Which Combo would have a greater Gravity? Curry/Lebron or Curry/Shaq

[capfan33]

Assuming none of these guys has the ball in his hands, in what order would you sag a defender off of them? Therein lies your answer. I agree it is somewhat close but also clear IMO.

Pretty much this, I think Lebron/Curry is a better combo but it's due to the pick and roll and isolation, in terms of pure gravity I think it's Shaq.

[Mazter]

Shaq's gravity is cancelling Curry's a bit so this is LeBron/Curry easily.

Why do you think that?

Curry's main gravity is beyond the arc. He eithers shoots the 3 or attacks the paint. Shaq gravity is in that same paint and it doesn't really helps Curry if Shaq's is camping there with at least 1 defender glued to him. Besides Shaq's gravity being in the paint it never really created anything in Curry's gravity area. Most of Shaq's passess were to the paint and you don't specifically need Curry for that. LeBron's gravity in the paint might be less than Shaq's but he attacks from the point or the wing. He is close to a 40% on open 3's, good enough to not leave him open. And LeBron's passing I believe is good enough to cater Curry those 3's any way he likes. The law of gravity for me is Curry + Shaq and Curry x LeBron.

[70sFan]

Shaq's gravity is cancelling Curry's a bit so this is LeBron/Curry easily.

Why do you think that?

Curry's main gravity is beyond the arc. He eithers shoots the 3 or attacks the paint. Shaq gravity is in that same paint and it doesn't really helps Curry if Shaq's is camping there with at least 1 defender glued to him. Besides Shaq's gravity being in the paint it never really created anything in Curry's gravity area. Most of Shaq's passess were to the paint and you don't specifically need Curry for that. LeBron's gravity in the paint might be less than Shaq's but he attacks from the point or the wing. He is close to a 40% on open 3's, good enough to not leave him open. And LeBron's passing I believe is good enough to cater Curry those 3's any way he likes. The law of gravity for me is Curry + Shaq and Curry x LeBron.

Wait, so you think Shaq's gravity wouldn't make it almost impossible to defend Curry outside (or the other way around)? Curry's gravity isn't really related to his paint pressence, that is not how teams defend Curry. If you keep defending Curry outside the three point line like teams do, Shaq would have an open paint.

Also, your take about Shaq passes being mostly inside ones is factually incorrect. Shaq operated inside to open space for shooters, that's literally how Lakers and Magic played back then.

[MyUniBroDavis]

Why do you think that?

Curry's main gravity is beyond the arc. He eithers shoots the 3 or attacks the paint. Shaq gravity is in that same paint and it doesn't really helps Curry if Shaq's is camping there with at least 1 defender glued to him. Besides Shaq's gravity being in the paint it never really created anything in Curry's gravity area. Most of Shaq's passess were to the paint and you don't specifically need Curry for that. LeBron's gravity in the paint might be less than Shaq's but he attacks from the point or the wing. He is close to a 40% on open 3's, good enough to not leave him open. And LeBron's passing I believe is good enough to cater Curry those 3's any way he likes. The law of gravity for me is Curry + Shaq and Curry x LeBron.

Wait, so you think Shaq's gravity wouldn't make it almost impossible to defend Curry outside (or the other way around)? Curry's gravity isn't really related to his paint pressence, that is not how teams defend Curry. If you keep defending Curry outside the three point line like teams do, Shaq would have an open paint.

Also, your take about Shaq passes being mostly inside ones is factually incorrect. Shaq operated inside to open space for shooters, that's literally how Lakers and Magic played back then.

My assumption is there would be more split cut plays with Shaq cutting too

I get the idea that their combo offensively might not be as dominant as one might think (in terms of the synergy) because the guy guarding Curry isn’t ideally gonna be the helper on Shaq and vice versa (obv the combo would still be astonishing, just I think the synergy is a bit overstated). It would cause situations where the guy on Curry might be tasked to help off of himself Kd he can’t but I’d have to assume that someone else would unless they leverage it that way (which they probably would anyway)

At the same time if we’re talking about the pure gravity I just don’t get how bron and Curry would have more, if anything bron being a good passer lowers his gravity

Agree on everything else though, I don’t think they cancel out at all

[Chronz]

Assuming none of these guys has the ball in his hands, in what order would you sag a defender off of them? Therein lies your answer. I agree it is somewhat close but also clear IMO.

Bron. You have to keep a body on Shaq or he has a clear lane to the boards. Its why he's so elite off the ball