"Steph Curry warrants that level of consideration": Stephen A. Smith makes his case for Warriors star as the greatest point guard of all-time

A generation has been shaped by the way Steph Curry plays basketball. Kids these days shoot further away from the hoop each year.

NBA teams have devised unique tactics to nullify one individual but have not succeeded in completely curtailing his abilities. Curry has taken the moniker "The Greatest Shooter of All Time" very seriously and has lived up to that name.

Steph Curry warrants to be in the conversation of "Greatest Point Guard of All Time" based on his ability to shoot and facilitate plays at the highest level. Stephen A. Smith certainly thinks so, and he puts him in the same strata as Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson.

Smith has an interesting take, comparing the playstyles of the two legends of the game and saying Magic Johnson is the archetype of what a point guard should be. He puts it quite eloquently:

"If you talk about a quintessential point guard, I've got the ball in my hands, I'm running the show, I'm conducting the offense, I'm passing, I'm facilitating opportunities for others. In that regard, there is no one better than Magic Johnson," Smith said on his podcast

And he is right. Magic Johnson is on a level of his own, winning FMVP in his rookie season while playing center instead of PG. He defined the new era of the Showtime Lakers and wowed the crowd with his ability to play with and without the ball.

Magic Johnson has had such a lasting impact on the game that his rivalry with Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics is what kept the ratings up. He also speaks about why he thinks the splash brother from Golden State has to be in the conversation:

"We all know that Steph Curry is the greatest shooter we have ever seen. Have you ever seen him move without the ball? I know that Magic Johnson is the prototypical point guard, but the bottom line is that Steph warrants that level of consideration," Smith added.

How does Steph Curry stack up against the Lakers legend?

Here's a little comparison of individual and team accolades:

Magic Johnson: 12-time All-Star, 10 All-NBA, 3 finals MVP, 3 MVP, 4-time Assists MVP, 5-time champion.

Steph Curry: 9-time All-Star, 9 All-NBA, 1 finals MVP, 2 MVP, 2-time shooting MVP, 4-time champion.

A simple glance at these numbers shows how Magic still sits atop the throne of PGs. But, one cannot disregard what Curry has brought to the table.

The role of the PG has changed over time, and in some part, Steph Curry is responsible for it. Until the early 2010s, we saw the PGs of that era always be pass-first players. They could shoot, but they always chose to pass to an open teammate over shooting the ball if they had the chance.

And then Curry came along, changing that narrative. He, along with players like Damian Lillard and to an extent Derrick Rose, changed the game for the guards.

Rose was explosive; nobody had seen a guard his size dunk the ball with such ferocity and play at that pace while still performing the duties of a PG. Curry and Lillard came along and showed that 3-pointers are the best way to score points.

Steph Curry has had an impact on the game - it's just not the way Magic imposed his presence. Curry brought in a change of role and more fluidity to the game in itself - he could be attributed to why centers are asked to make 3-pointers as well today.

If Magic Johnson played today, he could play in any position on the floor at any given moment. A 6'9 guard who could run the offensive end, while defending centers.

The G.O.A.T. PG debate is still Magic Johnson vs. everyone else. If someone is the yardstick for success in a particular position, he still is the Greatest in that position. Because of that, Steph Curry is only just going to be a part of the conversation, not dethroning Magic.