Which player would you rather have for the playoffs? Fully Healthy Stephen Curry or Giannis

[Zombiesonics]

Curry obviously isn't bringing the defense, but his ability to anchor a myriad of offenses takes the cake for me. Want a heavy pick n roll offense? How about a more read n react cut heavy offense? or maybe you just want to spend possessions getting your shooters free off screens?

With giannis as your cog, you know how that team is going to operate. its not PREDICTABLE, but there would be a lack of creativity.

[KIRAG]

i like Giannis but I'd go with the player with multiple championship rings - Steph

[LesGrossman]

How is this even a question. Steph has single handedly made Bron and his super best friends look like clowns and looked like he wasnt even trying. Outside the rigged "comeback" series with a bunch of phantom fouls on him and draymonds ridiculus suspension those guys were unbeatable and Steph was in the middle of it. What has Giannis done so far? He wasnt significantly different last season and couldnt beat the Raptors.

[skones]

How is this even a question. Steph has single handedly made Bron and his super best friends look like clowns and looked like he wasnt even trying. Outside the rigged "comeback" series with a bunch of phantom fouls on him and draymonds ridiculus suspension those guys were unbeatable and Steph was in the middle of it. What has Giannis done so far? He wasnt significantly different last season and couldnt beat the Raptors.

Remind me who else didn't beat the Raptors.

[michaelm]

I think 2 things:
1) Steph plays in a system and plays with players that perfectly compliment his skillset. Put him on any other team and he isn't as good. KD is better than Steph but the golden state way of playing revolves around Steph, so it makes him look like the better player. 2) I look at Steph compared to other #1 options on a previous championship teams. Duncan, Shaq, Kobe, Lebron, Wade, Kawhi, KD, Dirk. All those guys are physically gifted and can get their shot off on anyone at any time. All of those guys can get to the rim at will a lot better than Steph can. Steph moreso than any other player on that list relies on 'gaps' in the defense to score, which is why he looks really good in the regular season

Steph is an all-time great, but Giannis has more qualities I look for in a #1 option. He plays defense better, he can physically bully people. If he has reliable shooters around him, he'll eat you up in the paint. When a team is deep into the playoffs and it's late in the 4th quarter, I'll take the guy that can get to the rim at will moreso than the guy that relies on jumpers. Again, this is as a #1 option.

In which alternate universe can't Curry get to and score at the rim ?,

Out of the players I listed in my post, Curry is least able to get to the rim consistently. He can't back back people down, bully them, or shoot over them inside. He relies on quickness and screens and if that's what you rely on, I'm gonna need someone more reliable when there's 2 minutes left in the 4th quarter of a postseason game.

He has also played 5 successive finals series in which him being unable to get it done at the end of play-off games has counted against GSW in exactly 3 games in one series, when a basically unguarded SF who was the recipient of his outlet passing shot under 20%, and he couldn't take Kevin Love 1 on 1 after a knee injury; the OP of the thread specifies fully healthy Curry. Otherwise, he is I believe one of the most prolific 4th quarter scorers either in finals games or the play-offs in general in NBA history; I can't actually remember which, but the numbers have been posted fairly recently on this board. His numbers for finishing inside in general are also exceptional btw, particularly for a guard.

Giannis has failed to get the Bucks to the finals as a high seed twice; sure he is young and has all the time in the world to prove this was prior to his peak by future performances/being unstoppable in future, and/or that deficiencies in the shooters on his team were the problem the second time as has been argued on this thread, but until he does he hasn't.

[michaelm]

How is this even a question. Steph has single handedly made Bron and his super best friends look like clowns and looked like he wasnt even trying. Outside the rigged "comeback" series with a bunch of phantom fouls on him and draymonds ridiculus suspension those guys were unbeatable and Steph was in the middle of it. What has Giannis done so far? He wasnt significantly different last season and couldnt beat the Raptors.

Remind me who else didn't beat the Raptors.

A fair point in regard to the post to which you replied, but while the Raptors deservedly won it wasn't down to Curry being unable to get it done at the end of play-off games.

