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NBA Season Preview: 5 best off-the-dribble creators

By John Buhler

Oct 4, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) during a game against the New York Knicks at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 4, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) during a game against the New York Knicks at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /
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October 4, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) dribbles the basketball against Los Angeles Clippers forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (12) during the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Clippers 120-75. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
October 4, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) dribbles the basketball against Los Angeles Clippers forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (12) during the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Clippers 120-75. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors PG

Of course Golden State Warriors superstar point guard Stephen Curry was going to make the cut. He is the point guard on the best team in the Western Conference and the two-time reigning league MVP.

Though he tends to get cute with the basketball and turn it over from time to time, there isn’t a player better equipped to run a fast-break, up-tempo offense than Curry. Defending Curry, Durant, and shooting guard Klay Thompson in transition is utterly impossible. Somebody will get a wide-open look from three and more likely than not it’s going in.

Curry’s quickness and ability to hit a three-point from anywhere beyond the arc with relative ease makes him the most difficult point guard to defend from the elbow extended. Let’s not forget that he can thread the needle on countless no-look passes on drive-and-kicks. He may be slight of built, but Curry is adept at attacking the rim in addition to his otherworldly jump-shooting game.

In Durant and Curry, Golden State has two of the three best players in the NBA on its roster. Curry is more willing to let his teammates take shots than Westbrook was with Durant in Oklahoma City. Thompson is going to take a shot every time he gets the ball. That’s fine because he’s one of the best pure shooters the NBA has ever seen.

If Curry is willing to take a page out of the Andre Iguodala playbook and make personal sacrifices for the betterment of the team, Golden State will cakewalk to its third straight NBA Finals. Curry isn’t a perfect basketball player. He has issues with ball security, defense, and durability, but he’s a better version of Phoenix Suns Steve Nash for the behemoth Warriors.