Steph Curry Names Jrue Holiday and Avery Bradley as His Toughest Defenders
Curry averaged 25.2 points against Holiday and 26.2 against Bradley — and still calls them the two hardest covers he's ever drawn.
Steady 31.5 FPTS/G floor last season, but the ceiling's capped in Portland.
- Curry: 25.2 pts, 6.8 ast vs Holiday head-to-head
- Curry: 26.2 pts, 5.8 ast vs Bradley head-to-head
- Holiday: 6x NBA All-Defensive selections
- Holiday 2025-26: 16.3 pts, 6.1 ast, 31.5 FPTS/G in 53 games
- Curry 2025-26: 26.6 pts, 39.7 FPTS/G in 43 games
Stephen Curry, now 38, was asked in an interview with ABC7 News Bay Area to name the toughest defender he's ever faced. He couldn't settle on one, calling it a tie between Avery Bradley and Jrue Holiday — two guards who built careers on being a nuisance to shooters exactly like him.
Here's the kicker: neither guy actually slowed him down much. Curry averaged 26.2 points, 5.8 assists and 5.4 rebounds in head-to-head matchups against Bradley, and 25.2 points, 6.8 assists and 4.4 rebounds against Holiday. If those are the nights that gave Curry trouble, the rest of the league had no chance.
Bradley's credentials back up the respect — he made the NBA All-Defensive First Team in 2015-16 and the Second Team in 2012-13 with Boston. Holiday's résumé is even deeper: six All-Defensive selections and multiple Defensive Player of the Year finalist appearances, though the trophy itself has stayed out of reach.
What It Means for Your Roster
The name worth tracking here is Holiday, because he's the only one of the three still relevant to your lineup beyond Curry himself. He posted 16.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 6.1 assists across 53 games last season (2025-26), good for 31.5 fantasy points per game and a rank of #78 overall (#38 at the position) in our model. That's a dependable mid-round floor, not a difference-maker.
Curry, for his part, remains the engine — 26.6 points and 39.7 fantasy points per game last season (2025-26) across 43 games, ranked #36 overall and #17 at the position. The one flag: his last five games ran 7.3 fantasy points below his season average, and at 38, those dips are worth monitoring rather than ignoring.
The actionable read: Holiday is a HOLD. His assist-heavy, low-turnover profile in Portland gives you a reliable 31-ish fantasy points most nights, but don't expect the usage spike that turns a steady guard into a league-winner. If you're chasing upside at the position, he's a fine trade chip — just don't overpay to acquire him.
