^ Steph is the best shooter in NBA history, and it's not close.
^ Steph is the best shooter in NBA history, and it's not close.
He is a joy to watch.Originally Posted by moecurlythanu
A Comfort Zone is not a Life Sentence
The Warriors were amazing and Steph is in a class by himself. Our daughter is going to the parade Monday morning. I’ll be recording it and watching it later.
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Yeah Steph is pretty cool (aside from his crypto ads lol) and its kind of absurd almost the amount of hate he gets from personalities around the league, especially Barkley. Like how many times is that guy gonna eat his words on Steph? lol
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.
Once upon a time, the 1 seed Suns swept the 8 seed Warriors in the first round. Back when the first round was only a 5 game series. My how things change.
"Well my son, life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?"--Dalai Lama
run tmc!
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.
Really enjoyed this series despite my interest in basketball having declined over the years. Great to see guys move without the ball. GS also passes better that any other team in the league. Klay had a bad shooting series but Steph is something else. And they didn’t need KD to do it. All hail the mighty Warriors!
Steph is a top 5 player. I've been an NBA fan for 55 years, I subtracted the first 4 figuring I didn't know enough yet. This is my reasoning.
The NBA has a Top 75 Anniversary Team that allows some analysis that supports my top claim for Steph. Players' greatness can be characterized in a few ways, greatness at position, superior athletic skills, two/three way player (can transform games), and finally transformative (changed the game). I'll give examples of each to demonstrate my hypothesis -
Position Greatness - Statistically, achievements, and sheer talent at their position. Oscar Robertson, Ray Allen, Moses, Maravich, Stockton, Nate the Skate, The Mailman, and more.
Superior Athleticism - Awe-inspiring talent. Shaq, Pistol Pete, Anthony Davis, Niq', Rodman, Russell Westbrook (I would argue that he, like a few others, doesn't belong on the list and is there due to recency bias.)
Transforms Games - Two/three way phenomenal talent other teams need game plan for. Russell, Bird, LeBron, Giannis, Kawhi, Harden (early career), and more.
Transformative - Players on this list check the box on all the characteristics.
Magic - A 6'10" point guard (arguably the best ever at the position) who with his teammates on the Lakers invented the fast break. No more evidence is needed than Game 6 of the NBA Finals his rookie year. Magic played all 5 positions over 47 minutes, ended with 42 points and the finals MVP. There is no question he transformed the NBA.
Wilt Chamberlain - While Russell was the first true rim protector and matches Wilt in RPG (22.5), APG (4.3), and likely BPG (not a recorded stat at the time), but the difference is in PPG - 30 for Wilt, 15 for Russell. Wilt was the league's first dominant big man in the league.
Jordan - Jordan was a transformative talent, the LeBron of his era. A 2 way player at the 1,2, and 3 positions. He invented the swingman. A multi-talented player that was a threat at 3 or more positions on both offense and defense.
Dirk Nowitzki - Dirk doesn't have the accolades or championship achievements that others on this list, but he was the first of his kind and changed the game forever. Prior to his arrival, "big men" (>6'10") rarely strayed 15' from the hoop. Since the arrival of Wilt a 15' circle could've been painted on the floor with the label "Big Man Stand Here". Dirk changed all that. Here was a seven-footer who could shoot. Not only that, he could dribble and pass. His career 3PG 38% is a testament to how much he stretched the court. he was no slouch shooting FT's either, something many big men struggle with. Dirk set the stage for The Joker, Luca and more to come.
Step Curry - All you need to know is that the NBA average number of 3's per game when Steph entered the league was 18, last season the team with the lowest number of attempts was the Bulls with 29.3. The highest, T-Wolves, shot 40+!!! For Curry the NBA 3 can be considered a midrange jumper. In 2021 he averaged 46% on shots beyond the 30' mark!! Many may argue this transformation is bad for the game, but imho we won't know for several years the true impact. I happen to feel the change will be positive. Having to guard at the arc opens up all areas of the court and offenses are taking advantage by moving the ball, keeping defenses off kilter and scoring from more areas.
All of this is open for debate and that's true for every player ranking and hyperbole.
