Fun convo/debate for a slow time of year!
This guy's primary point of why Curry is top 5 all time is based on..... an Andre Igoudala quote? Where Igoudala annoints Curry as the best PG of all time. What is the basis for this when comparing to other greats? What if NO point belongs in the top 5 all time?
Curry might very well be top 5 most influential player of all time. He came along at a time where the analytics taking hold made teams truly understand the value of the 3pt shot... and there's a CLEARLY a legitimate argument to be made for him being the greatest 3pt shooter of all time (in fact, if I had to guess I'd imagine somewhere in the 80-99% of fans would say he IS). But if we're going to talk greatest players, let's look a individual domination of the league over a long period of time, as well as ability on BOTH ENDS of the court. To each his own, but I *cannot* in good conscious put a guy in the top 5 all time when he is a MAJOR defensive liability (when compared to other all-time greats, not just typical NBA players, where I still believe he falls in the "average to below average" defender, steals-touting-apologists notwithstanding). I'd also wager that no-one else in my PERSONAL top 5, or even top 10, all-time has been to 6 finals and secured finals MVP only once.
Steph is a great, GREAT player. He changed the game. He can be both of those things and not a top 10 player all time.
**For those 1% reading this post curious of my personal top 10, here they are in no particular order - assume some mild bias towards players post 1980 as that's most of my personal viewing experience:
Magic
Bird
Jordan
Russell
Chamberlain
Kareem
LeBron
Shaq
Kobe
Duncan
Close but... no. (again, in no particular order):
Olajuwon
West
Barkley
Stockton
Malone
Curry
Isaiah Thomas
Ewing
Dirk
Iverson