Mix and matching skills to visualize the ideal NBA player

Offense

Catch-and-shoot/standstill shooting: Klay Thompson

Klay Thompson has never shot below 40.5 percent on catch-and-shoot 3-pointers since NBA.com began collecting such data back in 2013-14. That alone should provide a pretty good indication of his prowess in that arena.

Then you throw in the 60 points on 11 dribbles or the NBA-record 14 3-point makes on just five dribbles and the case for Thompson here writes itself.

Off the dribble shooting: Stephen Curry

Stephen Curry revolutionized basketball with his long-range assault on defenses everywhere. There’s no circumstance with which he cannot pull up from distance from, the combination of elite handles and a pretty but quick shooting stroke.

His ability to shoot from any time and anywhere on the court has stretched defenses and filled up scoring columns in ways never before seen.

When you put that fear into the hearts of even the stiffest of defenses as the greatest shooter ever, the results tend to be quite remarkable.

Stepback shooting: James Harden

James Harden has created the ultimate bailout option with the step-back and side-step 3-pointers he’s made a staple of his offensive repertoire.

Never has it mattered the type of coverage he’s faced or the timing on the clock. As long as his dribble is available, Harden’s step-back is in play, and a bucket is a high possibility.

Mid-range shooting: Chris Paul

Of players to have taken north of 100 mid-range looks this season, Paul’s 53.9 field goal percentage ranks No. 1. Whether it’s off the dribble or a faceup, he can get that shot over the arms of even the lankiest of defenders and has made a Hall of Fame career doing so.

He may be no taller than 6’1”, but that diminutive size makes Paul’s mastery of the mid-range jumper all the more impressive.

Free-throw shooting: Stephen Curry

At 90.6 percent, Stephen Curry has the highest career free-throw percentage in NBA history. Sometimes, the argument is as simple as that.

Handles: Kyrie Irving

Kyrie Irving‘s ballhandling skills are like a menu. Order whatever combination of items you want, and he’ll give it all on his way to a bucket.

Left. Right. Crossover either way. In and out. Behind the back. Through the legs. The arsenal is vast and nasty, resulting in a truly incredible highlight reel.

There’s no place on the floor Kyrie can’t get to and no set of defenders he can’t maneuver around, making him one of the league’s most unstoppable forces when he enters his zone.

Post-hooks: Joel Embiid

He might not have the floor-spacing to maximize those talents, but Joel Embiid ranks in the 91st percentile in post-up scorers for a reason.

Some of that proficiency comes from a fadeaway he’s grown a bit too comfortable with, but when Embiid isn’t getting swarmed by multiple defenders, his nimble feet and soft touch result in plenty of easy buckets around the basket, posting a career-high 1.12 points per possession this season.

Fadeaway: Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant didn’t have the core strength or balance to shoot fadeaways early in his career. As with plenty of other aspects of his game, however, KD worked behind the scenes to develop a lethal fadeaway.

Combining an elite shooting and a 7’4” wingspan, Durant’s fadeaway is virtually unguardable. This rings especially true when he unleashes his version of Dirk Nowitzki‘s one-legged fadeaway that creates excessive amounts of space to fire unbothered.

Finishing: Kyrie Irving

Rarely have specific circumstances stopped Kyrie Irving from finishing a layup near the bucket. Long before he entered the NBA, Irving worked tirelessly to become ambidextrous while finishing with the ability to use any angle to his advantage.

You’ve probably seen the footage by now. Reverse finishes through multiple defenders. High arcing floaters that kiss the top of the glass before dropping in.

Kyrie’s bag of finishing moves is deeper than perhaps any under-the-rim player in NBA history because of his incredible understanding and exploitation of the situations defenders believe to be in their favor.