The Whiteboard: Steph Curry’s legacy is fascinating to discuss

How exactly will Steph Curry be viewed in the pantheon of great players when he’s done raining threes?

It can be difficult to take a step back and try to figure out what a player’s legacy will look like when their career winds down to a close. Steph Curry is undoubtedly one of the best few players in the NBA right now, but how will he be viewed a decade from now?

After a strong if quiet start to his NBA career, Curry has been on a tear since the 2013-14 season, earning All-Star and All-NBA nods annually in that stretch. His peak season (thus far) was 2015-16, when Curry lead the NBA in scoring and steals and put together one of the strongest offensive seasons in league history.

Of course, 2016 is when things begin to get complicated, or at least unique when it comes to Curry’s legacy. After his first title in 2015, Curry and his Golden State Warriors blow a 3-1 lead to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, and then Kevin Durant joins the Dubs.

Even before Durant joined Golden State, there was a case to be made that Steph was carried in part of the excellence of the Warriors. After all, it was Andre Iguodala, not Curry, who got Finals MVP honors in 2015. Steph and company won two rings since KD joined the squad, and both times KD was named Finals MVP.

There are two sides to the Curry legacy debate, which will certainly begin to exist as the prolific shooter’s career gets closer to its end. On one hand, Curry had yet to grab that elusive Finals MVP and went 1-1 in the Finals until Durant arrived. The one win came against a LeBron James team without both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love for the majority of the series.

Curry proponents could argue conversely that not getting those Finals MVPs actually exhibits one of the most important aspects of Curry’s career. It’s tough for a legitimate superstar to hand over so much of his team to a newcomer like Curry did when Durant arrived, yet his sacrifice allowed Golden State to take the next step as a team.

Also, it’s pretty clear there are no dominant Warriors teams without Curry. Whatever Golden State is able to become, and everything it already has, is possible because of Steph Curry. Without him, there’s no dynasty talk, no DeMarcus Cousins, and certainly no Kevin Durant in the Bay.

Steph is the greatest shooter to ever play in the NBA, and the statistics will all reflect that by the time he retires. Curry plays with great players, but he makes all of them better. He’ll have a whole lot of jewelry when he calls it quits, and can be credited with the formation of the Warriors as a constant title favorite.

His legacy is somewhat nuanced, and will not be viewed as highly by those who dislike how good his Warriors became, but it’s hard to argue against Steph Curry as one of the best and most important players in the 2010s. If he continues on his current pace, Curry could become one of the greatest several players in league history.

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