Stats disprove Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas' Steph Curry-Jalen Brunson comparison originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Warriors superstar Steph Curry is such an elite shooter that, sometimes, even Hall of Fame players can forget how good of an all-around offensive player he is.
That’s the case with Naismith Memorial Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas, who, before the 2026 NBA Finals wrapped up on Saturday night, delivered an odd breakdown comparing Curry’s path to success with his and that of New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson.
“Here’s where it separates. Curry did it at 6-foot-3, more or less, shooting, scoring. Brunson and I, if Brunson becomes a champion, right? We did it scoring and assisting,” Thomas said last Friday on FanDuel TV’s “Run It Back.” “That is something totally different and that’s why it’s so unique in terms of what you’re watching because he can assist and then he scores. Curry was more just a scorer, so there are two different ways of doing it.
“Now, with Brunson and I being smaller, we cannot measure ourselves by this analytics category criteria that has been established in the basketball world that only fits and suits the 6-foot-6 and above player. So, if you’re 6-foot-6 and above, these analytics numbers and criteria fits you but if you’re trying to win as a small player, we cannot play to that criteria of statistical analyzation. So we need to figure out how we can win without being measured by the 6-foot-6-and-above guy. And Brunson has settled into that. So, I’ve done it. He’s trying to do it. Curry did it at 6-foot-3.”
During the Knicks’ incredible 19-game run to the 2026 NBA title, Brunson averaged 28.4 points and 6.1 assists.
So, in Thomas’ mind, Curry had to have averaged more points and fewer assists per game during his four championship runs, right?
Unfortunately for Thomas, the stats don’t back up his claim.
During the Warriors’ 2014-15 title run, Curry averaged 28.3 points and 6.4 assists in 21 postseason games. Two years later, with Kevin Durant on board, Curry averaged 28.1 points and 6.7 assists in 17 playoff games.
During the Warriors’ 2017-18 title run, in which Curry missed the first round, he averaged 25.5 points and 5.4 assists in 15 games.
In 2022-23, with Durant long gone and Curry the focal point of the offense, he averaged 27.4 points and 5.9 assists en route to NBA Finals MVP.
Over those four title runs, Curry averaged a cumulative 6.11 assists in 75 games.
As a kicker, Brunson averaged 10.1 made field goals on 21.7 field-goal attempts during the now-completed playoff run. Curry’s highest title-run numbers came in 2015 when he averaged 9.5 made field goals on 20.9 field-goal attempts.
Thomas, if anything, is the outlier. During his two title runs with the Detroit Pistons in 1989 and 1990, he averaged 19.4 points and 8.2 assists. Curry and Brunson are more alike than Thomas is to either of them.
Yes, Curry is known for his scoring and less for the other aspects of his game. But to say he didn’t score and assist on his way to success isn’t accurate.
