Where does Stephen Curry Rank?

 
You can make the argument for greatest PG of all time. Beside it taking him a few years to move into star territory, and even longer into superstar territory, the biggest thing against Steph is his defense. Look any top ten and you’ll most likely see in some order of MJ, LeBron, Kareem, Wilt, Magic, Kobe, Larry, Timmy, Hakeem, Shaq. In addition to asserting their will against defenses they, at least for significant portions of their careers, were defensive stalwarts. In Currys best defensive years, I would think “above average” might be the best adjective to describe it. Most years, average.
 
Curry is definitely in the top 20, and that's not a slam. I think when we rank guys, we forget about so many of the greats of the past. As far as impact on the game, he has to be top 5 for sure. When the 3 point line was introduced in high school basketball in the 80's, 3 point shooting was going to get better. Curry has led the way to flipping basketball from a post up game to an open, spread the floor game. Curry is obviously a great shooter, but I think he's really underrated in driving and finishing.
As Orin said, his biggest knock is defense and to be a top 5- top 10 overall, defense is a separator. One thing that Curry should get some credit for is his ability to mold his game around teammates. He's got to be one of the easiest superstars to play with, and that's not always the case.
 
Not sure how this quantifies in an all-time ranking, but he's made an enormous impact on the way the game is played in conjunction with current analytic philosophies that have emerged over the last 8-10 years.

He has influenced the way the game is played more than anyone IMO since the shift in rules/rules interpretation and enforcement began around 2003 or 2004 to try to increase scoring. Has to be top-5 most influential on style of play among all eras.
 
nwwarrior09 said:
Not sure how this quantifies in an all-time ranking, but he's made an enormous impact on the way the game is played in conjunction with current analytic philosophies that have emerged over the last 8-10 years.

He has influenced the way the game is played more than anyone IMO since the shift in rules/rules interpretation and enforcement began around 2003 or 2004 to try to increase scoring. Has to be top-5 most influential on style of play among all eras.
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Yes, and you're spot on. As far as his game itself, he's a top 20 type player, but as you say, impact on the game is off the charts.
 
?‍♂️ Forgot at the end of my post to mention where I have him ranked. I’d say firmly in the 10-15 range. Great points made by nww and Red, as well.
 
He changed the game, from the NBA down through HS in making it acceptable to shoot from anywhere as you don't need to be a physical specimen to be a top player.
 
It's just so hard to do these type of rankings, due to how the game has changed. Until the Jordan era, guys had actually dribble, which makes some of their feats extra incredible. Before the three point line, there was more emphasis on the mid range game and center play. Now, it's inside out. Is Curry an all time great? Yes. Not sure how to rank him without slighting him, or others.
 
I first saw him in person at Ford Field in Detroit when he singlehandedly beat Wisconsin in 2008 to make it to the Elite 8. He was the best college shooter I ever saw. I think he's the best NBA shooter in history.

Unfortunately, he is at best an average defender and not a great passer or facilitator. He's in the top 10 to 25, but his average aspects keep him out of the top 10.
 
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