Who wins the 2025 Western Conference if these players are at these peaks for their current teams?

ShotCreator · Post #1 » by **ShotCreator** » Wed Apr 16, 2025 4:29 pm

16 Draymond
16 Curry

09 LeBron
24 Luka

20 Harden
17 Kawhi

mulhollandrive · Post #2 » by **mulhollandrive** » Wed Apr 16, 2025 4:43 pm

13 LeBron with this pace and spacing would be coasting to a 35-12-12 statline

Post #3 » by **Outside** » Wed Apr 16, 2025 5:20 pm

09 LeBron isn't his peak. I get that he was MVP that season (his first) but his shooting wasn't there yet, and he hadn't "learned to win." He hadn't yet gone through the 2011 finals experience, and he sure wasn't the offensive orchestrator that he became later. I'm not sure which year I'd pick. Maybe 2013 from a physical and defensive effort standpoint, but probably 2016 for his complete game.

This is assuming the rest of their 2025 playoff rosters are the same, so I'm taking Draymond and Curry because they'd also have Butler, plus a bunch of quality role players. A healthy 2016 Curry was a GOAT-level force, and that was Draymond's best year offensively in multiple categories. I'd probably take Harden and Kawhi next because they have Zubac, Powell, and really good role players. The Lakers have Reaves, but the rest of their roster is comparatively meh compared to what the Clippers and Warriors have. Tough to vote against LeBron, but it's easier if it's 2009 LeBron, plus Luka is the worst of the six defensively.

jalengreen · Post #4 » by **jalengreen** » Wed Apr 16, 2025 5:27 pm

I'd probably take OKC over the Warriors still. 2016 Steph isn't having 2016 Steph impact in 2025 imo, and that version of the Warriors got taken to 7 by an inferior OKC team. Butler certainly helps and I'm sure it'd be a good series but meh

parsnips33 · Post #5 » by **parsnips33** » Wed Apr 16, 2025 5:32 pm

jalengreen wrote:I'd probably take OKC over the Warriors still. 2016 Steph isn't having 2016 Steph impact in 2025 imo, and that version of the Warriors got taken to 7 by an inferior OKC team. Butler certainly helps and I'm sure it'd be a good series but meh

Why not?

jalengreen · Post #6 » by **jalengreen** » Wed Apr 16, 2025 5:35 pm

parsnips33 wrote:
jalengreen wrote:I'd probably take OKC over the Warriors still. 2016 Steph isn't having 2016 Steph impact in 2025 imo, and that version of the Warriors got taken to 7 by an inferior OKC team. Butler certainly helps and I'm sure it'd be a good series but meh

Why not?

Early bird caught the worm - I think teams adjusted and he never really saw the defenses he was seeing in 2016 again. I'm not sure that 2021 Steph isn't putting up 450 threes in 2016, frankly

parsnips33 · Post #7 » by **parsnips33** » Wed Apr 16, 2025 6:09 pm

jalengreen wrote:
parsnips33 wrote:
jalengreen wrote:I'd probably take OKC over the Warriors still. 2016 Steph isn't having 2016 Steph impact in 2025 imo, and that version of the Warriors got taken to 7 by an inferior OKC team. Butler certainly helps and I'm sure it'd be a good series but meh

Why not?

Early bird caught the worm - I think teams adjusted and he never really saw the defenses he was seeing in 2016 again. I'm not sure that 2021 Steph isn't putting up 450 threes in 2016, frankly

Yeah but how much is that offset by the quickness advantage you get in a 25 year old Steph vs 35 year old Steph. I think it's more about personnel than strategy and even in 2025 there's not a lot of defenders who can credibly stick with Steph at his athletic peak

Post #8 » by **Outside** » Wed Apr 16, 2025 6:54 pm

parsnips33 wrote:
jalengreen wrote:
parsnips33 wrote:
Why not?

Early bird caught the worm - I think teams adjusted and he never really saw the defenses he was seeing in 2016 again. I'm not sure that 2021 Steph isn't putting up 450 threes in 2016, frankly

Yeah but how much is that offset by the quickness advantage you get in a 25 year old Steph vs 35 year old Steph. I think it's more about personnel than strategy and even in 2025 there's not a lot of defenders who can credibly stick with Steph at his athletic peak

IIRC, that was the year he didn’t have any three-point attempt blocked. Peak release quickness.

jalengreen has a point with his "early bird" argument, but by the end of the 2015-16 season, defenses were already adjusting to Curry, and he was still awesome. The only thing that stopped him was the knee injury in the PS.

ShotCreator · Post #9 » by **ShotCreator** » Fri Apr 18, 2025 6:55 pm

Outside wrote:
parsnips33 wrote:
jalengreen wrote:
Early bird caught the worm - I think teams adjusted and he never really saw the defenses he was seeing in 2016 again. I'm not sure that 2021 Steph isn't putting up 450 threes in 2016, frankly

Yeah but how much is that offset by the quickness advantage you get in a 25 year old Steph vs 35 year old Steph. I think it's more about personnel than strategy and even in 2025 there's not a lot of defenders who can credibly stick with Steph at his athletic peak

IIRC, that was the year he didn’t have any three-point attempt blocked. Peak release quickness.

jalengreen has a point with his "early bird" argument, but by the end of the 2015-16 season, defenses were already adjusting to Curry, and he was still awesome. The only thing that stopped him was the knee injury in the PS.

Peak quickness period. His finishing numbers were elite too.

Isolation, PNR, transition numbers all elite that year.
He was also a good defender.

2016 Steph could create separation way better than post-2017 Steph. Completely different tier of player in essence.

And Draymond was also better defensively, even forgetting the massive offensive difference.

I think GS would be a +10 or so team immediately with those two peaking.

parsnips33 · Post #10 » by **parsnips33** » Fri Apr 18, 2025 6:56 pm

What if we throw Dallas with peak Kyrie and Klay into this conversation? Those two with AD and the jumbo frontcourt would be a problem for any team