mtron929 wrote:EAS Law wrote:Not even LeBron could get it done by himself. What happened once Kevin Love was traded to the Cavs? He went from never been in the playoffs, to Finals appearance, to Champion. I suspect that Cousins and AD would be immediate Finals contenders if you put them on even a mid-tier playoff team.
Saying AD isn't doing what he is doing because his team is poorly constructed (and injured i thought) is totally unfair. The same goes for Cousins.
Except AD is not viewed in the same tier as Love and Cousins. He is seen as the best talent to come out of the draft in the last decade. Love and Cousins are good players but are not regarded in that manner. Apples to oranges.
I understand what you're trying to say, but I am yet to personally see anyone place AD in a GOAT realm or even one of the GOAT at his position. Everyone appreciates what he brings and what he could do, but I don't think anyone looks at him in the way your question would require.
To evaluate how good he is individually, I'd suggest checking things like his efficiency, and then maybe looking at the circumstances surrounding his team's losses. A 1 or 2 point buzzer-beater loss in a 6 game sample is a lot different than 6 20+ point blowouts.
Remember also that AD took this same Pelicans team to the playoffs a couple of years ago when he had a very slightly better supporting cast.
It's a team game. Having a guy put up 50/20/7 is going to be a big help to you, but you need someone or some combination of players to contribute at least another 50/30/10/5 or something to have a chance in any game. This is going to be true for anyone, and AD could still be all of those things (generational talent) on a team that just doesn't fit or isn't very good.