Kawhi Doncic vs Stephen Westbrook

[leolozon]

I think the poll is indicative that it’s way easier to imagine Kawhi Doncic than Stephen Westbrook.

When I imagine Doncic with elite defense, a more reliable jump shot and more self control, I see the best player in the world easily. No question.

Curry with more strength and athleticism is harder to imagine. How does it really affect his game? He would still mostly be shooting 3s anyway. Does his efficiency really get that much better? Does he get better at defense even though Westbrook isn’t a good defender? More question marks for me and Kawhi Doncic is such a no brainer that you have to go for him.

[Ryoga Hibiki]

Dirk Garnett wouldn't be close to Kawhi Doncic in term of handles or passing.
Only thing it would have over Kawhi Doncic would the size and rebounding ability

Dirk Garnett is the best possible modern day center, it's not meant to be close in terms of handles and having Garnett means it's still an all time great passer.

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You're confounding a few things, KG was an all time great passer FOR A POWER FORWARD but he was not anywhere close to the all time great guards passers like Stockton, Nash, Magic, Kidd or now Doncic.

Garnett is an all time great passer for the kind of passes a big men makes, and with Dirk's gravity he would instantly make any defense impossible, firing bullets hitting any open man.
All this while dominating on defense in a way Kawhi Doncic could not, balancing the lower ball handling and creation.
The difference between the two is that Dirk Garnett is a better ceiling raiser, that's what probably would make me chose it.

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[Ryoga Hibiki]

I think the poll is indicative that it’s way easier to imagine Kawhi Doncic than Stephen Westbrook.

When I imagine Doncic with elite defense, a more reliable jump shot and more self control, I see the best player in the world easily. No question.

Curry with more strength and athleticism is harder to imagine. How does it really affect his game? He would still mostly be shooting 3s anyway. Does his efficiency really get that much better? Does he get better at defense even though Westbrook isn’t a good defender? More question marks for me and Kawhi Doncic is such a no brainer that you have to go for him.

The thing is that it's easy to imagine Kawhi Doncic because you just add very visible qualities of one to the other.
Steph Westbrook is more of a wild card, because Russ's athelticism would open a lot of doors to Steph's game in less predictable way. It would make him impossible to stop on an iso or a pick and roll, while making the current strengths of Steph even more deadly Moreover, it would just elevate Steph's more technically sound defense to DpotY levels.

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[dygaction]

Very few (realistic) hybrids are better than better than Kawhii Doncic, especially for the modern game.
One I would consider is Dirk Garnett.

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I will also add Shaq Jokic. MDP with soft touch, clutch shot, great handle, 3pt and free throw, best passing...

[Warriors Analyst]

I think the poll is indicative that it’s way easier to imagine Kawhi Doncic than Stephen Westbrook.

When I imagine Doncic with elite defense, a more reliable jump shot and more self control, I see the best player in the world easily. No question.

Curry with more strength and athleticism is harder to imagine. How does it really affect his game? He would still mostly be shooting 3s anyway. Does his efficiency really get that much better? Does he get better at defense even though Westbrook isn’t a good defender? More question marks for me and Kawhi Doncic is such a no brainer that you have to go for him.

Steph's defensive limitations are almost entirely physical. He's a very smart off-ball defender, he does a lot better on ISO situations than people give him credit for, considering how much teams try and hunt him in the playoffs. If Steph had Russ's strength and explosiveness, he'd probably be able to be someone you actively want guarding high level wings and point guards. I think the result would be something a little bit below a Marcus Smart level defender. I don't think he'd reach those peaks by virtue of carrying a big load on offense, but combining Steph's defensive IQ with Russ's body gives you a small ish guy who can probably guard up to the 3.

[Ryoga Hibiki]

Very few (realistic) hybrids are better than better than Kawhii Doncic, especially for the modern game.
One I would consider is Dirk Garnett.

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I will also add Shaq Jokic. MDP with soft touch, clutch shot, great handle, 3pt and free throw, best passing...

It's an old one, but I would rather take Hakeem Jokic than Shaq Jokic.
There might be minor drop on offence (maybe, not even sure about that), but adding Jokic's awareness to Hakeem's mobility (horizontal and vertical) would be just unfair.

