When one is a defender like Dallas Mavericks forward Grant Williams, one needs to be able to guard top-tier players and at least make things tough on them. Williams has guarded a lot of superstars in the league, and recently, he spoke out about his toughest matchups.
During his appearance on the Run Your Race podcast, Grant Williams claimed that Kevin Durant is the toughest player to guard, but noted that Stephen Curry is the most impactful player in the league.
“KD is the hardest person to guard in the league, by far…but Steph Curry is the most impactful player on a team in the league.”
It is fair to say that Kevin Durant is the hardest player to guard in isolation, as he is a true three-level scorer that can rise up over anyone. Creating his own shot is effortless for Durant, and it is clear that he is almost unstoppable one-on-one.
With that being said, it is easy to say why Grant Williams believes that Stephen Curry is the most impactful player in the league. Curry is equally capable on and off the ball, and that makes him an extremely tough player to guard due to the insane amount of attention he commands throughout the entire game.
Austin Reaves Admits That Guarding Stephen Curry Is “Hell”
There is no doubt that other players share Grant Williams’ sentiment about Stephen Curry. In fact, Austin Reaves admitted that guarding Stephen Curry is “hell” noting that he couldn’t make shots because Curry was making him put in a lot of work on the defensive end.
“It’s honestly hell… You literally can’t ever relax. I remember Games 1 and 2, chasing him and Klay around, and I couldn’t make a shot… I’m like, ‘I ain’t got no legs!’”
It is clear that Stephen Curry is one of the most well-conditioned players in the league, and guarding him requires a lot of energy. Curry is constantly moving on the court, and if a defender takes their eyes off of him for one second, that means he is getting a wide-open 3PT shot. Curry’s playstyle and shooting ability mean that he can play at a high level for a long time, and more championships could be on the horizon for him.
