Charles Barkley ranks Stephen Curry next to Isaiah Thomas as the NBA’s Greatest Little Man
At this point in his career, it’s no surprise that Stephen Curry is a pretty good basketball player. After successfully defeating the Boston Celtics, the Golden State guard now holds four NBA titles and one NBA Finals MVP crown. He is also at least partially responsible for literally changing the game and making long range shots an inevitable reality of modern basketball. Now the only real controversy is where he ranks in the historical rankings.
If you take Charles Barkley’s word for it, Curry ranks pretty high on the list.
During a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee ShowChuck even went so far as to say that the Warriors star now sits next to Isaiah Thomas as one of the greatest little men in NBA history. Although at first glance this may seem somewhat exaggerated, the numbers do not lie.
Steph Curry won his fourth NBA title and was praised by Charles Barkley.
After the Golden State Warriors endured several difficult seasons collectively, they returned to the NBA summit with an impressive run to the title. Although Stephen Curry left the court with the Larry O’Brien Trophy and Bill Russell’s NBA Finals MVP award, he wasn’t done yet. He also received a lot of praise from members of the media.
Some of that praise came from Charles Barclay. During a speech at The Pat McAfee Show, a former player asked Chuck if he had learned anything about Curry during the NBA Finals. Sir Charles didn’t actually answer this question, but answered with a high compliment.
“I think we can, Isaiah Thomas can welcome Steph Curry to his table as the greatest little man to ever play in the NBA,” Barkley said. “This is just my personal opinion. I think Isaiah has always been the best little man and I think Steph won this championship because you sort of have to give those two a head start with Kevin Durant so you put him on the second win in my opinion that puts him in first place. table with Isaiah Thomas as the greatest point guard ever to play the game.”
Although there is some ambiguity here – how do we define “little man” and is he synonymous with point guard? – the consequences are obvious. According to Sir Charles, Steph Curry is a special talent.
The numbers back up Sir Charles’s praise for Curry.
If you’re an NBA history buff, putting Steph Curry next to Isaiah Thomas might seem like a big step. Although the Pistons quarterback has not dominated the Association in the way that Michael Jordan did, he is still regarded as an iconic player from an era of spectacular basketball. Could the Warriors sniper really be sitting at his desk?
If you look at the numbers, the answer is yes.
Based on the numbers, Curry has an advantage in points per game, rebounds per game and, obviously, three-pointers. Thomas, on the other hand, really only has an assist-per-competition advantage. The ex-Piston has a few other minor advantages (such as playing for two extra minutes a night), but they are largely negligible.
However, it is worth noting that Isaiah played about 150 more games than Curry. Does this difference skew the results?
Not really.
If you look at the statistics of two defenders in 36 minutes or 100 possessions, everything is pretty static. Both give Curry the edge in points and rebounds, while Isaiah has the upper hand when it comes to assists.
Several other metrics also support Steph’s place on the Greatest Guards/Little Men chart. In terms of overall offensive rating, the Golden State star has a 13-point lead (118 to 106); both have the same score (107) on the defensive side of the ball.
Curry also has a clear lead in both win share (120.2 compared to 80.7) and the corresponding replacement player value (VORP) score, ranging from 60.9 to 41.6. Although they are slightly less intuitive than points, assists and rebounds, the message is clear: the modern defender does more to help his team.
These figures are, admittedly, tinged with some inevitable differences. For example, defenders from the Thomas era were not expected to exhaust a few three-pointers per fight. Isaiah was a facilitator first and foremost, and his number of passes truly outnumbers Curry’s. With that said, Steph’s overall body of work speaks for itself.
Historical comparisons are always a little tricky, but Stephen Curry ticks all the boxes. Whether you’re going for championships, counting numbers, or more advanced stats, he’s at least worth talking to Isaiah Thomas. In addition, you can decide exactly who will be at the head of the table.
Statistics provided Basketball Handbook.
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