Opinion: With another ring, Curry overtakes Pippen as the GOAT Finals 2nd option

[floppymoose]

With two (?) MVPs and no rings, is Jokic the GOAT treadmill option?

[mj234eva]

Lol. Pippen is not the GOAT #2 option in the Finals.

[WarriorGM]

Bill Russell is the greatest Finals second option.

[Fencer reregistered]

When looking at career Finals achievements, it's always worth looking at the Russell-era Celtics. E.g., Tom Heinsohn played in the Finals every season of his 9-year career. He went something like 35-20 in Game 7 as a rookie. But depending on how one counts, it's not clear he was as high as 2nd option, given that his teammates always included Russell plus at least two of Cousy, Sharman, Sam Jones and Havlicek. Havlicek, who always went to the Finals with an MVP-class center (Russell or Cowens), had 3 different Finals with 25+ PPG. But perhaps one would call him a first option, at least on the 1970s teams. Hmm ...

[michaelm]

To recognize Curry's ascension above Pippen as a Finals performer. I think even though he has less rings, getting that Finals MVP this year will solidify him as a better Finals 2nd fiddle.

You mean like Duncan and the Admiral, or perhaps Kawhi and Duncan. Every one knows Duncan was the wellspring of those 5 title wins. Kawhi who was also a great player getting FMVP in the last title win doesn't diminish Duncan who still led the team. KD of whom I am a big fan doesn't seem to have found it as easy to dominate playing next to Harden or Irving either as he did when next to Curry.

We don't win that title without Kawhi. He was the key to the series and the final 3 games he took over.

Duncan is my favorite player, and I can admit it.

The Spurs had 2 all time great players in your first and last title wins, and a team ethos largely based on Tim Duncan for at least the last 4 titles. GSW deliberately tried to emulate that and Curry is similar to Duncan in being a team first player. If team is sufficiently fortunate to have 2 great players who are both intrinsic to winning a title I don't see a need to differentiate between them , and as a Spurs/Duncan fan you should understand the importance of team play, particularly the last Spurs title win with one of the greatest displays of team basketball ever.

KD actually said that a reason he left GSW was because he recognised GSW were Curry's team and that their system ran through Curry, hardly the statements or actions of a man who thought Curry was the second option at GSW. Returning to dual iso doesn't seemed to have worked as well for him. Similarly Kawhi latched on to a well constructed team which played team ball, more or less by accident, and won a second title, but I am unsure whether his method and particularly his team management capabilities will ever bring him a title at the Clippers.