RealGM

how do you rank the top 12 years of these 3 guys?

This was easily one of the more difficult ones to answer for me, especially with Kyrie's durability, but based on their quality of play i'll go.


1. 2017 Westbrook
2. 2016 Westbrook

I think Westbrook has the best peak here pretty clearly

3. 2015 Westbrook
4. 2020 Lillard
5. 2021 Lillard

I'll go these next up, 20 Dame over 21 Dame because I think his defensive effort was a bit more consistent.

6. 2018 Kyrie
7. 2018 Westbrook
8. 2019 Lillard
9. 2019 Kyrie
10. 2021 Kyrie

Honestly this order of this group is just me guessing, I might come back to this one

11. 2014 Westbrook

12. 2018 Lillard

2014 Westbrook might deserve to go to the next group, but it's been a while since ive watched him and I imagine his counters weren't as strong as they were in his peak, Dame pre-2019 seems like a generally bad playoff performer relative to expectations and I think i'm comfortable with that season last.

If I do the point system it goes:
Westbrook-41
Lillard-23
Kyrie-14

very rough list tbh

1. westbrook '16
2. westbrook '17
3. westbrook '15
4. dame '19
5. dame '20
6. dame '18
7. dame '21
8. kyrie '19
9. kyrie '21
10. westbrook '18
11. westbrook '13
12. kyrie '15

in general i'm confident that peak russ > dame > kyrie

offensively i think dame peaked the highest. i am very high on dame's offensive around like 2020. but i think his defense declined around then too and is when he really became more of a liability around that end so him being a more serviceable defender in 2018/19 kinda cancels out the offensive improvement.

jalengreen wrote:very rough list tbh

1. westbrook '16
2. westbrook '17
3. westbrook '15
4. dame '19
5. dame '20
6. dame '18
7. dame '21
8. kyrie '19
9. kyrie '21
10. westbrook '18
11. westbrook '13
12. kyrie '15

in general i'm confident that peak russ > dame > kyrie

offensively i think dame peaked the highest. i am very high on dame's offensive around like 2020. but i think his defense declined around then too and is when he really became more of a liability around that end so him being a more serviceable defender in 2018/19 kinda cancels out the offensive improvement.

do you have westbrook as a significatively better defender in 15-17? i was way too biased when watching those seasons as a westbrook stan so i domt trust my memories of westbrook defense much (which i considered solid back then)

falcolombardi wrote:

jalengreen wrote:very rough list tbh

1. westbrook '16
2. westbrook '17
3. westbrook '15
4. dame '19
5. dame '20
6. dame '18
7. dame '21
8. kyrie '19
9. kyrie '21
10. westbrook '18
11. westbrook '13
12. kyrie '15

in general i'm confident that peak russ > dame > kyrie

offensively i think dame peaked the highest. i am very high on dame's offensive around like 2020. but i think his defense declined around then too and is when he really became more of a liability around that end so him being a more serviceable defender in 2018/19 kinda cancels out the offensive improvement.

do you have westbrook as a significatively better defender in 15-17? i was way too biased when watching those seasons as a westbrook stan so i domt trust my memories of westbrook defense much (which i considered solid back then)

than 2022? yeah definitely, i view him as a negative defensively rn which i dont think i'd say about 15-17 russ

jalengreen wrote:

falcolombardi wrote:

jalengreen wrote:very rough list tbh

1. westbrook '16
2. westbrook '17
3. westbrook '15
4. dame '19
5. dame '20
6. dame '18
7. dame '21
8. kyrie '19
9. kyrie '21
10. westbrook '18
11. westbrook '13
12. kyrie '15

in general i'm confident that peak russ > dame > kyrie

offensively i think dame peaked the highest. i am very high on dame's offensive around like 2020. but i think his defense declined around then too and is when he really became more of a liability around that end so him being a more serviceable defender in 2018/19 kinda cancels out the offensive improvement.

do you have westbrook as a significatively better defender in 15-17? i was way too biased when watching those seasons as a westbrook stan so i domt trust my memories of westbrook defense much (which i considered solid back then)

than 2022? yeah definitely, i view him as a negative defensively rn which i dont think i'd say about 15-17 russ

more like peak westbrook vs peak lillard in defense

falcolombardi wrote:

jalengreen wrote:

falcolombardi wrote:
do you have westbrook as a significatively better defender in 15-17? i was way too biased when watching those seasons as a westbrook stan so i domt trust my memories of westbrook defense much (which i considered solid back then)

than 2022? yeah definitely, i view him as a negative defensively rn which i dont think i'd say about 15-17 russ

more like peak westbrook vs peak lillard in defense

yeah probably. i think lillard was a fine defender at the PG position in 2018 and 2019 but not as good as peak westbrook even if peak westbrook wasnt a great defender. and blows away peak offensive dame who was a liability on D