RealGM

Is curry top 10 ever in your opinion?

No, he doesn't have the peak longevity yet. Top 10 is incredibly elite territory. Here's where he ranks in the current top 100 project.

1. LeBron James
2. Michael Jordan
3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
4. Bill Russell
5. Tim Duncan
6. Wilt Chamberlain
7. Magic Johnson
8. Shaquille O'Neal
9. Hakeem Olajuwon
10. Larry Bird
11. Kevin Garnett
12. Kobe Bryant
13. Jerry West
14. Oscar Robertson
15. Dirk Nowitzki
16. Karl Malone
17. David Robinson
18. Julius Erving
19. George Mikan
20. Moses Malone
21. Charles Barkley
22. Kevin Durant
23. Chris Paul
24. Stephen Curry

I personally would have him ahead of Durant and Paul. He's been remarkable this season, which should get him up a few more spots. He can approach top-ten territory if he continues with elite play for multiple seasons. But even then, who does he displace? I'd say he has a chance to get in front of Bird, especially since Bird has longevity issues of his own, but all this is assuming elite play for 4-5 more seasons.

There will be time when it's all said and done to evaluate his career. Based on where he is now (including this season, which the top 100 project doesn't consider), I'd put him in the high teens. You have to use where he is now, if his career ended today, without giving credit based on assumptions of future years.

The top 10 is so loaded I don't see him passing anyone, even if he wins another ring. I think he has a chance to reach top 15 tho. However, if you would think of it as generational players who changed the game, Curry is going to be forever ingrained in NBA history. And that list is even harder to climb onto, and he's deserving of a spot, so there's that.

I think he can reach the top 15ish at the end of his career. But, for the top 10, I think he will need at least one or two more championships, and I don't think he will get that.

Not there yet. But I think he'll be in there when it's all said and done. What's great is that he's doing this at 33 and seems clear that he can have an elongated prime.

Lenneth wrote:I think he can reach the top 15ish at the end of his career. But, for the top 10, I think he will need at least one or two more championships, and I don't think he will get that.

I agree with this but idk if championships really are the thing at this point. I think it has more to do with a prime that started sort of late and missing a lot of games in recent years. He already has 3 rings which is as many or more than KG, Hakeem, Bird and Wilt have. I think it has more to do with lack of things like all nba teams and length of prime right now. 2-3 more years like this one or close to it will probably be enough to have some people putting him in their top 10's and at the least into that 11-15 group.

I think he has a chance, but not a strong one. He simply lacks longevity and I don't expect him to play at MVP level for next 5 or so years.

Peak-wise, he's around Magic level (I have Magic higher, but I understand Curry's arguments) so if you don't care about longevity and you're not high on individual defense then he has a case already.

He's in the conversation at least. I have him somewhere around 15 right now but I don't think it's impossible for Steph to end up with a better career than guys like Kobe and Hakeem.

Not yet, but I think his skillset will make him uniquely able to contribute at a high level deep into his 30s. He doesn't have the athletic freakishness of Lebron, but the guy is obsessed with conditioning and obviously has the best jumper ever. Barring injuries, bad luck, etc. I think he'll be able to put the longevity stuff to bed soon enough.

Top 10 basically requires a decade at the top of the sport as a threshold requirement for entry. He's not there yet and has had injury issues, regular season and playoffs during the 10 year period he's building his case. This for me means he has a long way to go to break into that territory and it seems unlikely he'll be able to do so.

He'll like remain (health permitting) a highly effective player for several more years, but his defensive limitations are going to be increasingly problematic and his ability to get separation is going to decrease limiting his overall impact. I don't think he's likely to break into the top 10, but top 15 is realistic.

Obviously not imo. To me his prime isn’t a clear cut above guys like Kobe, Oscar, Dirk etc and his durability is clearly worse.

1993Playoffs wrote:Is curry top 10 ever in your opinion?

Your word choice seems to imply you're talking peak/prime, and if that's the case I'd say it's debatable.

The list I tend to focus more on is based on career, and there the answer is "No". Due to lack of longevity, he's merely Top 20.

