Is Peak/Prime Curry as good as any non MJ/LeBron player?

1993Playoffs · Post #1 » by **1993Playoffs** » Mon Aug 23, 2021 9:25 pm

In terms of quality of peak and prime is Curry arguable vs anyone besides MJ/LeBron?

ceiling raiser · Post #2 » by **ceiling raiser** » Mon Aug 23, 2021 9:29 pm

In addition to the other names that'll be mentioned (Shaq and Hakeem; some have Wilt but I don't know what to make of him tbh), I would throw Walton in that bucket as well. But yeah, that's my top tier.

Stan · Post #3 » by **Stan** » Mon Aug 23, 2021 9:32 pm

Curry's 2016 regular season truly was GOAT level. But sorry, this dude is not touching guys like Kareem, Shaq & Hakeem's peak, esp if we're talking playoff performance.

falcolombardi · Post #4 » by **falcolombardi** » Mon Aug 23, 2021 9:41 pm

is 2016 curry that great once considering playoffs?

like, is it a signoficatively better year than 2019 harden ?who also has another kind of mostrous regular season (36 points a game)

LukaTheGOAT · Post #5 » by **LukaTheGOAT** » Mon Aug 23, 2021 11:00 pm

In terms of RS player, I believe he most definitely is and I think it would be an uphill battle arguing otherwise.

In terms of PS play, I think there are a little over 10 guys I would take over him ( which the forum's peaks project seems to believe too). I will say I might be a Steph skeptic due to biases I might hold and don't realize (for example I value floor-raising and while Steph is strong in that area I think the guys I have ahead might be better and that might be due to my belief a 6'3 guard is limited physically in his ability to "carry" a team).

NRSV · Post #6 » by **NRSV** » Mon Aug 23, 2021 11:20 pm

Lol, no

No-more-rings · Post #7 » by **No-more-rings** » Mon Aug 23, 2021 11:51 pm

I don’t buy it. In the playoffs I don’t think his offense is a clear gap above guys like Wade, Kobe, Dirk, Oscar etc and defensively he’s never been a difference maker. I fail to see his case over the 2 way bigs like Kareem, Duncan, Shaq, Wilt, Hakeem and Russell.

parsnips33 · Post #8 » by **parsnips33** » Mon Aug 23, 2021 11:56 pm

I guess it depends on the word "clearly" here? If somebody is 1% better, but definitely so, is that player "clearly better"? Or should we take "clearly" to mean something like "significantly" here?

By definition 1, there are others clearly better. By definition 2, I don't think there are

Whopper_Sr · Post #9 » by **Whopper_Sr** » Tue Aug 24, 2021 12:50 am

2017 Curry is a shade below the GOAT level big man peaks (Russell, Wilt, Kareem, Walton, Hakeem, Shaq, Duncan, Garnett). But after that, there isn't anyone clearly better.

I'd put him on the same level as peak Oscar, West, Bird, Magic, D-Rob, Kobe, Nash, Dirk, Wade, and Paul.

Don't think anyone else is in the conversation.

jalengreen · Post #10 » by **jalengreen** » Tue Aug 24, 2021 1:07 am

Offensively, sure you can make that argument. But you have guys with worse but still elite offense along with *game-changing* defense. The versatile big men have that over Curry

I wonder about Russell versus Curry though in terms of peak. AFAIK (correct me if I'm wrong, I'm definitely prone to error in judging some old players) Russell wasn't a very impactful player offensively. Maybe similar to Curry's defense? Neither are liabilities on that end imo but they don't add much either. Meanwhile on the other side, they're transcendent. Curry's one of the most impactful offensive players ever but not an impactful defender. You could maybe say the opposite about Russell? The most impactful defender ever but not a super impactful offensive player. I might be wrong about his offense, though.

70sFan · Post #11 » by **70sFan** » Tue Aug 24, 2021 7:02 am

Why excluding Jordan and James? Some people have Curry peaking higher than them, some people have other players above them...

I don't have Curry in the first tier of peaks. He's in the secons tier to me.

mdonnelly1989 · Post #12 » by **mdonnelly1989** » Tue Aug 24, 2021 7:30 pm

Shaq, Kareem, Wilt, Bird, Magic, Hakeem are all in the 97/98 range.

Curry, Kobe, KD, Wade are all in the 96 range. So nah he's half a tier below those other guys IMO.

Had he performed on the same level in the playoffs now we are DEF talking a 98.

Cavsfansince84 · Post #13 » by **Cavsfansince84** » Tue Aug 24, 2021 7:31 pm

jalengreen wrote:Offensively, sure you can make that argument. But you have guys with worse but still elite offense along with *game-changing* defense. The versatile big men have that over Curry

I wonder about Russell versus Curry though in terms of peak. AFAIK (correct me if I'm wrong, I'm definitely prone to error in judging some old players) Russell wasn't a very impactful player offensively. Maybe similar to Curry's defense? Neither are liabilities on that end imo but they don't add much either. Meanwhile on the other side, they're transcendent. Curry's one of the most impactful offensive players ever but not an impactful defender. You could maybe say the opposite about Russell? The most impactful defender ever but not a super impactful offensive player. I might be wrong about his offense, though.

I think it's fair to say that Russell with his combination of pick setting, passing and off rebounding was a significant plus as an off player. Also, despite how much criticism he takes for being inefficient with his fg/ft shooting he still was far above league average for a few years(ts+ of 108 & 107) and had a career ts+ of 99 which is just below league average.