[skones]

How is this even a question. Steph has single handedly made Bron and his super best friends look like clowns and looked like he wasnt even trying. Outside the rigged "comeback" series with a bunch of phantom fouls on him and draymonds ridiculus suspension those guys were unbeatable and Steph was in the middle of it. What has Giannis done so far? He wasnt significantly different last season and couldnt beat the Raptors.

Remind me who else didn't beat the Raptors.

A fair point in regard to the post to which you replied, but while the Raptors deservedly won it wasn't down to Curry being unable to get it done at the end of play-off games.

So not when he went 1-6 (1-5 if you want to ignore the heave) in the fourth quarter of a game 6 decided by four points?

[trwi7]

How is this even a question. Steph has single handedly made Bron and his super best friends look like clowns and looked like he wasnt even trying. Outside the rigged "comeback" series with a bunch of phantom fouls on him and draymonds ridiculus suspension those guys were unbeatable and Steph was in the middle of it. What has Giannis done so far? He wasnt significantly different last season and couldnt beat the Raptors.

Remind me who else didn't beat the Raptors.

A fair point in regard to the post to which you replied, but while the Raptors deservedly won it wasn't down to Curry being unable to get it done at the end of play-off games.

I mean, Middleton shot under 40% in the losses and Bledsoe shot under 30% in the series. So when you're being defended like this and your teammates aren't making shots, are you really the main player to blame?

[DavidDunn21]

Giannis has failed to get the Bucks to the finals as a high seed twice

The Bucks were a 7 seed in 2018 against the Celtics.

[michaelm]

Remind me who else didn't beat the Raptors.

A fair point in regard to the post to which you replied, but while the Raptors deservedly won it wasn't down to Curry being unable to get it done at the end of play-off games.

I mean, Middleton shot under 40% in the losses and Bledsoe shot under 30% in the series. So when you're being defended like this and your teammates aren't making shots, are you really the main player to blame?

Perhaps so, but if the discussion is Curry vs Giannis, exactly the same applies to Curry in the last 3 games of the 2016 finals, where iirc 3 extra made shots by Barnes would have swung the series.

[michaelm]

Remind me who else didn't beat the Raptors.

A fair point in regard to the post to which you replied, but while the Raptors deservedly won it wasn't down to Curry being unable to get it done at the end of play-off games.

So not when he went 1-6 (1-5 if you want to ignore the heave) in the fourth quarter of a game 6 decided by four points?

Fair enough, but Curry’s play-offs record includes quite a number of games, including winning as a low seed against Denver prior to the 5 successive play-off runs to the finals.

[michaelm]

Remind me who else didn't beat the Raptors.

A fair point in regard to the post to which you replied, but while the Raptors deservedly won it wasn't down to Curry being unable to get it done at the end of play-off games.

So not when he went 1-6 (1-5 if you want to ignore the heave) in the fourth quarter of a game 6 decided by four points?

You change the ground, but yes he didn’t get it done in those 3 games in 2016 while somewhat hobbled and with his SF shooting under 20%. He hasn’t failed in rather a lot of other play-off series though, and the OP specified fully healthy Curry, admittedly a rarer beast than healthy Giannis.

[TheGOATRises007]

I'm not sure how a fully healthy Curry looks like without KD as of this moment.

I'd go Giannis. His defensive impact is hard to ignore.

[michaelm]

I'm not sure how a fully healthy Curry looks like without KD as of this moment.

I'd go Giannis. His defensive impact is hard to ignore.

Ask the Houston Rockets.

[skones]

A fair point in regard to the post to which you replied, but while the Raptors deservedly won it wasn't down to Curry being unable to get it done at the end of play-off games.

So not when he went 1-6 (1-5 if you want to ignore the heave) in the fourth quarter of a game 6 decided by four points?

You change the ground, but yes he didn’t get it done in those 3 games in 2016 while somewhat hobbled and with his SF shooting under 20%. He hasn’t failed in rather a lot of other play-off series though, and the OP specified fully healthy Curry, admittedly a rarer beast than healthy Giannis.

How exactly did I change the ground when you legitimately set the terms? The argument being used against Giannis in this instance also cuts against Curry, and it's plain as day.

It's not 2016 anymore. Curry is 4 years older.

[pr0wler]

Prime Curry arguably most fearsome offensive player on all-time. But he's def on the tail end of his prime at this point.

