Halfway through the NBA's 2023-24 season, two of the league's superstars, LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, are proving their worth with their performances. They lead their teams to first and second place in the West, respectively, and are among the most likely to compete for a championship. So, what are the similarities and differences between these two players in terms of stats this season? Who is better? Let's compare them all.
First, let's take a look at their basic data. So far, James has played in 41 games this season, averaging 347 minutes, get 268 points, 81 rebound, 97 assists, 13 steals and 08 blocks and 51 shots4% and 362% and 69 free throw percentage8%。Curry, on the other hand, played in 40 games and averaged 33 minutes per game9 minutes, get 312 points, 56 rebounds, 61 assist, 12 steals and 02 blocks and 48 shooting percentages7% and a three-point shooting percentage of 427% and 921%。
Fundamentally, Curry has a clear advantage in scoring, three-pointers, and free throws, while James has the upper hand in rebounds, assists, and blocks. There is not much difference in shooting percentage and steals between the two, but Curry has played slightly less time than James. Overall, Curry is more of a pure scorer, while James is an all-around playmaker.
Next, let's take a look at their advanced data. According to Basketball Reference**, James has an efficiency value of 26 this season0, which ranks sixth in the league, while Curry has an efficiency value of 275, ranked third in the league. The efficiency value is a metric that takes into account scores, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, turnovers, and fouls, reflecting a player's overall performance. In terms of this metric, Curry is slightly better.
In addition to the efficiency values, there are some other advanced stats that can help us analyze the performance of the two players in more depth. For example, True Shooting Percentage (TS%) is a metric that takes into account shots, three-pointers, and free throws that reflect a player's scoring efficiency. According to Basketball Reference**, James has a true shooting percentage of 59 this season3%, while Curry's true shooting percentage is 661%。This shows that Curry scores more points per shot than James, which means that Curry is more efficient in scoring.
Another interesting metric is the usage percentage (USG%), which reflects the proportion of possession that players have while on the field. According to Basketball Reference**, James has a usage rate of 317%, while Curry's usage is 343%。This shows that Curry is more in control of the team's offense when he is on the court, while James distributes the ball more to his teammates. It also fits in with their roles and styles, with Curry being the Warriors' top scorer and James being the Lakers' core playmaker.
Finally, let's take a look at their Win Shares (WS), which is a metric that estimates the number of wins a player brings to a team based on their offensive and defensive performance. According to Basketball Reference**, James has a Victory Contribution Value of 69, which ranks fourth in the league, while Curry's victory contribution value is 71. Ranked third in the league. By this indicator, both are indispensable leaders of the team and have contributed immensely to the team's success.
To sum up, both James and Curry have had very good performances in terms of statistics this season, and they each have their own strengths and characteristics, and it is difficult to say who is better than whom. Perhaps, we can sum up their comparison in one sentence: Curry is the better scorer, while James is the better all-rounder. Regardless, they are among the best players in the league today and legends in our eyes. We look forward to them continuing to surprise and delight us with their performances in the next games."
February** Dynamic Incentive Program