Onus wrote:Quality defenders sure. Elite defenders though not really. Like Iguodala was elite, Bogut was elite, Wiggins is elite, GP2 was elite.
Again I ask - is Wiggins elite without Draymond? Because without him he's actually been average, like he was with the Wolves. Dray is literally what made (makes?) him elite
Yea no doubt Dray enhances people on defense and can elevate them. He's a great defensive player one of the best. I just think Dray is like a tier or half tier below AD or Gobert. He has more help than the other 2 on defense. Dray is amazing, he just has more help on that end than Curry does on offense.
AD fine, because he actually is an elite defender. Gobert is an elite rim protector. Thats all though, as he has had just as good defenders as Draymond did (actually, much better) in 2022, and does not make others better like AD and Dray have done. Its not even close, frankly. Some people elevate, some people just are. AD and Dray elevate because they can play anywhere on the court and have insanely high BBIQ. Gobert is just really adept at changing shots that are near him, and a lot of centers bring 3/4 of the impact he does
But again, saying that Dray has more help than Curry is just a bad narrative. Isn't true. Can believe it or not, but Curry has had an elite shooter in his pocket for nearly his entire career. 2, when KD arrived. Dray has had 2 elite defenders in his career - Bogut and Iguodala - and one bench defender in GP2. And thats it.. Bogut was gone 7 years ago and prime Iguodala left 5 years ago. And in 2022 the Warriors had the best defense in the league led by Draymond, an bench defender, and an average defender who was made to be elite. And thats not diving into the impact he has on Klay, Poole, Curry, and especially Looney. If you give Steph the equivalent of that offensively, you think he could turn that into the #1 offense in the league?