Curry not getting the credit he deserves – Hall of Famer Nate Archibald
Unlike many of his peers from the 1970s and ’80s, Hall of Famer Nate Archibald is a big fan of Stephen Curry.
The Hall of Famer praised the league’s reigning MVP for his ball-handling abilities and compared him to some of the league’s all-time greats, like Isiah Thomas and Pete Maravich.
“But there’s another guy I played against, if the three-point shot was in, he would probably have averaged about 50 points a game,” Archibald told NBA.com.
“And that’s Jerry West. He reminds me of a combo guy like that.”
Archibald became a superstar in the 1970s.
He was the first (and only) player to lead the NBA in both scoring and assists in the same season when he averaged 34 points and 11.4 assists per game during the 1972-73 season.
Archibald thinks Curry’s ball handling has been a big part of his evolution into a dominant force.
“We’re not giving him enough credit for his ball-handling prowess,” Archibald said.
“He came into the league, he was a good shooter and he became a great shooter. But now he’s going to the basket on guys.
“He’s got that long-range shot but he’s got a mid-range shot too. He can pull up on you.
“And then he’s got the left hand to finish off, when you’re thinking he’s coming back right. ‘You stay on that right-hand side, I’m laying the ball up left-handed.’
“All of that is what makes him the most dangerous guy in the league. I love watching him play.”
Curry is playing his way toward a second straight league MVP award and his Golden State Warriors are on pace for a record season with a 68-7 record.
Archibald says things would have been tougher for Curry had he come along in his era – but he is not too keen on comparing.
“Oh, he’d have got a whipping,” he said.
“But I tell people, you can’t put him back [in the 1970s]Â and you can’t move [’70s stars]Â up. [They are] different eras of basketball. Certain rules change the game.
“The rules now are, they want the game to move. And it’s not just to his benefit, it’s to everybody’s benefit.”
