3 days ago
Gary Payton believes Stephen Curry is not a real point guard: "We are putting shooting guards as point guards now in the NBA"
One of the biggest debates about Steph Curry is whether he is a point guard or not.
Curry is the Golden State Warriors' starting one by position. However, he does not orchestrate the Dubs' offense as a traditional floor general would. Instead, that task falls heavily on forward Draymond Green, while "Chef's" main task on offense is usually to break free from his defenders and get that small space where he can launch his deadly three-point shots.
Advertisement
Hall of Famer and 1996 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Gary Payton shared his case against Steph being considered a true point guard during a recent appearance on the "Brownie and Rab Show."
"Everyone looks at Steph Curry as a point guard, and he's not," said Payton. "I don't believe that. They're scorers. That's what we say in the era again. A point guard is not a legit point guard, what we're talking about. If you think about it, Nash is a legit point guard. You're talking about Jason Kidd as a legit point guard, myself as a legit point guard, Chris Paul is a legit point guard, John Stockton is an elite point guard. See, that's the difference of what the era is. We are putting shooting guards as point guards now in the NBA."
A shoot-first point guard
Payton attributes it partly to the difference in eras, but also to the natural evolution of the game. What started as a traditional, structured sport under Dr. Naismith has transformed into today's positionless style. Back then, big men played exclusively on the inside. Nowadays, they step out and take the three-pointer with the green light from the bench.
Advertisement
Point guards, like the names GP mentioned, were more facilitators or court generals who set up the offense. At best, they racked up assists and preferred to pass rather than score. Much like today's big men are expected to shoot, modern point guards are also scoring threats. Some, like Curry, are even shoot-first guards — but Payton firmly argues that he doesn't fit that traditional point guard mold.
"Now it's a little different in this era because we got a lot of people that can go one-on-one basketball and score. Now, if we really think about it, what is the point guard that you see right now who is having more assists than anything? Now we're looking at Haliburton. He's a legit point guard, because he facilitates and does things the right way, and he gets to the bucket when he has to," the Hall of Fame guard added.
Related: Walt Frazier admits NBA players were afraid to lift weights back in the day: "Basketball players thought it would affect their shot"
Zeke also said that Steph is no PG
Payton's thoughts about what a true point guard is were once shared by his fellow Hall of Famer and two-time NBA champion, Isiah Thomas, who also believed that Curry should not be included in the GOAT PG debate because he isn't a real point guard.
Advertisement
"What he's been able to do for this generation of play and the way he's won it with has been different than anybody elsehas ever tried to do it," Thomas said on "The Draymond Green Show." "With Stephen Curry, the way he has done it, nobody could compete with him. Allen Iverson was the closest small guy to come to doing it the way Steph is doing it."
As mentioned earlier, the current game has become positionless, so not all players can be standardized under traditional positions. Today's game features roles like Stretch Fours and Point-Forwards, and if you want, you can call Steph a hybrid guard. But perhaps the more fitting label is "modern point guard," a title that, while accurate, might not sit well with old-school legends like "The Glove" and "Zeke."
Related: 'I was never able to drive right or do anything going to my right hand' - Steph Curry reveals the secret that unlocked his back-to-back MVP seasons
