Draymond Green recently had Detroit Pistons legend, Isiah Thomas on his podcast, ‘The Draymond Green Show’. During their time together, the two touched on several different topics, with one of the more interesting ones being the legend’s opinion on the greatest point guard of all time.
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Countless younger fans today believe that Stephen Curry has done enough to be picked unanimously by NBA fans around the globe. However, the older generation has refused to budge on its opinion and claims Magic Johnson is a better suitor for the title. Following the very same trend, the following is what Thomas said on the podcast.
“This is the era where they say, ‘We are positionless’. But then you want to say, ‘Okay well, he’s a point guard [or] he’s not a point guard’. Let me just tell you the way I think about point guards. On the Golden State Warriors, you [Draymond Green] are the point guard. You have more assists than Steph [Curry]. You bring the ball up, you initiate the offense, you set the defense, you run the show!”
With Thomas coming from an older, more positionally orthodox generation, it isn’t hard to see why he considers Draymond the point guard on the Golden State Warriors, not Stephen Curry. Indeed, ever since Steve Kerr began coaching the Warriors in the 2014-15 season, Green has racked up a total of 4,264 assists, as compared to Curry’s 3,784 in the same period, as per StatMuse. That difference of 480 is no coincidence, but rather a product of the roles both Curry and Green play in Kerr’s system.
Getting back to Thomas’s explanation, he elucidated his point by further adding the following.
“I think Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson, because of their size, they always have an advantage over me and Steph… And Magic [Johnson] could score, he could run the show. And he, to me, he’s the best to ever do it. The second best is Oscar Robertson.”
Isiah Thomas further went on to hint that he believes he is the third-best point guard of all time, exclaiming that when it came to his definition of a point guard, none of the ‘little guys’ could compete with him. However, he also gave Stephen Curry some serious praise by saying that due to the way he plays, Curry has created a different category for himself, and no one can do it like him there. He further said the following on the topic.
“Allen Iverson was the closest ‘small guy’ to doing it the way Steph is doing it”
It is undeniable that Thomas has serious respect for Stephen Curry in his heart. He clearly sees the Warriors superstar’s game as something to behold by all NBA fans. However, because he doesn’t consider it to be the way his definition of a point guard plays, he doesn’t count Curry as a point guard at all. Rather he considers him as a bit of a hybrid between a point guard and a shooting guard instead. And considering how positionless Steve Kerr’s system causes Curry to be, it is very hard to blame Thomas for his opinion.
Michael Jordan also picked Magic Johnson over Stephen Curry
Not too long ago, the ‘Greatest Point Guard of All Time’ debate was catching some serious attention on every social media platform. During this time, just about every fan from across the NBA community decided to weigh in on which player deserves the title the best, with many picking Stephen Curry.
Due to all the hoopla, some current and former NBA players decided to announce their opinions as well. And amidst this, perhaps the greatest one ever also joined in on the fun. As per Stephen A. Smith, the following was Michael Jordan’s formal opinion on the matter.
“Good morning sir. Although greatest of all time is always a debate, I beg to differ on greatest point guard of all time, of what you said. Magic Johnson is easily the best PG of all-time. Steph Curry is very close, but not in front of Magic. You must find point guards who really have a serious debate.
Steph Curry is by far the best shooter of all time. Yes, his movement is creative, making shots for his teammates, he is career 43% 3-point shooter. But, Magic Johnson invented the triple-double. Not true invented, but makes it more noticeable in terms of the impact on the game. It’s a point guard stat to be honest. Magic was the best. We can go on, but I don’t want to take up too much of your time. I know you get the point. By the way, Magic has five NBA championships.”
It is possible that despite their disdain for each other, Jordan’s opinion on what point guard does is very similar to Thomas’s. So, much like the Pistons legend, it is very hard to conclusively refute the Bulls’ icon’s opinion on the matter.
