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Stephen Curry is universally recognized as the best point guard in the NBA, but Damian Lillard is making a case to be right there with Curry based on what he has done the past two years.
Curry's two MVP seasons in 2015 and 2016 with the Golden State Warriors saw him put up 23.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game, and then 30.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game, respectively. The Warriors won the title in 2015 but lost in 2016 after winning an NBA record 73 games in the regular season.
In 2018-19, Lillard averaged 25.8 points, 4.6 boards and 6.9 assists. He also put up 26.9 points per game in the playoffs and led his Portland Trail Blazers to the 2019 Western Conference Finals, where they lost to Curry and the Warriors. That was mostly because the Dubs just had too much talent on the roster despite the absence of Kevin Durant.
The Blazers were also playing without Jusuf Nurkic, who would have made a difference in the series.
In 2019-20, Damian Lillard is averaging 29.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 8.0 assists. He's putting the Blazers on his back as they make a push for the playoffs. Curry, meanwhile, only played in five games this season due to a broken hand.
As you can see, Lillard's past two seasons are pretty similar (and better in some categories) to Curry's MVP numbers, though it's worth pointing out that Steph's 2015-16 season is considered one of the best offensive seasons of all time. While Steph and the Warriors are three-time champions and Dame hasn't been to the NBA Finals yet, the gap between Curry and Lillard has narrowed and arguably isn't there at this point. It's just a preference as to which player you want running your system.
While Peak Steph changed the game and has the edge on Peak Dame, one main reason the Warriors have had more success than the Blazers is Curry has played with more talent than Lillard. His No. 2 option, Klay Thompson, is better than Lillard's second option in McCollum. Curry also played with one of the best scorers in NBA history in Durant for three seasons.
Dame is a better driver and finisher than Steph, which makes him a more versatile scorer than the two-time MVP. However, Curry's handles are arguably the best in NBA history. Since he's not an explosive athlete and can't really blow by people as Lillard does, Curry uses his magician-like handles to get by his defenders. He has put countless people on the ground with some ridiculous crossovers.
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Both Lillard and Curry have unlimited range. They are probably the only two players in the NBA you have to guard as soon as they cross the half-court line.
Lillard has been shooting DEEP 3s on a consistent basis since 2018-19. The shot he hit over Paul George in Game 5 of the 2019 first round to send the Oklahoma City Thunder home was incredible, mostly because it was a side step to the right and he hit the shot from the Blazers logo:
Of course, as great as Dame is at shooting, Steph is a more consistent 3-point shooter and the consensus GOAT long-range bomber. For their careers, Curry shoots 43.5 percent from beyond the arc, while Lillard is at 37.2.
Next season when Curry is back in the lineup may be a better time to judge the debate between Lillard and Steph. The Warriors are expected to be playoff contenders, but since Durant is gone and Thompson is coming back from ACL surgery, not many pundits have them as Finals contenders, which is where Lillard and the Blazers usually cut off at as well.
Stephen Curry and the Warriors and Damian Lillard and the Blazers could have similar seasons in 2020-21. Whichever superstar leads their respective team farther could then be deemed the superior player.
