Former NBA player Mark Jackson — who coached Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors for three seasons — doesn’t think that Curry is a top-five pure point guard in NBA history.
Jackson’s list of pure point guards — in order — includes Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, John Stockton, Jason Kidd and Steve Nash/Chris Paul sharing the fifth and final spot.
Mark Jackson names his Top 5 pure Point Guards, Steph Curry does not make the list.
1. Magic Johnson
2. Isiah Thomas
3. John Stockton
4. Jason Kidd
5. Steve Nash/Chris Paul(Via https://t.co/kElqyZaGK2) pic.twitter.com/GiMkOI9zOu
— NBA Beyond Court (@NBABeyondCourt) March 18, 2024
Jackson enjoyed plenty of success during his time as the head coach of the Warriors, as he coached Golden State to a 121-109 regular-season record. But his stint with the Warriors got off to a slow start.
In his first season as the team’s head coach, the 2011-12 season, Golden State ended the regular season with a poor 23-43 record, which was the third-worst record in the Western Conference ahead of only the Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Hornets.
It wasn’t until the next season that the Warriors established themselves as a playoff team under Jackson. Golden State won 47 regular-season games in the 2012-13 regular season and managed to carry over its success into the playoffs.
The Warriors eliminated the Denver Nuggets in six games in the first round of the 2013 playoffs before falling to the San Antonio Spurs — who later represented the Western Conference in the NBA Finals — in the next round.
In Jackson’s third and final season as head coach of the Warriors, the team finished with a 51-31 regular-season record, which was good enough for the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference. But unlike in the 2013 playoffs, the Warriors were unable to advance past the first round, as they lost to the Los Angeles Clippers in seven games.
In the 2014 offseason, the Warriors opted to fire Jackson. Golden State hired Steve Kerr to be his replacement, and Kerr has helped lead the Warriors to four NBA titles since 2015.
The Warriors’ most recent title was in 2022, when they beat Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.
While Jackson didn’t lead the Warriors to a title or even come close to that feat, he deserves at least some credit for building the framework of Golden State’s dynasty.
