Greatest raptor ever Kyle Lowry

[SuigintouEV]

Westbrook over AI? That's pretty laughable.

Westbrook is to Allen Iverson, what Lebron James is to Rudy Gay. I say this as a fan of Iverson's heart and willingness to take a hit to make a play. He fit perfectly on that team but his MVP is one of the black stains on NBA history.

[Kabookalu]

Westbrook over AI? That's pretty laughable.

I'd also like to remind you that AI won his MVP in an era when Shaq, Duncan etc. were in their respective primes. If you think Westbrook could have achieved that than a) he'd have a damn MVP already and b) you're telling me prime Curry > prime Shaq/Duncan. I can't take you seriously.

Are you freakin' kiddin' me? Hell yes Westbrook is better than AI. Better scorer, better defender, better playmaker. Iverson is the most overrated superstar this league has ever seen. And Iverson's MVP was as deserved as Derrick Rose's. That MVP should have went to Duncan, but Iverson winning it was a nice story for the league to sell. Those Sixers teams were mediocre offensively, they won because they played tough defense, which Iverson didn't contribute much to because of his height as an SG, and he gambled so damn much.

It's like Suig said, you're glorifying the past. Curry is absolutely on Shaq and Duncan's level. Have you seen him play? Do you look at the stats? He's the closest thing to Jordan's greatness we've seen thus yet.

[dekobedeharden]

As great as Lowry has been, don't discredit what VC did.

He had much tougher competition than Lowry does in the current NBA.

Like T-Mac said, the NBA is watered down now.

We have a guy whos video game character is **** than his real self(steph), a 7 foot sniper from anywhere on the court (kd), triple double machine(westbrook), maybe top 3 goat (lebron) and so many other rediculous talents, t mac is just yelling at clouds

[Badonkadonk]

Really?

2000-01 year of Duncan, Shaq, Kobe, KG, AI, Carter, J-Kidd etc. easily kills and destroys 2015-16 Curry, LeBron, Westbrook, Durant, CP3 and its not even close. I'm not going to even mention how the 90's talent of MJ, Hakeem, Barkley, Malone etc. also put the current pool of watered down talent to shame as well. T-Mac may be a douche, but he's damn right on this point and how today's generation have lowered the bar on what "greatness" is.

lol no, just no. Iverson and Kidd wouldn't be top 5 players today. You can make the argument the top 5 of those eras are better than the top 5 of this years (wouldn't agree with it though), but from 6-20, this is the most talented I've ever seen the league.

Westbrook over AI? That's pretty laughable.

I'd also like to remind you that AI won his MVP in an era when Shaq, Duncan etc. were in their respective primes. If you think Westbrook could have achieved that than a) he'd have a damn MVP already and b) you're telling me prime Curry > prime Shaq/Duncan. I can't take you seriously.

AI may be the most overrated player of his generation, with his low % shooting, lack of 3 point shot, terrible defense and high turnovers.

T-Mac is out of touch. Players today would clown those guys collectively. The talent level in the league is so much higher now. Westbrook would be a god in that league physically and that's just the start.

Every generation is faster, stronger and more skilled than the last. I could only take a handful from the guys I grew up watching (Larry, Magic, Doc, Kareem, Dream) who could hang with the one that followed (Jordan's era) and only a handful of those guys that could hang with the guys now.

On point, Carter may have shone the brightest but Lowry is easily the best in terms of the impact he's had on team success.

[Anatomize]

I love vc but dammit that graduation ceremony and missed jumper ......sorry ECF is ECF

To go from the actual goat with a huge elbow in game 1 to...,

To be clutch shot after clutch shot after clutch shot in game 7....wow the actual GOAT

That is mental toughness ..grit

and he's locked in serious and ready for the next series

Don't forget game 5.. we wouldn't be here without him, he put us on his back at the end with clutch jumper after clutch jumper even though they made a strong rally.

[GooniesNeverDie]

the Raps look miserable very often when Kyle is on the bench... the guy is by far the best Raptor of all time. his impact on a team that won 56 wins & 2 playoff series' is unmatched by anyone to ever put on a Raptors uniform. thank you BC.

[jeffya2]

Players today have evolved to a much higher level
Not nearly as much as us fans have thou

[Anatomize]

Westbrook over AI? That's pretty laughable.

