On every ranking and tier list Steph is put above KD. Why is that? Here are their stats since the start of last season
KD: 29.6/6.8/5.1 on 67.2% TS
Steph: 29.5/5.8/5.8 on 66.1% TS
KD has been playing just as well as Steph (arguably better) but he doesn’t ever rated higher. Why?
Comparing who is better at the elite top tier of players is always going to be contentious. There’s about 5 guys in the league who have really strong arguments for #1.
Steph vs KD specifically though, I think Steph is more of an engine on offense and causes absolute chaos with his off-ball movement. There’s an argument here that Steph makes his teammates better in this regard.
KD will demand a double team each and every time he touches the ball, which is a huge issue when he’s next to Book who also demands constant doubles. But this is also a more predictable pattern for defenses who can define rotations, overplay, and feel good living or dying by Okogie taking the wide open 3.
Steph is more of an offensive engine, KD is indisputably more valuable on defense, but come playoff time, they’re both elite players and it’s typically going to come down to who can execute better on like 2 plays down the stretch.