Build around for a single season: 18 LeBron and AD or current Jokic and 14 Curry

[1993Playoffs]

Which duo would you rather build around for 1 year

[falcolombardi]

Lebron and davis for me

[AEnigma]

I prefer the postseason talent combination of the 2018 duo even before considering how there are more diverse avenues to easy postseason team-building around them (provided Pelinka is not the GM…) than for the offence-forward duo.

2017 Steph makes the question more interesting because then you have a better player than 2018 Davis and undeniably would have a significant regular season advantage.

[1993Playoffs]

I prefer the postseason talent combination of the 2018 duo even before considering how there are more diverse avenues to easy postseason team-building around them (provided Pelinka is not the GM…) than for the offence-forward duo.

2017 Steph makes the question more interesting because then you have a better player than 2018 Davis and undeniably would have a significant regular season advantage.

I actually thought Steph even then has a decent argument vs AD I think most people would put post 2015 Steph over AD. And of course Jokic has his own argument over LeBron

[AEnigma]

I am higher on 2014 Steph than many, but 2018 Davis already has a reasonably easy argument over 2018 Steph in the same season, and even with the acknowledgement that 2018 was a down season for Steph relative to the surrounding years, I struggle to place it clearly below 2014.

[Cavsfansince84]

The offense of Steph and Jokic would be more redundant than the two way impact of LeBron and AD imo. 14 Steph is still sort of physically weak as well. You gotta upgrade the version of Steph to even make this close I'd say.

[Tomtolbert]

LeBron/AD. The defensive edge is too much to pass up.

[ShotCreator]

LeBron/AD. The defensive edge is too much to pass up.

Problem is, LeBron didn't do much defending that year.

2014 Curry is a good defender. 2014 GSW were a good defensive team, who played the 14 Clippers close because it was grinded out, highly competitive series defensively. LAC was a much better offensive team than GS.

This is really close. I will say, I don't think AD turned a corner offensively until 2019. When he actually satrted to make plays with the ball in his hands. Before that, offensively, he was a pure catch and finish guy. With the occasional face up creation that was pure shot taking. In 2019, for some reason, passing came easy to him. And he had a better playmaking year than any Tim Duncan season out of nowhere.


So, I think 18 LeBron and AD are actually deceptively not that well-rounded, BASED on how they actually played that year. Not talent level and history. Yes, LeBron was a monster offensively, but he largely took he year off defensively compared to 2015-2017, and I don't think his extra umph on offense is a coincidence considering that.

AD had a big bounce back year in 2018 after a couple horrible ones in 2016 and 2017, but he still hadn't developed a complete game compared to 2019-2024 AD.

Jokic and Curry are good everywhere. And super synergistic. I'd take them.

[TheGOATRises007]

LeBron/AD. The defensive edge is too much to pass up.

Problem is, LeBron didn't do much defending that year.

2014 Curry is a good defender. 2014 GSW were a good defensive team, who played the 14 Clippers close because it was grinded out, highly competitive series defensively. LAC was a much better offensive team than GS.

This is really close. I will say, I don't think AD turned a corner offensively until 2019. When he actually satrted to make plays with the ball in his hands. Before that, offensively, he was a pure catch and finish guy. With the occasional face up creation that was pure shot taking. In 2019, for some reason, passing came easy to him. And he had a better playmaking year than any Tim Duncan season out of nowhere.


So, I think 18 LeBron and AD are actually deceptively not that well-rounded, BASED on how they actually played that year. Not talent level and history. Yes, LeBron was a monster offensively, but he largely took he year off defensively compared to 2015-2017, and I don't think his extra umph on offense is a coincidence considering that.

AD had a big bounce back year in 2018 after a couple horrible ones in 2016 and 2017, but he still hadn't developed a complete game compared to 2019-2024 AD.

Jokic and Curry are good everywhere. And super synergistic. I'd take them.

LeBron didn't defend well in 2018, but he defended really well in 2020.

So I'm inclined to think the roster construction led to his 'no defense' in 2018 versus his own flaws.

And since I saw him defend well with AD in 2020, I see no reason why a younger LeBron wouldn't be able to either.

[One_and_Done]

Give me the team with prime Lebron.

[giordunk]

2014 Steph with Jokic is essentially any prime Stephen Curry IMO. Curry and Jokic is just an insane offensive combo.