Bensational wrote:pepe1991 wrote:Whole Batman- Robin narative to me is bit silly, i never watched single Warriors game from 2017-2019 and thought once that Curry is better at basketball than Durant at any segment but long distance shooting. And stats pretty much back up how better Durant was than him at everything.
You’re really underselling Curry’s game. He’s the greatest shooter of all time, backed up by stats, and he’s so good he revolutionised the game. And he won 2 championships without Durant, and had 3 finals appearances without Durant (4 if you include the year Durant tore his ACL). Durant only made the finals once without Curry.
Again, Curry didn’t need Durant, Durant needed him.
Durant is talented, but Curry is a winner. I do feel bad that Durant was robbed a season in his prime years with that ACL injury. If that hadn’t happened he might’ve had the juice to carry Brooklyn to the finals. But Curry faced his injury issues in his career and still won 4 championships, so resilience and reliability is just another area that Curry comes out ahead.
You won’t convince me that Durant is a better player than Steph. Hell, I’m gonna really upset you and say I’d pick Steph over LeBron if I ever had to build a team. The league bent over backwards to make LeBron the next Jordan/Kobe, but Curry came out of nowhere with no help and inspired an entire generation to change the way they played. Got his 4 rings in 12 seasons while LeBron needed 16 and a questionable bubble title to match him.
Only active player to challenge Curry’s greatness is Jokic, IMO. Damn, could you imagine if those two had been on the same team together? Talk about a dream partnership.
Curry changed game, he is one of most influencal nba players since Jordan and to me best PG in nba history. Yes, even over Magic Johnson.
But game would revolutionize itself because whole world started playing perimeter oriented basketball at least decade before NBA did.
At Olympics n 2004, USA team lost to Lithuania and Argentina in same fashion. They were trading long 2s for 3s.
Coach K took over in 2005 or 06, and he started changing team into perimeter oriented ( Joe Johnson, Hinrich, Bosh, Brand... only one traditional C in Howard ). They lost to Grecee but that team was already shooting 3s at big rate. (28/66 shots vs Greece were 3s).
By the 2008 Olympics, Kobe and Durant alone averaged 14 -three point shots a game. ( for comparison's sake, in playoffs of 2008,
teams averaged 17 -3FGA a game )
NBA,however took time... Because nba coaches were guys in 50s and 60s grew up in 70s and 80s who refused to change.
That said, in 2006-07 season, you had 61-21 Suns ( 24 - 3 FGA a game) and Spurs 58-24 - eventual champions - shooting 20 - 3FGA a game. WAY over league's average (16,9 -3 FGA). League was changing.
By the 2014, so year before Curry / Klay went to first finals, Spurs dismantled Heat and whole playoffs by shooting 41% for 3 for playoffs.
In finals, Spurs shot 46,6% for 3 and just broke Heat's defense. To this point this was biggest margin of victory of any nba team in finals ever.
That was moment of new nba era. Two things were clear:
1) you can sustain shooting quality with team offense
2) you can beat superior talent with concept of team offense and defense but you have to buy into system
Year later, more mature Curry, Klay, defense of Green, Barnes take over with sustained offense that can take +30 - 3FGA in playoffs and win games.
I love Curry, but just don't think he is any more talented than Durant. More accomplished. Eeasier to build team around, as you said, building around him is so easy, easier person to be around. Sure. but if i need to give ball to somebody in 4th to carry me to victory, it's Durant. Even Curry recognized it and that's why Durant was go -to -guy when they played together.
Warriors vs Rockets would be fun to watch in playoffs in upcoming year
Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans. -John Lennon
