#121
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Random addition to this thread:
I didn't know this, but I suppose I shouldn't be that surprised - Stephen Curry is way more ripped than I would have guessed: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/20/s...smid=url-share |
#122
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Green is averaging 8.7 assists a game, fifth best in the league. 19 assists in win over Denver. Can’t fake “smarts.” |
#123
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I don't think anyone is saying that Draymond Green isn't a smart player, it's just that some of his skills and especially his athleticism have eroded compared to 3-4 years ago. Maybe last week, he had a dunk in transition and the announcers were agog at how got a step on his defender - "he's still got it!" and all I could see was how he barely got the ball over the rim even with a clean two step runway. On top of that, just watch how he's defended anytime he doesn't have the ball on the perimeter. His man is all the way in the middle of the lane - the Dubs are 4 vs. 5 in that scenario and while that might get you to the playoffs (maybe... they are still probably in the play-in) if Steph Curry goes incandescent, there is a hard cap on how much you can achieve there when good coaches have a chance to scheme and exploit that weakness.
Ironically enough, Dray was the guy that coined the 16 game player vs. 82 game player thing, and I think his current limitations have made him a playoff liability. |
#124
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__________________
***IG: mttamgrams*** |
#125
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But the stats also match the eye test on this one. He's down to less than a block per game. His turnover ratio is the highest of his career. His defensive rebounding percentage is one of the lowest of his career. He's rarely doing the death lineup undersized 5 thing anymore to save wear and tear. He's shooting 24% from 3 point range. He's down to 6.6 points per game despite shooting a decent 42% from the floor as a whole. And that's miles away from the offensive efficiency the guy had in 2015-2016. Teams are going to abandon him wholesale in the playoffs and make him beat them offensively and it's not clear he's capable of that. Ain't got nothing to do with smart. |
#126
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Second lottery ticket in less than a month!
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#127
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The problem (as you mentioned) is on the offensive end. He was never a great shooter, but he's even worse now. I think he's still a great player within Golden State's system. |
#128
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My original point still stands. Do you want to pay this guy $27 million dollars in 2023/2024? When he's averaging right now 6/6/9 and shooting 40% from the floor? Those numbers are only going to get worse the next couple years. He'll still have his moments, all great players do, but to pretend this isn't the process of a decline for his game is silly. |
#129
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Westbrook. One of the most enigmatic players of the modern era.
Maybe “confounding” is a better term.
Headed for a triple double season. Again. Remarkable athlete. About to surpass the “Big O” https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nyt...ouble.amp.html But ... no hardware. Far from it. Tough to rank him in the pantheon of all-time greats. Certainly not top five. (Magic, Big O, Stockton, Curry, Isaiah) Top ten? Curious why all those gaudy stats don’t translate into playoff W’s. Will the Paceline OKC Fan Club President (and thread namesake) give his take? |
#130
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__________________
***IG: mttamgrams*** |
#131
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Really interesting how stats don’t show the whole story. I think he’s one unquestionably of the best athletes of the modern era but a mediocre “floor general.”
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#132
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I think it's a little unfair to criticize the lack of rings, or say he was never close: 1 - the NBA discourse around individual players is too championship-centric anyway. It's a team game, and though a transcendent player (or honestly, two or three now) is required to be in the contenders conversation, focusing only on championships misses out on all the other fascinating stuff that occurs during the season and non-Finals playoffs and devalues the accomplishments of some really great players. 2 - The Thunder were really really close in 2012 (in the Finals) and only a nuclear Klay 8 minutes in 2016 prevented them from winning a ring that year. It's fair to point out that Russ was the second best player on both those teams, and also that he was wrecking the 2016 Warriors as a PNR ball-handler. Finally, I think CP3 belongs on your list of top 5 PGs. Last edited by Jaybee; 04-30-2021 at 11:28 AM. |
#133
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#134
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Steph. Best shooter ever. Significantly responsible for the modern game and every 14 year old practicing 30 footers in his driveway. Tremendously entertaining. Not one of the 5 best PGs.
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#135
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Why? Stats have never showed the whole story. "Best Athlete" is code for underachiever which I don't think is the best way to characterize RW3.
__________________
***IG: mttamgrams*** |
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