When Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry recently passed Hall-of-Famer Ray Allen for the most three-pointers made in NBA history, he set himself up as the greatest three-point shooter of all time. With more threes made than Allen and in almost 800 fewer games, Curry has certainly earned the spot as the game's greatest shooter…for now.
As well all know, players have only gotten better and better at shooting ever since the inception of the three-point line, and especially since Curry has arrived in the league. He has changed the game completely and irrevocably. Whether that is a good or a bad thing for the NBA remains to be seen, but one thing that is certain– there is likely to be a shooter even better than Curry. Just as Ray Allen took the title from Reggie Miller and then Curry took it from Allen, the greatest shooter in NBA history is not an “end-all” award, but rather a torch that is passed from one generation's greatest shooter to another.
If anyone is going to pass Curry, they will need to wait until his career is over to even know what they need to beat, as Curry might end up with almost twice as many made threes in his career as Allen. For now, though, we can focus not on how many threes will need to be made, but rather simply try to get a clue on who might be the next best shooter. For this exercise, we chose only players who are in the NBA or the NBA's G-League, as college shooters will need to adjust to the NBA's longer three-point line, making them a much bigger project than we are currently willing to put into these slots. Without further adieu, here are the four players we think can one day be the “Steph Curry 2.0.”
Who will be the next Steph Curry in the NBA?
4. Jalen Hardy – G-League Ignite
Hardy is the best scorer out of all of the prospects for the 2022 NBA draft and has been compared to James Harden. His ability to take defenders off the dribble while also displaying unlimited range is second-to-none. Hardy is getting a little bit of extra work against bigger defenders in the G-League, something rookies struggle with when entering the league. If Hardy can enter the NBA with a bang as Curry did, and immediately become one of the game's best scorers, then he can have the type of career that is worthy of his consideration on this list.
It is a huge risk, though, as having him on this list before he has shown anything in the NBA can come with some disadvantages. He comes with lofty expectations and will need to hit them to avoid being a “bust.” The young man has been around basketball scouts, forever, though, and everyone around the league knows that this kid has the type of scoring game that has “all-star” written all over it.
3. Lonzo Ball – Chicago Bulls
Originally chided for his ugly-looking shot and low point totals as a young player, Lonzo Ball has actually developed into one of the best shooters in the NBA. He is on this list because he has a very similar game to Curry's in which he is a scorer from behind the arc but is also one of his team's main distributors.
On the year, Ball is sixth in the league with 3.1 three made per game while shooting 45 percent. So, not only is Lonzo making a lot of threes, but he is also hitting them at an incredible rate. Still only 24, Ball likely has 6-7 more years ahead of him where he is a top-5 three-point shooter in the league.
2. Seth Curry – Philadelphia 76ers
If anyone is gonna have a shot at beating Steph, it's gotta be his bloodlines…right? Well, maybe not, as Seth is already 31 years old and is playing the first huge minutes of his career. But, it is fun to think about. So far in 2021, Seth is hitting his threes at a 44.5 percent clip. He has stated recently that he wants to win the three-point shootout at NBA All-Star weekend. That would give both of the brothers a trophy that their former NBA sharpshooter father, Dell Curry, does not have. Maybe Seth gets it this year, or maybe Steph gets another, but one thing is for sure…that family can shoot!
1. Tyrese Maxey – Philadelphia 76ers
Maxey is first on this list even though he takes fewer threes than anyone on the list. He is just a better overall basketball player than the others and therefore that gives him the best chance at playing time. Because Maxey is set to be the point guard indefinitely on a Philadelphia squad that had Joel Embiid taking up space in the paint, Maxey is going to be an elite point guard for a long time.
Also, the possible arc of his career sees him reach his peak just as Embiid is leaving town, and the team would then be built around Maxey–who would be in his prime at that point. If he keeps up the percentages as high as he has in his first two NBA seasons, the volume will soon follow. Once it does, the rest of the NBA will be put on notice in a huge way.
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