[michaelm]

So not when he went 1-6 (1-5 if you want to ignore the heave) in the fourth quarter of a game 6 decided by four points?

You change the ground, but yes he didn’t get it done in those 3 games in 2016 while somewhat hobbled and with his SF shooting under 20%. He hasn’t failed in rather a lot of other play-off series though, and the OP specified fully healthy Curry, admittedly a rarer beast than healthy Giannis.

How exactly did I change the ground when you legitimately set the terms? The argument being used against Giannis in this instance also cuts against Curry, and it's plain as day.

It's not 2016 anymore. Curry is 4 years older.

I replied to a post of yours in which you pointed out that Curry’s team lost to the Raptors ln last year’s finals.

I have consistently stated on here that I am happy to call whichever team wins any finals series, or any play-off series for that matter, the deserved winners unless they do a Tonya Harding on someone, if your players get injured than that is still on the basis of the roster you chose to have.

Steph Curry is one of the best 4th quarter play-off performers in NBA history over a large number of games, and he and GSW actually won a WCF series as recently as last year without Durant. As it stands, Giannis hasn’t made a finals series, and he and the Bucks in fact didn’t win the Eastern Conference title last year. I am not arguing that he is unlikely to ever do so, or even that he won’t end up being a player with more value to his teams than Curry, although the latter is a high bar; there is at least one good reason which doesn’t involve any blame attaching to him why he hasn’t does so as yet, he is only 24, but until he does he hasn’t as I said.

[LesGrossman]

Steph will remind you. He and his Warriors arent who they used to be, and they can be stopped by the very top teams but i dont see th Bucks do it.

[skones]

You change the ground, but yes he didn’t get it done in those 3 games in 2016 while somewhat hobbled and with his SF shooting under 20%. He hasn’t failed in rather a lot of other play-off series though, and the OP specified fully healthy Curry, admittedly a rarer beast than healthy Giannis.

How exactly did I change the ground when you legitimately set the terms? The argument being used against Giannis in this instance also cuts against Curry, and it's plain as day.

It's not 2016 anymore. Curry is 4 years older.

I replied to a post of yours in which you pointed out that Curry’s team lost to the Raptors ln last year’s finals.

I have consistently stated on here that I am happy to call whichever team wins any finals series, or any play-off series for that matter, the deserved winners unless they do a Tonya Harding on someone, if your players get injured than that is still on the basis of the roster you chose to have.

Steph Curry is one of the best 4th quarter play-off performers in NBA history over a large number of games, and he and GSW actually won a WCF series as recently as last year without Durant. As it stands, Giannis hasn’t made a finals series, and he and the Bucks in fact didn’t win the Eastern Conference title last year. I am not arguing that he is unlikely to ever do so, or even that he won’t end up being a player with more value to his teams than Curry, although the latter is a high bar; there is at least one good reason which doesn’t involve any blame attaching to him why he hasn’t does so as yet, he is only 24, but until he does he hasn’t as I said.

And you replied to that post in saying it wasn't down to Curry being unable to get it done at the end of playoff games. It was. That's exactly what happened in that Toronto series. Be consistent. If you're going to hold it against one guy, hold it against the other.

You're putting Curry up on this pedestal as a playoff performer when he hasn't been a cut above in any of the finals he's played in. This would mean in saying he's one of the best 4th quarter playoff performers in NBA history, you're willing to weight the playoff series which came before those finals appearances while simultaneously keying in on one series for Giannis and ignoring his performances in the Detroit and Boston series last year.

It doesn't make a difference if Curry lost in the finals last year and Giannis lost in the conference finals because they lost to the exact same team.

[TheBallsDeeper]

Steph Curry is a top ten player of all time, the best player on a team that has won multiple championships and a proven winner. While;e his defense is not great, it's not a weakness.
Giannis is still just potential, he has some pretty glaring weaknesses, especially hi shooting and BBIQ, and has been exposed in the playoffs.

While I do think Giannis is a top-five player in the league, Curry when fit is top three with Kawhi and Lebron. Giannis at this stage is slightly behind.

Until Giannis proves his game can help a team win a championship, I'll take Curry.