Why did Isiah Thomas snub Steph Curry in all-time list?

Why did NBA Hall-of-Famer Isiah Thomas exclude Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry from his most recent all-time point guards list?

In a podcast, Thomas was asked where he would place Steph Curry on his list of all-time great point guards. Thomas went with fellow legends Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson as his top two. He rounded out the list by placing himself third, declining to list Curry.

Johnson has the most career assists in NBA history. He led the 1980s Showtime Lakers to five championships and his creativity revolutionized the art of passing. Meanwhile, Robertson became the first player to average a triple-double in the 1961-62 season and was a dominant scorer as well.

The Detroit Pistons great did not intend to slight Curry. He had a justifiable reason for leaving out the former unanimous NBA MVP.

Isiah Thomas explains his ranking of Curry

In an interview on March 12 with Curry’s teammate Draymond Green, who serves as the Warriors’ main floor general, Thomas detailed how Green primarily facilitates the Warriors’ offense. The Michigan State product is second on the team with 5.9 assists per game and the primary decisionmaker in the starting lineup.

Isiah also cited Curry’s role coming off of screens in half-court sets as reason to label him an off guard, rather than a point guard.

“For the Golden State Warriors, you’re the point guard, and that’s okay. Now what Steph is, Steph has been able to do something at his size that no other player has ever been able to do. So he really does kind of have his own category, just like I think I have my own category.”

Thomas came up in a different era. The former 1981 No. 1 overall pick is used to point guards setting up the offense and running plays. He views today’s position-less basketball as a byproduct of Curry’s dexterity. This is why he didn’t name Curry as one of his top three point guards ever.

Thomas is as underrated an all-time great as Curry is a passer. The Indiana product has much reason to be considered top three at the position, whether that comes at Curry’s expense or not. However, Curry doesn’t get enough credit for his role as a playmaker. The 35-year-old’s ability to find rollers off of screens when doubled and swing the ball isn’t talked about enough.

Curry has entered many pundits and fans’ all-time top 10 lists, regardless of position. Winning his fourth championship and first Finals MVP in 2022 elevated his status.

All things considered, there’s no doubt that if Curry had to step into the role as Golden State’s main distributor once more, he could do so at an elite level as he’s proven in the past.

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