pepe1991 wrote:Kevin Love during playoffs for Cavs:
year 1: 14 points, 7 rebounds -41% FG, 42% for 3
year 2: 14,7 points, 8 ,5 rebounds 38,5% FG, 41% for 3 (won title)
year 3: 16,8 ppg, 10,6 rpg. 43,6% FG, 45% for 3
Chris Bosh stats during back to back championship ( cumulative):
13 ppg, 7,5 rebounds , 50% eFG
Kevin Love on full blown max, Chris Bosh as 13# most expensive nba player ( in 2012-13). By the 2013-14 Bosh was top 10 most expensive player, making Kevin Durant, Chris Paul ... in same year
And it's not like those guys were killing it in regular season. Bosh was 16 -7 man, Love 16-9.
Going from being pivotal part of offense and touching ball for hole lot to being glorified Ryan Anderson for most stars is painful transition. Both players got incredible amount of heat , at times, for playing "poor". But since they won championsihp, narrative over years changed.
Vuc hardly touches top 50 salary. ( 46th ).
Vuc was best Magic player because Orlando never had ability to draft star, never had balls to trade for one and never attracted anybody to sign one. So it was always by default. Orlando tried multiple times find his replacment. Hence, whole Biyombo thing was to replace him, but it was Hennigan- killer move. Weltman drafted Bamba. Another fiasco.
Vuc and Bulls, i mean, i really don't care about them, and it's their problem. but you look game like tonight, they play against red hot Cavs, no Lavine, no Lonzo, no Pat Will ( 3 out of 5 starters) , Vuc gets more touches and has 24-12-3 on +13 plus minus game. Ofc once Lonzo, Lavie are back he is not taking 21 shot a game. And he, much like many other "third bananas" won't average 20 points on 12 shots. He doesn't draw fouls ( by far worst issue with him ) and he is glorified spot up shooter and screen setter on Bulls , when whole team is healthy.
I knew you were going to bring up tonight's game as proof. I saw the box score and said pepe is going to get me. He picked a hella of night to play well, lol.
But again I completely agree that one's stats will decline when playing with other impactful, star players. My thing is that Vuc was never as good as a KG, Love, or Bosh. Maybe with exception of Love, I don't think that Vuc had the individual or team success that those players had as the first option. Hell, Vuc only had only one winning season in Orlando I believe. And even though they put up similar numbers as a 3rd option doesn't mean their impacts were the same. You can't tell me Vuc's impact is the same as KG's. Vuc is far closer to a Barnes than any of those 3.
