How would Peak Payton do against current Curry?

[Cyrusman122000]

How do you think peak Gary Payton, the 1996 defensive player of the year would fair defensively against current curry?

[RxMidnight]

Under current rules? Better than most but overall there's only so much you can do to a point guard without hand checking. Nobody except Kawhi has consistently bothered Curry and he's got several inches in height and wingspan over Payton. I know Gary's 'the glove' and all but he still got crossed by Jason Williams so let's not exaggerate his prowess here.

[tsherkin]

Payton would do as well as any single defender could, but I mean a single screen and he's done. Off-ball, he's done. Pull-up 30-footer, he's done. There's only so much you can actually do against Curry.

FWIW, Stockton posted 14/10 against Payton on 50.6% FG across 49 regular season games.

Last year, it behooves one to remember that Curry had three games against the Spurs. He shot 0/7, 4/8 and 5/10 from three, posting:

PTS/REB/AST, FG/3P/FT
16/6/5, 39/0/100
25/4/11, 47/50/100
24/4/6, 53/50/50

Series average, 21.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 7.3 apg, 46.2% FG, 36.0% 3P, 88.9% FT, 58.1% TS

That was Kawhi "bothering" him in the RS last year. He had one bad game and then basically picked the Spurs apart for two games, so there's some level of perspective and sample size involved there. When he's hitting the three, it doesn't much seem to matter who is guarding him, and 2/3 games, he connected, and in volume.

[Tim Lehrbach]

FWIW, Stockton posted 14/10 against Payton on 50.6% FG across 49 regular season games.

Right. Shooters gonna shoot.

Stopping somebody from pulling up or spotting up isn't at all the point of what made Payton such a great defender. Payton was so great because he'd get up in guys anywhere it would disrupt the offense (preventing dribble penetration, smothering entry pass attempts, his lightning-quick reaches, etc.), and it was really hard to create a mismatch against him.

But any halfway-decent NBA offense can generate a long jump shot -- it's just that most players can't consistently kill you by chucking whenever there's the least bit of daylight. And we're talking about the GOAT shooter here, and part of his team's offense is just him pulling up anywhere, anytime. It takes a team effort to have any effect on him whatsoever. Payton's just one piece.

But, I mean, he might be #1 pick in a stop-Curry draft. He'd welcome the challenge and be, as ever, unflappable while flapping his gums incessantly. It would be fun to watch him take his best shot at Curry, just as he did (too late) against Jordan in the '96 Finals.

[tsherkin]

But, I mean, he might be #1 pick in a stop-Curry draft. He'd welcome the challenge and be, as ever, unflappable while flapping his gums incessantly. It would be fun to watch him take his best shot at Curry, just as he did (too late) against Jordan in the '96 Finals.

He's on the short list. If I was to put anyone on Curry and hope for the best, we're talking about Payton, Frazier, Moncrief, maybe DJ, guys like that. Payton was an excellent defender and even without hand-checking, he had size, mobility and extreme effort.

I doubt he'd win a DPOY today, but then, I don't think he was the DPOY in his own era even though he was amazing. I think people still had an imperfect idea of big defensive impact compared to perimeter, you know? That Payton, Michael Cooper and Moncrief all have at least one DPOY and Scottie Pippen doesn't is a bit of a tragedy. Anyway, Payton would be as good a choice as you could find for a single defender.

I think what you said is very true: it's a team-level effort to stop Curry. That is usually the case with the greats.

[JordansBulls]

He would lock him down in one on one circumstances. Only shot Curry has is if he got picks set for him.

[G35]

I think Payton would do better under 1996 rules where he could back Curry down in the post, punish him on the offensive end. I think you do need to make Curry work. The reason why you can hide players on defense is these strong side defenses where no one player is put on an island. Being small isn't as much of a disadvantage now as it was then.

Also I think if Payton could deny Curry the ball as much as he could but that requires grabbing, pulling and other things illegal to do now.

Under todays rules and schemes its too easy to pick off a defender and isolate the player you want to have the ball in an advantageous match up. Particularly around the perimeter and Curry is too good a ball handler, he can get anywhere he wants. If a team was willing to sell out and stop Curry it could be done but it means leaving some people open and hoping they miss shots......

[MyUniBroDavis]

He would lock him down in one on one circumstances. Only shot Curry has is if he got picks set for him.

First, you say that he and isiah are on the same level.

now, you say curry would get shut down.

Dude, what do you have against curry?

[70sFan]

I think Moncrief would be better choice, although Payton was great. Still, I don't think any defender could stop Curry from what he's doing now...

[Dr Spaceman]

He would lock him down in one on one circumstances. Only shot Curry has is if he got picks set for him.

First, you say that he and isiah are on the same level.

now, you say curry would get shut down.

Dude, what do you have against curry?

It's because people have begun comparing Curry to peak Jordan offensively. It's also because JB needs to make the players Jordan went at seem lightyears better than LeBron's competition.

The funny thing is he could attack this the other way and make it seem like Curry is way better than LeBron in a similar way to what he's done with Kobe, Melo, and Jimmy Butler, thus diminishing LeBron's stature. JB is getting his agendas crossed.

But yeah it's best not to try to understand this one.

[Dr Spaceman]

How do you think peak Gary Payton, the 1996 defensive player of the year would fair defensively against current curry?

My take is that he'd be the best isolation defender you could use against Curry. Footwork and quickness were his gifts.

That said I have questions about how well he'd navigate the cataclysm of screens and off-ball work. The game is different now and I haven't seen enough of Payton to know whether he'd be the best guy to navigate multiple screen and rolls on a given possession. He'd be the best on-ball guy, but Curry does a lot of damage off the ball as well, and I think you may do better with a lengthier defender who can do more ball denial and force him farther out.

So I guess it depends on what you prioritize. Payton could shut down his isolation game, but someone like Iguodala or Kawhi would likely do better shadowing him off the ball and shoving their way through screens.

[JordansBulls]

He would lock him down in one on one circumstances. Only shot Curry has is if he got picks set for him.

First, you say that he and isiah are on the same level.

now, you say curry would get shut down.

Dude, what do you have against curry?

Remember KJ dropped 48 on Houston and was dominating and then when they played Seattle Payton locked him down soo hard. That is where he got his nickname from.

[PaulieWal]

He would lock him down in one on one circumstances. Only shot Curry has is if he got picks set for him.

First, you say that he and isiah are on the same level.

now, you say curry would get shut down.

Dude, what do you have against curry?

Trace everything back to MJ and you have your answer ..........