Westbrook is to Allen Iverson, what Lebron James is to Rudy Gay. I say this as a fan of Iverson's heart and willingness to take a hit to make a play. He fit perfectly on that team but his MVP is one of the black stains on NBA history.

You're crazy.. Larry Brown was a defense first coach/the team didn't give Iverson any offensive talent in his prime and he carried that team all the way to the NBA finals..

Iverson was a generational talent, he was one of the first tweener combo scoring guards, and completely unstoppable in his prime. He would play with fractures/broken bones/major injuries, he would take the biggest hits, and he would just bounce back and go at it again. It wasn't just heart, he was just a pure money scorer, and he always carried his team in clutch moments. IMO most people just remember Iverson for his last few years in Denver/Philly where he was a ball hog and didn't have the same explosive scoring ability. This guy used to regularly rain 50 points in the playoffs while being completely undersized/wiry built with a very crappy offensive system and his secondary scorers barely being able to take any pressure off him (the likes of Mckie - the only decent offensive player, Snow, Tyrone Hill, and whatever other defense first scrubs they had at that time).

Comparing Rudy Gay and Allen Iverson is one of the biggest insults I've ever seen..

[jeffya2]

We need to scour the dump heap for more disgruntled players
Our town, team, GM, coach, fans & high character players, are a perfect match

Boogie Cousins- Come on down

[Kabookalu]

Westbrook over AI? That's pretty laughable.

Westbrook is to Allen Iverson, what Lebron James is to Rudy Gay. I say this as a fan of Iverson's heart and willingness to take a hit to make a play. He fit perfectly on that team but his MVP is one of the black stains on NBA history.

You're crazy.. Larry Brown was a defense first coach/the team didn't give Iverson any offensive talent in his prime and he carried that team all the way to the NBA finals..

Iverson was a generational talent, he was one of the first tweener combo scoring guards, and completely unstoppable in his prime. He would play with fractures/broken bones/major injuries, he would take the biggest hits, and he would just bounce back and go at it again. It wasn't just heart, he was just a pure money scorer, and he always carried his team in clutch moments. IMO most people just remember Iverson for his last few years in Denver/Philly where he was a ball hog and didn't have the same explosive scoring ability. This guy used to regularly rain 50 points in the playoffs while being completely undersized/wiry built with a very crappy offensive system and his secondary scorers barely being able to take any pressure off him (the likes of Mckie - the only decent offensive player, Snow, Tyrone Hill, and whatever other defense first scrubs they had at that time).

Comparing Rudy Gay and Allen Iverson is one of the biggest insults I've ever seen..

Iverson was my favorite player growing up. He was a generational talent, but he also pissed it all away. The man could have went down as the greatest point guard of all time, but his lack of work ethic and hubris impeded him from his true potential. Pound for pound he might be the most athletic basketball player of all time. This guy was capable of beating double and triple teams on a routinely basis, though that's the problem, Iverson was so full of himself and made it his mission to beat these double and triple teams while abandoning all regard of team play. If you think DeRozan is a ballhog, Iverson is in a class of his own.

Truth be told, Iverson scaled his balhogging down when he was traded to Denver, but he was still a huge ballhog. I wouldn't make the argument but there are some that think Iverson's best days are with the Nuggets, just because he was a little more open minded about being a team player.

Russell Westbrook was at one point the second coming of Allen Iverson, but his playmaking and team play has improved significantly. Put Iverson on the Thunder and they're not getting past the Spurs.

[samuraix]

Give this man a statue

[OAKLEY_2]

the Raps look miserable very often when Kyle is on the bench... the guy is by far the best Raptor of all time. his impact on a team that won 56 wins & 2 playoff series' is unmatched by anyone to ever put on a Raptors uniform. thank you BC.

Agreed. He has Masai to thank for the come to Haysus moment and no trade. Where would be with an injured Shump now? Double Lotto.

[OAKLEY_2]

Give this man a statue

I want see number 7 in the rafters.

[triple_threat]

As great as Lowry has been, don't discredit what VC did.

He had much tougher competition than Lowry does in the current NBA.

Like T-Mac said, the NBA is watered down now.

Please, let's not glorify the past.
The best player on the 2001 Knicks was Latrell Sprewell, who was so inefficient he had a TS% of .497.
Iverson wasn't much better, at .518% TS.

