One’s the greatest player of his generation. The other’s the most influential. One’s the all-time leader in points scored. The other’s the all-time leader in made 3-pointers. Both have four titles. Both should be unanimous Hall of Fame selections.
Inextricably linked for basketball eternity due to four straight NBA Finals battles and countless other memorable head-to-head matchups, LeBron James and Stephen Curry are still performing at All-NBA levels despite reaching the point in their careers when most have long since hung up the sneakers. But don’t let recency bias cloud your memory. Just a few months ago, there were legitimate discussions about both James and Curry entering the twilight of their careers rather than continuing to push the limits of an extended prime.
The word “washed” was unfairly thrown around for both legends earlier this season. On Dec. 4, following a five-game stretch in which he went 1 for 23 from 3-point range, James’ season stats were (relatively) ugly — 22 points per game on 34% 3-point shooting. Usually a plus-minus king, James was having a glaringly negative effect on the Los Angeles Lakers’ success, with the team’s net rating falling by a shocking 13.5 points in his minutes. At that point, the Lakers were 12-10 and it looked like the Play-In was an unavoidable part of their future.
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Meanwhile, on the exact same date about 400 miles north, the Golden State Warriors had lost five straight games to sour what had been a blazing 12-3 start. The 36-year-old Curry was clearly struggling with what coach Steve Kerr called “abnormal” offensive responsibility as he averaged his fewest points per game since 2012 and lacked a secondary scorer to help make the Golden State offense tick.
At the trade deadline, however, both James and Curry received gifts — Luka Dončić and Jimmy Butler — that could ultimately extend their careers and further add to their seemingly unending lists of accolades. Since they began playing their new co-stars, both James and Curry have experienced significant boosts in production and efficiency, and the Lakers and Warriors look like legitimate threats in the Western Conference.
LeBron and Luka
James has been, for lack of a better word, a maniac since Dončić’s arrival. He has a 40-point game, plus separate lines of 33-17-6 and 28-13-3 while lighting it up from all over the floor. One of the biggest differences has been the ability for James to cede playmaking responsibility to Dončić who, along with Austin Reaves, gives the Lakers three ball-handlers capable of creating a good look for themselves or others on virtually every possession.
This allows James to relax and take a breather on some offensive possessions, a luxury that he frankly needs as a 40-year-old. Watch here as he camps out in the corner as Dončić works his magic on the opposite side of the floor. The result is the Nuggets defense basically forgetting about James on the weak side, which leads to an easy dunk. How often did we see a pre-Dončić defense completely abandon James, no matter where he was on the floor?
The results have spoken for themselves, with James flourishing in terms of both production and efficiency alongside his new running mate, and the Lakers are 7-2 since Dončić first suited up in a Lakers uniform.
LEBRON JAMES 2024-25 PTS REB AST FG% 3P%
Before Dončić trade 24.5 7.8 9.0 51.6% 39.1%
After Dončić trade 26.4 9.3 6.2 53.2% 39.1%
To the surprise of no one, James and Dončić have also developed an early chemistry in transition, leading to multiple easy buckets every game.
Even when James finally put up a dud with his 17-point, 6-for-17 shooting, eight-turnover performance against the Clippers on Sunday, Dončić was right there to pick him up with 29 points, nine assists and six rebounds. James was a minus-five in the box score, but his co-star more than made up for it with a plus-19 as the Lakers came away with the 108-102 win.
We always wonder how long James can possibly keep up this level of play with the number of basketball miles he’s put on his body over the last 20-plus years. By taking so much of the burden off of his shoulders, Dončić could help to extend James’ reign of dominance for multiple years. And as soon as this season, with the Lakers moving into the No. 2 seed in the West after Sunday’s win, he just might give James a shot at another championship ring to add to his collection.
Steph and Jimmy
There was no clearer illustration of how important Butler has been to the Warriors than a game in which he didn’t even play. Out with back spasms on Saturday, Butler watched as the Warriors lost to a hapless 76ers squad that had dropped 11 of their previous 12 games. In the 126-119 defeat, the Warriors scored — and this is a real statistic — 50 points per 100 possessions in 12 minutes with Curry on the bench. For reference, the Wizards have the league’s worst offense this season and they average more than double that number. Oh, and in the the 36 minutes that Curry was on the floor? Golden State put up an absurd offensive rating of 138.5.
It’s simply unfathomable to be that futile when a single player sits, but that’s what the Warriors had been dealing with all season prior to Butler’s arrival.
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In the eight games that Butler has played, the Warriors are 7-1. And not only have they survived the non-Curry minutes — they’ve dominated them. Golden State has outscored opponents by nearly 11 points per 100 possessions with Curry on the bench, a figure that would have been considered a fantasy a month ago.
“Totally different than what it was before, where you felt a little pressure to create separation because we were trying to fill some holes in those minutes,” Curry recently said of Butler’s effect.
That release of pressure is visible, not just on Curry’s face and in his body language, but also in his performance. He’s averaged over 30 points since Butler’s arrival, highlighted by a vintage 56-point masterclass in Orlando last week in which he went 12 for 19 from behind the 3-point line. He even had enough energy in the tank to throw down his first dunk in six years against Philly on Saturday.
STEPH CURRY 2024-25 PTS REB AST FG% 3P%
Before Butler trade 22.7 4.5 6.1 43.1% 38.9%
After Butler trade 30.4 4.2 6.2 51.4% 42.6%
Butler’s playmaking (his impressive passing was the first thing Kerr noticed) and ability to get to the free-throw line give the Warriors a source of uncomplicated offense that they’ve desperately craved basically since Kevin Durant left. When all else fails, get Butler switched onto a mismatch, dump it into him and let him go to work. Simple and effective.
Since joining the Warriors, Butler is in the 94th percentile in offensive efficiency including assists, per Synergy Sports. He’s also turned the ball over just eight times in eight games, providing a sense of calm to Golden State’s typically chaotic style reminiscent of recent jersey retiree Andre Iguodala.
Kerr tries his best to keep Curry’s minutes down, but sometimes that strategy is diametrically opposed to winning basketball games. With Butler on board it seems much more feasible and could help Curry remain one of the most prolific guards in the NBA for years to come. And while the Warriors aren’t exactly a favorite to win the title even with Butler (despite Draymond Green’s bold proclamation), they’re certainly much more potent and formidable than they were before the deadline.
