecting 4.5 boards per game, he is one of the NBA’s top rebounding point guards. Irving does well in that category, collecting three rebounds per game.
Another area they are similar in is shooting percentage. They have career averages of about 45% from the field. And from the land beyond, well isn’t it obvious? Curry wins.
They’ve both had lower body injuries in the past, but both seem to be healthy now. Time is on their side, Irving is only 21; Curry is 25.
Sunday’s game will be interesting to see who comes up on top. They’re both phenomenal players with a huge upside.
Sign one, trade one…Make your decision yet?
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Brett Poirier is a contributor to Sheridan Hoops. Follow @BrettNBA