Ainosterhaspie wrote:Top 10 basically requires a decade at the top of the sport as a threshold requirement for entry. He's not there yet and has had injury issues, regular season and playoffs during the 10 year period he's building his case. This for me means he has a long way to go to break into that territory and it seems unlikely he'll be able to do so.

He'll like remain (health permitting) a highly effective player for several more years, but his defensive limitations are going to be increasingly problematic and his ability to get separation is going to decrease limiting his overall impact. I don't think he's likely to break into the top 10, but top 15 is realistic.

He's pretty close to a decade of elite play already no? Even with the injury last year he'd need what 2 or 3 more All NBA level seasons? Seems more likely than not at this point

I'll have him at #18 after this year I think. So not yet.

Cavsfansince84 wrote:

Lenneth wrote:I think he can reach the top 15ish at the end of his career. But, for the top 10, I think he will need at least one or two more championships, and I don't think he will get that.

I agree with this but idk if championships really are the thing at this point. I think it has more to do with a prime that started sort of late and missing a lot of games in recent years. He already has 3 rings which is as many or more than KG, Hakeem, Bird and Wilt have. I think it has more to do with lack of things like all nba teams and length of prime right now. 2-3 more years like this one or close to it will probably be enough to have some people putting him in their top 10's and at the least into that 11-15 group.

Yeah, he does have enough rings to put his resume in the top 10. But, I think he lacks that one thing, like legendary runs from Hakeem, what Magic and Bird meant to NBA in 80's, Shaq's pure dominance, etc to get into the top 10. For Curry to be in that conversation at age 33, Curry needs at least one dominating run to the championship. I mean, he probably can be in the top 10 discussions, if he can maintain his current MVP pace for the next 5 years too. But, I don't think that will happen at age 37-38, and the only way he can realistically do is to win 1-2 more championships with a dominating fashion in the next 2-3 years. Likely though, I agree that he will probably be an elite player for the next 2-3 seasons, and put himself into 11-15ish range. Barring from the injury, I think Curry might be ranked at 12th, right behind Kobe.

parsnips33 wrote:

Ainosterhaspie wrote:Top 10 basically requires a decade at the top of the sport as a threshold requirement for entry. He's not there yet and has had injury issues, regular season and playoffs during the 10 year period he's building his case. This for me means he has a long way to go to break into that territory and it seems unlikely he'll be able to do so.

He'll like remain (health permitting) a highly effective player for several more years, but his defensive limitations are going to be increasingly problematic and his ability to get separation is going to decrease limiting his overall impact. I don't think he's likely to break into the top 10, but top 15 is realistic.

He's pretty close to a decade of elite play already no? Even with the injury last year he'd need what 2 or 3 more All NBA level seasons? Seems more likely than not at this point

2014 is a stretch, but maybe qualifies. 2015 was his real coming out party. '15 to '19 is five years, this year makes six but he's fallen back toward the pack. He peak certainly is in the same class at top 10 guys, but outside those five years, the other five he needs are going to have a hard time measuring up to the other top 10 guys.

Lenneth wrote:
Yeah, he does have enough rings to put his resume in the top 10. But, I think he lacks that one thing, like legendary runs from Hakeem, what Magic and Bird meant to NBA in 80's, Shaq's pure dominance, etc to get into the top 10. For Curry to be in that conversation at age 33, Curry needs at least one dominating run to the championship. I mean, he probably can be in the top 10 discussions, if he can maintain his current MVP pace for the next 5 years too. But, I don't think that will happen at age 37-38, and the only way he can realistically do is to win 1-2 more championships with a dominating fashion in the next 2-3 years. Likely though, I agree that he will probably be an elite player for the next 2-3 seasons, and put himself into 11-15ish range. Barring from the injury, I think Curry might be ranked at 12th, right behind Kobe.

Another title just seems unrealistic. So ya, I think he gets into that Oscar, Jerry, Kobe, KG, Dirk group. With like 5-10% of people having him as high as 9 or 10 and a smaller % having him in the 4-8 range just like some people will say Kobe is top 5.

