ESPN's Bomani Jones recently called Golden State Warriors superstar point guard Stephen Curry the greatest system player ever.
Calling someone a “system player” is something of a derogatory term in the NBA. While it might not necessarily sound too disrespectful, it usually means that a player performs better when in a specific style of play – which takes away from their abilities and gives more credit to a coach.
One name that shouldn’t bring up the image of a “system player” is Curry. But that is exactly what Jones said on his “The Right Time with Bomani Jones” podcast on Thursday.
“He's got sick handle and all that stuff. There's something different. It's hard to explain what it is with Steph, but Steph is somehow like the greatest system player of all time. And I'm not saying that to shade him. But you are not going 1-4 flat and being like, ‘Get us a bucket.'”
Already the current active leader in three-pointers made with 2,495, Curry trails only Ray Allen and Reggie Miller in terms of total three-pointers canned in NBA history. Would anyone ever dare to call Allen or Miller “system players?” Of course not.
Jones’s statement is patently ridiculous. Curry is clearly the greatest shooter in NBA history, and his handles have made elite defenders look like hapless oafs time and time again on the court.
For his part, the Warriors star made light of the situation on Twitter while also praising WNBA players, who returned to action on Saturday:
Go get it ladies!!!
And shout out to all the system players in the @wnba. We get it done 💪🏽👀 https://t.co/v9XS7rnPr8
— Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) July 25, 2020
In the end, the sheer gravity of Curry’s ability to pull triples from near half-court made the Warriors one of the most threatening dynasties of all time. If that’s what a “system player” entails, then every team would be glad to have just one on their team.
Curry, a two-time MVP and three-time champion, has career averages of 23.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 6.6 assists with the Warriors.
Follow Us
Subscribe