“Somebody gonna have to open that door and say, ‘Hey, man, it’s Steph, let him in’” - Shannon Sharpe says it’s tough to keep Steph Curry out of the top 10 list if he wins another ring, calls him the second greatest point guard
Analyst Shannon Sharpe said Steph Curry could argue that he's one of the top point guards of all time if he wins another championship.
Curry has already imprinted his name into NBA history by changing the league as much as he has, in addition to his three championships. But Sharpe said another title would lift Curry into the highest echelon.
On “Skip and Shannon: Undisputed” on Tuesday, Sharpe said:
“Somebody gonna have to open that door and say, ‘Hey, man, it’s Steph, let him in.’”
Steph Curry making waves as second greatest point guard in history
Steph Curry and his Golden State Warriors lead their Western Conference semifinal series 3-1 against the Memphis Grizzlies. Game 5 is on Wednesday in Memphis.
During Monday's 101-98 Game 4 victory, Curry had 32 points, five rebounds and eight assists in 38 minutes. He is looking absolutely determined to gain another ring this year after injuries derailed the Warriors' past two seasons.
How impressive was Steph Curry in Game 4?
"I gave him a 10 because the series would be 2-2 if Steph wasn't spectacular in the 4th quarter. He's the 2nd-greatest PG in history. With another championship, I don't know how you keep him out of the all-time Top 10." — @ShannonSharpe https://t.co/AMfF4NxVij
Big plays from Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green sealed the win, as the trio look to be playing better than ever. The Big Three, who formed the core of Golden State's dynasty, are playing like they always have. What's different this year is the addition of Andrew Wiggins (17 points, 10 rebounds in Game 4) and deep-threat Jordan Poole (14 points).
Shannon Sharpe said:
“The first three quarters, nothing was falling. … They were 9 of 37, 24% from the 3, and Steph had to be Steph last night.”
Curry stepped up dominantly in the fourth quarter, helping Golden State score 39 points in the final quarter. Green and Thompson had notable defensive stops that helped seal the victory as well, but Curry was the notable fire lighting up the team.
“He’s getting better, and better and better," Sharpe said. "And so for me, that’s what I wanted to see. I wanted to see him have a game last night struggling, that’s what the really great ones can do.
"Man, they can play bad for a quarter, they can play bad for a half, they could play bad for three quarters, and come out in that fourth quarter and light your butt up, and that’s what he did last night.”
In his nine playoff games this season, Curry has averaged 28.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He is shooting 46.6%, including 35.9% from deep.
Curry (3,1117 3-pointers) passed Ray Allen’s career 3-pointer record (2,973) this season. The craziest part is that Steph accomplished the feat in 836 games to Allen’s 1,300. Curry has simply changed the game in a large way and continues to stay untouched with his accuracy from deep.
“He’s a special player," Sharpe said. "For me, he is the second-greatest point guard ever. Magic Johnson is universally regarded, and I don’t know who you gonna get to dispute that. But Steph Curry is the second-greatest point guard ever.
"And with another championship I don’t know how you going to keep him out of the top 10. … With two MVPs, four titles, the way he revolutionized the game.”
On top of being a three-time champion and a two-time MVP (unanimously in 2015-16), he is an eight-time All-Star. He also led the league in scoring twice, steals once and in 3-pointers seven times and field-goal percentage four times.
Curry's achievements accent his greatness on both ends of the floor. His shooting remains unmatched. He thrives off creating new shot options from areas that are entirely foreign to even notable shooters.
Curry is different.