[feyki]

If he would be dumb as blonde.

[Dutchball97]

Kawhi with Luka's playmaking and health or Luka with Kawhi's defense, strength and efficiency would both be the best player ever most likely. You're pretty much getting prime LeBron with better shooting.

Curry and Westbrook to me seems like you'd get a version of Curry that dunks whenever he gets to the rim.

[oaktownwarriors87]

Kawhi Doncic is pretty much LeBron with a more consistent jumpshot. Russ with better IQ and Stephs shot is pretty crazy to imagine. Kudos for at least combining players of similar height. I see too many of these posts about “Shaquille Nash” or whatever as if it’s actually possible for a giant human to do what a point guard does

Except LeBron has smaller hands than Stephen Curry, while Kawhi has giant paws similar to Jordan, Shaq and Giannis. That's why those guys are able to handle the ball and move around so effortlessly with it. Kawhi also has a 3" wingspan advantage.

Give LeBron those hands and he's the greatest player to ever live. He wouldn't even need the improved jump shot.

[hype_2004]

We have never seen a player withe elite athleticism, IQ and shooting ability who has no weakness on offense. A Curry/Westbrook hybrid is the GOAT on offense, basically an NBA 2k cheat code player who can do everything on the court and is a one man wrecking crew. A guy that can get to the line with ease and put fear on the perimeter is basically an unstoppable player that you have to double and triple team, just not fair.

[penbeast0]

Dirk Garnett is the best possible modern day center, it's not meant to be close in terms of handles and having Garnett means it's still an all time great passer.
And having Dirk it means it's an all time level shot maker as well, as probably no other big man ever was.
All this while being the perfect defensive player for modern era, a 7 foot Draymond.

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Russell/Jokic actually. Jokic's ridiculous offensive abilities (better than Dirk's) with Russell's ridiculous defensive impact and athleticism (better than Garnett's). That' the best possible modern day center; even if Russell isn't modern he had the defensive quickness and horizontal game of a Garnett with the vertical game of a great shotblocker.

[Laimbeer]

I think the poll is indicative that it’s way easier to imagine Kawhi Doncic than Stephen Westbrook.

When I imagine Doncic with elite defense, a more reliable jump shot and more self control, I see the best player in the world easily. No question.

Curry with more strength and athleticism is harder to imagine. How does it really affect his game? He would still mostly be shooting 3s anyway. Does his efficiency really get that much better? Does he get better at defense even though Westbrook isn’t a good defender? More question marks for me and Kawhi Doncic is such a no brainer that you have to go for him.

You're getting Westbrook's rebounding and coast to coast ability. People tend to see those as out of control, a negative. But it gets harnesssed with Steph's brain and control. I see it as a significant improvement, but Kawhi Doncic is still a step up.

[Snakebites]

Steph Westbrook would be singularly good offensively offensive GOAT), while Kawhi Doncic wouldn’t have flaws on either end of the floor but wouldn’t be quite as offensively supercharged.

Both would be top 3-4 players all time, and I don’t usually like comparing guys that high (largely disinterested in Lebron/Jordan debate.

[Peregrine01]

What does Westbrook have that would make Curry so much better than he already is? More explosiveness? Sure but Curry already is one of the best guards at getting into the paint and finishing.

Kawhi Doncic would be pretty much the perfect player. The most glaring hole in Kawhi's game is playmaking and Luka is one of the best passers in the game.

[Asianiac_24]

Imagine Steph Curry grabbing a rebound and racing down 20 mph and pulling up from 30 ft. You stop that, he goes right by you and can either pull up for a mid range, which for Curry is basically a layup, or kick it out. Then once he gives up the ball, he’s moving around screens with Westbrooks athleticism and is a lob threat at the rim. He would completely break the game.

[euroleague]

Stephen Westbrook is probably the greatest offensive player of all time

So is Kawhi Doncic.

Wouldnt that just be lebron, worse passing, better shooting lol

Westbrook + curry would be hilariously broken ngl. Most of currys limitations on offense, maybe all of them actually, get solved with westbrooks athleticism while enhancing his strengths

Way better passing, better shooting, better basketball IQ in general. Look at what Doncic does on offense... he's way less athletic than LBJ even in 2021.