Ainosterhaspie wrote:

parsnips33 wrote:

Ainosterhaspie wrote:Top 10 basically requires a decade at the top of the sport as a threshold requirement for entry. He's not there yet and has had injury issues, regular season and playoffs during the 10 year period he's building his case. This for me means he has a long way to go to break into that territory and it seems unlikely he'll be able to do so.

He'll like remain (health permitting) a highly effective player for several more years, but his defensive limitations are going to be increasingly problematic and his ability to get separation is going to decrease limiting his overall impact. I don't think he's likely to break into the top 10, but top 15 is realistic.

He's pretty close to a decade of elite play already no? Even with the injury last year he'd need what 2 or 3 more All NBA level seasons? Seems more likely than not at this point

2014 is a stretch, but maybe qualifies. 2015 was his real coming out party. '15 to '19 is five years, this year makes six but he's fallen back toward the pack. He peak certainly is in the same class at top 10 guys, but outside those five years, the other five he needs are going to have a hard time measuring up to the other top 10 guys.

I guess it depends how you see 13-14 and even 12-13. He was top 4 and top 7 in Win Shares respectively those seasons, FWIW.

I think he was comfortably a top 5 player in 13-14 and top 10 in 12-13 (although less of a sure thing), even if he wasn't seen that way by the broader fan/media ecosystem at the time.

parsnips33 wrote:

Ainosterhaspie wrote:

parsnips33 wrote:
He's pretty close to a decade of elite play already no? Even with the injury last year he'd need what 2 or 3 more All NBA level seasons? Seems more likely than not at this point

2014 is a stretch, but maybe qualifies. 2015 was his real coming out party. '15 to '19 is five years, this year makes six but he's fallen back toward the pack. He peak certainly is in the same class at top 10 guys, but outside those five years, the other five he needs are going to have a hard time measuring up to the other top 10 guys.

I guess it depends how you see 13-14 and even 12-13. He was top 4 and top 7 in Win Shares respectively those seasons, FWIW.

I think he was comfortably a top 5 player in 13-14 and top 10 in 12-13 (although less of a sure thing), even if he wasn't seen that way by the broader fan/media ecosystem at the time.

Being a top 5 player, superstar and prime are ambiguous terms.
2012 Garnett and 2013 Duncan were definitely top 5 players in given seasons. They were not superstars and they were not in their respective primes.
2005 Nowitzki was definitely a superstar and he was in his prime, but he was not a top 5 player. Similarly with 1993 Malone.

If you think of it as 5, 6, ..., 9 seasons of consecutive play and level, Curry definitely falls short and his career before 2014-15 season does not help him against such competition.

Odinn21 wrote:

parsnips33 wrote:

Ainosterhaspie wrote:2014 is a stretch, but maybe qualifies. 2015 was his real coming out party. '15 to '19 is five years, this year makes six but he's fallen back toward the pack. He peak certainly is in the same class at top 10 guys, but outside those five years, the other five he needs are going to have a hard time measuring up to the other top 10 guys.

I guess it depends how you see 13-14 and even 12-13. He was top 4 and top 7 in Win Shares respectively those seasons, FWIW.

I think he was comfortably a top 5 player in 13-14 and top 10 in 12-13 (although less of a sure thing), even if he wasn't seen that way by the broader fan/media ecosystem at the time.

Being a top 5 player, superstar and prime are ambiguous terms.
2012 Garnett and 2013 Duncan were definitely top 5 players in given seasons. They were not superstars and they were not in their respective primes.
2005 Nowitzki was definitely a superstar and he was in his prime, but he was not a top 5 player. Similarly with 1993 Malone.

If you think of it as 5, 6, ..., 9 seasons of consecutive play and level, Curry definitely falls short and his career before 2014-15 season does not help him against such competition.

I'm all the way with you until the last sentence - I just don't see why 12-13 and 13-14 wouldn't help differentiate him. He was clearly impactful (significantly so in 2014). The 14-15 dividing line just seems sorta arbitrary to me as the year he won MVP/ring and was recognized by the media as the next star of the league.

Say he has two more seasons after this that fall somewhere between peak (15-16/20-21) and low-end prime (13/14) - would that be sufficient? Would he need 3 of those seasons?