Kendrick Perkins explains why Steph Curry will be ranked a top 10 all-time NBA player

The Golden State Warriors are in the middle of a heated postseason race, and their MVP is doing everything he can to make sure his team gets into the playoffs.

Stephen Curry has been dynamite all season, including a 53-point performance against the Denver Nuggets on Monday that made him the all-time leading scorer in franchise history. Curry is averaging 30.4 points per game, the second-most in the NBA.

Critics have been tough on Curry this season. The Dubs are 26-28 and have been an average squad all season. Some of his detractors say the team’s mediocre record shows that Curry isn’t as good as some may think.

But one former NBA player and current ESPN analyst disagrees. Kendrick Perkins came on the network’s morning show, First Take, and shared where he thinks Steph will rank among the NBA’s greatest.

“When it’s all said and done, when Steph Curry retires, somebody on the top 10 all-time great list is gonna move out the way because when [Curry] retires, he’s gonna be a top-10 player of all-time.”

Curry is a two-time NBA MVP and three-time champion. His impact on this year’s Golden State team cannot be understated. The Dubs have struggled without Curry on the floor. Golden State is 10.7 points better per 100 possessions when Steph is on the court compared to when he is on the bench. Without him, they would likely be a bottom-five NBA team.

Perkins looked back at Steph’s career and says Curry is underappreciated.

“Steph Curry changed the game. Yes, we already know that he is the greatest shooter of all time, but we don’t give him enough credit for being one of the greatest scorers of all time.

“The way that he is able to finish in the paint without having any elite athleticism or a little bit of athleticism at all. Finishing with nice floaters, below the basket. I mean this guy is phenomenal to watch… This kid is special. He’s gonna be top 10 greatest of all-time.”

Haters will point out that Curry has never won an NBA Finals MVP and had Kevin Durant on two of his championship-winning teams. But Curry has one of the best players in league history when the stakes are the highest.

Curry’s scoring average in the NBA Finals is 26.4, the tenth-highest of any player in league history who has played in more than 10 Finals games. He is also the only player in NBA history to be named the unanimous MVP, an honor he garnered during the Dubs’ 73-win 2015-16 season.

Steph holds countless NBA records and is one o the most accomplished players in history. Golden State may not attain the level of team success we saw between 2015 and 2019, but that shouldn’t take away from Curry’s individual greatness.

The hope is that Klay Thompson will be fully healthy and ready to go for the 2021-22 campaign, which will give Curry another All-Star to play alongside next season. General manager Bob Myers will need to add some depth to the Warriors roster if he wants to take advantage of Curry’s MVP level of play and get the organization back into championship contention.

In your opinion, who are the top 10 NBA players of all time?