** Players I feel don't belong on the 75th team -
Carmelo, McAdoo, Earl the Pearl (sorry I love ya man), Steve Nash, Payton, Walton, Wilkens, Worthy. Again, IMHO
Duncan's going to make a Horns Emoticon!!!
One of my online friends took vids of the victory parade in SF today...very cool!
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.
And we know they can draft... 2 more days!
I love all the trades - especially announced right before a pick!
The best draft to watch in pro sports. Each player taken can make an impact.
Duncan's going to make a Horns Emoticon!!!
And their contracts in the 1st round are all guaranteed for 3-4 years.
I wonder what % of 2nd rounders get selected.. The great teams can find some really good un-drafted players, like Miami, San Antonio, and Golden State, which is one championship team who were able to get three lottery picks in the time Klay was out, and then mixed with the other young guys, they could be great for a long time.. Stef, Klay, and Draymond need to accept playing less minutes each year, and giving it to their counteparts off the bench. The only thing that could break this team apart is possibly money, with an older guy thinking he's worth more than he's been given, but they bought the team for 400 million, and it's now estimated at 5-6 billion, so the luxury tax shouldn't be too bad for them. Especially when you win a title -- lots of merchandise (even the non-physical) will be sold as a result of this.
Not sure how it happened, but Jaden Ivey was still available at #5 and the Pistons got the guy they have wanted all along. Ivey's grandfather played for the Detroit Lions and his mother played for the Detroit Shock and he should be an instant impact player to go along with Cunningham. They also got Jalen Duren with their 2nd pick which should also be a great fit. The Pistons have now had 2 great drafts in a row. On paper this young talent should be the beginning of what could be a very productive rebuild.
Detroit gets an A+ from me for their draft.
Re: Noise about Golden State "buying" a championship. One of our local talking heads pointing out the difference between GSW spending over the cap and teams like the Lakers, etc. The Warriors have built this team through the draft and opted to resign their stars, hence their salaries are over the cap. We did not actual "buy" anyone since KD really. The Lakers and others buy their success through FA. I've heard it suggested their should be two caps, one for FA spending and one for payroll of drafted players. After all, don't we want to encourage teams to develop and retain talent for the long term?
Duncan's going to make a Horns Emoticon!!!
Detroit, OKC and Houston all had strong drafts.
It's always fun seeing Stephen A. in misery over the Knicks moves. I thought he was a Philly guy? His favorite NBA team is the Knicks, and his favorite NFL team is the Steelers. Wtf?
Yeah, that was pretty amazing and ironic. I even heard his dad had a jersey of a Detroit team.
I just worry about the lack of defense and shooting. I do like Duren and hope he can contribute now. I don't care that he has no offensive game -- he can help the team more just by scoring off misses and alley-oops.
IDK, a lotta folks just hate the warrirors it feels like, which I get, I mean I hate certain teams too lol. But Steph/Klay/Dray were all drafted by them, no? I would think most teams would kill to have home grown talent like that...I think what they really mean is, they want GSW back to being a developmental team for others in the league, not a competitor.
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.
I believe people hate the Warriors for the same reason they hate the Yankees. They just win too damn much. When a baseball game gets to be a lopsided 27 to 1, the sportsmanlike thing to do is simply call the game. It stops being fun at some point.
"Well my son, life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?"--Dalai Lama
No thank you. We endured 40 years of that and it's not the same to be excited for a former player winning a championship with another team while our team wallows in mediocrity. My hope is that they continue to build through the draft and supplement with role players through FA.
Duncan's going to make a Horns Emoticon!!!
LOL does your memory only go back 7 years? The warrirors went 20+ years with 1 playoff appearance, now they win a few titles and they are "winning too much" ? COME ON
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.
^ I'm a Cavaliers fan, and didn't have a huge rooting interest, but I was more or less rooting for the Warriors. Rooting for the Celtics would be difficult, regardless of the circumstances.
Need I remind you of the general public's short attention span? Most Americans don't remember the Warriors' long playoff drought before becoming dominant.LOL does your memory only go back 7 years? The warrirors went 20+ years with 1 playoff appearance, now they win a few titles and they are "winning too much" ? COME ON
"Well my son, life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?"--Dalai Lama
So is that your excuse then? Lol
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.
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