New Team: Lebron/KG or Curry/Kareem

[Djoker]

Curry/Kareem

Something no one mentioned but I think today's finesse game helps Kareem a lot IMO. Not that he was soft or anything but the likes of Wilt/Gilmore/Moses used to bully him physically at times and that wouldn't fly today. Surround him by a bunch of shooters where it's hard to double him and with spacing he will be even more unstoppable offensively which is a scary thought. In today's game he probably stays thin like in his Bucks days when he was very mobile defensively too. Kareem and Curry are a more synergistic duo than Lebron/KG as well.

[No-more-rings]

Lebron/KG, I don’t think it’s that hard of a decision. I have Lebron’s peak prime and career over Kareem’s, and KG is at least as good as Curry peak for peak, prime vs prime, with more rock solid durability. The defensive advantage for Lebron/KG is pretty massive too.

[mdonnelly1989]

Two of the all time hardest shots to stop on the same team? Curry and Kareem please

[No-more-rings]

kg and lebron have alot of overlap I feel.

How so? I mean I think KG would honestly be pretty ok with being an 18-20 ppg scorer next to Lebron if it meant he could put more energy on defense and rebounding. Look at the impact he was able to have in Boston by playing a toned down role on offense. And that was late prime/past prime KG.

So yeah i’m not seeing the overlap, unless you think KG is going to want to be a primary ball handler which he wouldn’t imo.

[ronnymac2]

KG/LeBron for sure.

Offensively, KAJ and Curry do not have any problems as far as fit goes, as both are unselfish despite being great volume scorers. They do not have natural synergy, however, unless paired with a connector piece like a Horace Grant or ironically a 2012 KG. Shaq and Penny didn't have problems on court, but they don't necessarily help one another unless Grant is there. That's how I see KAJ and Curry. Still tremendous potential, and even if not fully unlocked, probably still better than KG/LBJ by a little.

LBJ and KG synergize perfectly. Defensively, you get to have full focus KG grabbing 10 defensive rebounds while shutting down pick-n-rolls and stuffing mid-range passing lanes and being a very good rim protector. You get LBJ closing out on third-fifth option shooters after KG blows up the team's main play/player options and giving additional secondary rim-protection or getting steals after KG makes the opp throw a bad pass. Offensively, they do not have the nukes of KAJ's skyhook and Curry's 3s, but they do have LBJ's precision playmaking and rim pressure through post-ups and slashes. KG spaces the floor to the point you can invert the offense and have KG deliver the ball to Bron from the high-post. They can do pick-n-pop like LBJ/Bosh.

The defensive gap is large. The offensive gap is not.

[Kobe187]

1. LeBron
2. KAJ

3. Curry





4. KG



Taking KAJ and Curry, you have unstoppable inside scoring and unstoppable outside shooting, KG is an overrated draymond green. Easier to put 3 good defenders around KAJ & Curry than it is to find offensive firepower for LeBron. LeBron would need another elite scorer besides KG to be effective (Kyrie/Wade type).

[Colbinii]

I don't see a big difference in offense--LeBron is by far the best scorer and playmaker of the group. There are diminishing returns for most offenses and a LeBron-led offense is the GOAT level post-season offense we have.

Defensively, massive gap.

LeBron certainly isn't "by far" better scorer than Kareem...

You're right--I got ahead of myself for that comment. They are closer than I thought [and I found a resource which attempted to pace-adjust Kareem's scoring from 1970-1973].