Around The NBA 2014/2015

[NaturalThunder]

Really hope KD and Russ come back hungry.

This

and

it will mostly be buried and ignored the incredible amount of good luck and fortune they had all season long. I know every champion is lucky to some extent, but I can't recall an NBA champion in awhile being as fortunate as the Warriors were this year.

This.

The Thunder had to go through Grizzlies => Clippers => Spurs => Heat last year (if they'd made the finals). That's a combined SRS of 21,6
The Warriors had to go through Pels => Grizzlies => Rockets => Cavs this year. That's a combined SRS of 12,65.

That difference is the equivalent to the difference between the Wizards and the Knicks or 76ers this year. But sure, one of the best teams of all time.

"We're definitely a great team and a team that should go down in history as one of the best teams from top to bottom." Keep telling yourself that Curry.

I think a small part of me is a little jealous, because I know if/when we win a title we won't be nearly as fortunate as the Warriors were this year. I mean even if we somehow avoid the Warriors, Spurs, and/or Clippers in the playoffs next year, you know the Cavs won't be as decimated by injuries as they were this year.

I think the other thing that irks me is that people will now legitimately try and argue Curry > Durant because he has 1 MVP and 1 ring as his team's best player (in the same season) whereas Durant has 1 MVP and 0 rings. But I'd still take any version of 2012-2014 Durant over 2015 Curry. And yes, I'm biased, but I'm still not so sure I wouldn't take Westbrook in the playoffs over Curry. He would've destroyed Dellavedova's soul from jump if he had that luxury instead of being completely shutdown one game and only, very, sporadically good to great the next two games. Westbrook would've had no problem getting to the basket and destorying Dellevadova. Curry is a far superior shooter but I think Westbrook might be better than or on par with Curry in about every other aspect of the game. Or, maybe, I don' t know...I think they're even enough in my eyes that Curry is/would be better in certain matchups and Westbrook is/would be in certain matchups. For instance, had OKC replaced the Warriors this year in the Finals, and faced the exact same Cavs team, I think Westbrook would've owned Dellevadova badly enough that he would've won Finals MVP. Durant still would've got his, and put up good numbers 26-28 PPG, 7-8 RPG, 4-5 APG, but I could see Westbrook averaging something like 30 pts, 8 ast, and 7 reb on good efficiency because there's no way Delly is consistently keeping Westbrook in front of him the way he was able to keep Curry in front of him.

[bondom34]

I've become sadly indifferent to the fact that I think the bad guys just win. Sucks that the one team I want to win worse than any can't catch a break. Just hope KD sees what he's got and keeps the gang together, because eventually they'll win it.

[Pillendreher]

Curry is a far superior shooter but I think Westbrook might be better than or on par with Curry in about every other aspect of the game. Or, maybe, I don' t know...I think they're even enough in my eyes that Curry is/would be better in certain matchups and Westbrook is/would be in certain matchups. For instance, had OKC replaced the Warriors this year in the Finals, and faced the exact same Cavs team, I think Westbrook would've owned Dellevadova badly enough that he would've won Finals MVP.

Jeff Van Gundy said something important in Game 1 or 3 of the Finals: Winning covers a lot of [things] up. Curry is a superb shooter, especially off the dribble (he takes such bad shots it's almost laughable but they're going in for him) and he has a nice handle, but other than that he's nothing special. Westbrook has done historic things with a messed up roster (when Dion frigging Waiters is your 3rd option, you know you're in trouble) and has shown he's really one of a kind. He might be one of the best rebounders ever at his height (at least based on TRB%), he's a better defender than Curry (who still has to be hidden; if Russ would just stop going after those damn steals, he could be superb on the defensive end), at least an equal playmaker (the funny thing about the Warriors is that they have many players that are good enough passers; Curry isn't really doing any playmaking at all in a "normal way" - he's just creating space by his shooting threat) and in my opinion a way superior competitor: If Russell's shot is not falling his coming at you with everything he's got; Curry starts sulking and keeps taking that bad shots. Russell's better at getting to the rim (at least as far as I can tell) and just plays way more forceful.
The "only" thing that Curry has going for him is his magnificent shooting, but we've seen what happens if his shot isn't falling: His whole game goes to ****.

In my book Westbrook is the superior player to Curry. Just you wait till next season: KD also was "unguardable" for a few years and suddenly teams noticed that putting smaller players on him rattled him a little bit; teams are going to give Curry the Delladedova-treatment consistently from now on and Curry won't keep hitting those shots. I wholeheartedly believe that the Warriors are gonna drop off next season; everything went their way for a whole year and that's not going to happen again. It's always the same with "new styles" - it takes the league a little while to adjust, but in the end teams always do. They might've gotten away with that smallball this year, but opposing teams are gonna be prepared and they are gonna respond to that kind of thing in a significantly different manner.

[spearsy23]

I've become sadly indifferent to the fact that I think the bad guys just win. Sucks that the one team I want to win worse than any can't catch a break. Just hope KD sees what he's got and keeps the gang together, because eventually they'll win it.

Outside of Green, who is either a love him or hate him guy, the Warriors don't have any bad guys on their team. Everyone was either overlooked or undervalued, and before the season I'd have been really happy with them winning if I knew KD would miss most of the season. The only sin the Warriors committed is having some sh*tty new fans show up on here

[bondom34]

I've become sadly indifferent to the fact that I think the bad guys just win. Sucks that the one team I want to win worse than any can't catch a break. Just hope KD sees what he's got and keeps the gang together, because eventually they'll win it.

Outside of Green, who is either a love him or hate him guy, the Warriors don't have any bad guys on their team. Everyone was either overlooked or undervalued, and before the season I'd have been really happy with them winning if I knew KD would miss most of the season. The only sin the Warriors committed is having some sh*tty new fans show up on here

Curry and Klay do some trash talk too. They wore their welcome w me.

[Pillendreher]

I've become sadly indifferent to the fact that I think the bad guys just win. Sucks that the one team I want to win worse than any can't catch a break. Just hope KD sees what he's got and keeps the gang together, because eventually they'll win it.

Outside of Green, who is either a love him or hate him guy, the Warriors don't have any bad guys on their team. Everyone was either overlooked or undervalued, and before the season I'd have been really happy with them winning if I knew KD would miss most of the season. The only sin the Warriors committed is having some sh*tty new fans show up on here

Curry has gotten quite cocky and arrogant. Bogut seems like an ass... Everytime he opens his mouth something stupid's coming out (like his comments about everybody being hurt...such a moronic thing to say considering his team might have been the luckiest champion injury-wise ever). And yeah, I hate Green. I really hope we'll see Stephenson 2.0 next year.