Vince played in an era where DeMar DeRozan and his .550 would be considered elite level of efficiency. Defensively you could get away with crappy man defense because the team behind you could get away with overhelping because barely anybody could truly punish you from range other than stars like Peja, Reggie, and RayRay. You think the East is bad now? This brick bros Raps team would have swept the 2001 Sixers. Swept.

Vince was a very good player relative to his era. But the talent pool in the NBA was at an all time low in that post-expansation, pre-Euro era. Vince did not play against much tougher competition.

Let's not glorify the present either. Classic case of the recency effect it seems.

Lowry is sporting a 48 TS%.

[OakleyDokely]

Last 2 games: 39.5 mins, 35.5 pts, 48.9 FG%, 66.7 3PT%, 81.0 FT%
Last 3 games: 40.0 mins, 32.0 pts, 44.4 FG%, 57.1 3PT%, 80.0 FT%
Last 5 games: 38.6 mins, 27.8 pts, 44.1 FG%, 49.6 3PT%, 84.2 FT%
Last 7 games: 40.4 mins, 23.4 pts, 40.1 FG%, 38.7 3PT%, 79.5 FT%

[CoachD]

Gotta win a round first.


Oh wait ...

[TheGoodDoctor]

Showing VC how it's done.

Heart is something you can't teach.

[LLJ]

I think Iverson has went from overrated to underrated on Realgm. Very possible Prime Iverson on this team might yield the same result.

There's something to be said about a guy who, while not the most "efficient" on a regular basis, was still a reliable producer game in and game out no matter if it was the regular season or the playoffs. Seeing DD and Lowry struggle through some of these games has made me appreciate Iverson A LOT more.

I'd like to see Iverson's +/- and career net rating. Iverson's playoff VORP ratings are actually similar to Lowry's right now, maybe a bit better because of Iverson's better consistency from game to game.

[triple_threat]

lol no, just no. Iverson and Kidd wouldn't be top 5 players today. You can make the argument the top 5 of those eras are better than the top 5 of this years (wouldn't agree with it though), but from 6-20, this is the most talented I've ever seen the league.

Westbrook over AI? That's pretty laughable.

I'd also like to remind you that AI won his MVP in an era when Shaq, Duncan etc. were in their respective primes. If you think Westbrook could have achieved that than a) he'd have a damn MVP already and b) you're telling me prime Curry > prime Shaq/Duncan. I can't take you seriously.

AI may be the most overrated player of his generation, with his low % shooting, lack of 3 point shot, terrible defense and high turnovers.

T-Mac is out of touch. Players today would clown those guys collectively. The talent level in the league is so much higher now. Westbrook would be a god in that league physically and that's just the start.

Every generation is faster, stronger and more skilled than the last. I could only take a handful from the guys I grew up watching (Larry, Magic, Doc, Kareem, Dream) who could hang with the one that followed (Jordan's era) and only a handful of those guys that could hang with the guys now.

On point, Carter may have shone the brightest but Lowry is easily the best in terms of the impact he's had on team success.

As I said above, he has a 48 TS%. He is in no away carrying the team like 2000-2001 Carter did in the playoffs. Its not even close. He was thoroughly outplayed by Paul George in the first round and outplayed by Wade this series.

Let's not kid ourselves, we wouldn't be in the ECF if not for our huge advantage at the centre position. Our centres have been bailing out the brick bros all playoffs long. JV and Biyombo vs Mahini and rookie Turner? JV + biyomob vs Whiteside + Amare? Then, BIyombo vs. rookie SF Winslow? We've been living on the offense glass. The Heat's bigs have been so bad it makes 2pat look like Moses Malone out there.

And since you like chirping about eras, the Eastern conference big men are watered down. JV/Biyomobo would not be having their way with Camby and Mutombo like they did in these first 2 rounds.

[LLJ]

As I said above, he has a 48 TS%. He is in no away carrying the team like 2000-2001 Carter did in the playoffs. Its not even close. He was thoroughly outplayed by Paul George in the first round and outplayed by Wade this series.
.

It's funny that he probably did get outplayed by Wade overall, but all I remember are those daggers Lowry hit on Miami all series long. I mean we could probably make a collection of Riley reactions right now to all of Lowry's daggers this series. Wade didn't really have the same number of moments.

In retrospect, Game 3 was the game that stole the series for us. Wade was unstoppable that game all around, but Lowry just got super hot at the right time.
At the same time, if we had won Game 4, we probably win the series earlier.