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Steph Curry and Kevin Durant formed a formidable partnership during their time together with the Golden State Warriors. The two former MVPs managed to win two championships alongside each other and made three consecutive NBA finals appearances.
The Dubs were inarguably the best team in the NBA at the time and were practically impossible to stop because of Curry and Durant's offensive prowess.
The duo are now fighting for a championship again, but unlike previous years, they won't be doing so side by side. Kevin Durant left the Golden State Warriors in 2019 and is leading the charge for the Brooklyn Nets in the East. Meanwhile, Steph Curry is still with the Warriors.
The Nets and Warriors are the hot favorites to meet in the NBA finals this season. They have gotten off to great starts in their respective campaigns. Brooklyn sits atop the Eastern Conference standings with a 14-5 record, while Golden State leads the West with a league-best 16-2 record.
Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry are having MVP-caliber seasons and are largely responsible for putting their teams in comfortable positions at this stage of the tournament.
Comparing Steph Curry and Kevin Durant's stats so far
Steph Curry and Kevin Durant are also enjoying a solid year individually apart from achieving successful results collectively with their respective squads. Their impact and efficiency also see them involved in a close contest to win this year's MVP award.
The duo currently lead the NBA in scoring. Steph Curry is averaging 28.2 points per game, while Kevin Durant is close behind with 28.1 points per game thus far. The two have constantly switched places at the top. With the way things are going, this particular battle could go down to the wire.
In terms of assists, Steph Curry leads Kevin Durant by a margin of 1.8 assists per game. The former is dishing out 6.8 dimes per contest, while the latter has recorded 5.3. Durant holds the advantage in rebounds, though, with 7.6 boards to his name compared to Curry's tally of 5.8. KD has also done a better job of taking care of the ball, registering 2.9 turnovers compared to Curry (3.3 per game).
In terms of their overall rating offensively, Steph Curry (117) leads Kevin Durant (110.7) by a significant margin. Curry's playmaking, with the help of his on-and-off-the-ball movement, better assist % and assist ratio, helps him achieve a higher rating compared to KD.
On the defensive side of things, Steph Curry is making 1.7 steals and 0.6 blocks, compared to Kevin Durant's average of 0.5 steals and 0.6 blocks. Curry has a better defensive win-share at 0.205 compared to Durant (0.122).
Overall, Steph has a better defensive rating (96.5) compared to his former teammate (104.7). The Golden State Warriors talisman has allowed fewer second-chance points, points off turnovers and opposition points in the paint compared to Durant.
There's not much to separate the two when it comes to their player efficiency ratings. Curry ranks fifth in the NBA with a 27.81 PER, while Durant is sixth with a 27.69 PER. Both players have produced very similar numbers as per their traditional stats, but that hasn't been the case with advanced metrics.
The better performer?
Steph Curry and Kevin Durant have been at the top of the MVP ladder race for several weeks running. Their numbers speak for themselves, which has translated into winning performances for their teams. It was very difficult to pick a better performer between the two initially, but of late, Curry has been on another level.
He proved that when the two went head-to-head on November 16th during a game between the Golden State Warriors and Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center. Steph Curry dominated that game with 37 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while Kevin Durant endured a rough outing, scoring just 19 points on 31% field goal shooting. Curry received MVP chants on the road for his performance, and the Dubs won that tie comprehensively by a 117-99 margin.
Steph Curry has led his team to plenty of wins from losing positions recently. That has been crucial in the Warriors' stellar 16-2 run thus far, giving him the edge over Kevin Durant in the latest MVP ladder race.
Steph Curry has also emerged as a better two-way player and a playmaker compared to Kevin Durant. Nevertheless, it would be a mistake to count the Brooklyn Nets star out just yet. Durant has continued to make a difference for his side in his own way and could edge out his former Warriors teammate in the coming weeks.
Guess the Lakers players!
