Opinion The NBA Thread

[danielnajdek]

Curry is the best individual player in the series. He this season has surpassed LeBron as the NBA's best player.

Don't really agree. He is by far the better shooter. LeBron is the better passer and rebounder. Hence imo the better all round player.

 

[Knightmare]

Don't really agree. He is by far the better shooter. LeBron is the better passer and rebounder. Hence imo the better all round player.

I look at the equation somewhat differently and I'd argue that Curry is better on both ends of the floor, without necessarily disagreeing with either of your points.

Steph is shooting 50% fg, 45% 3pt, 90% ft. And at the volume Curry shoots the three doing that. It's not close to me who is better at putting up baskets and scoring more efficiently, with the higher point per shot stats, which for a point guard is incredible. I also value Steph's work off the ball more than that of LeBron, with the gravity Curry creates as someone who also on the catch and shoot can drain it from anywhere and opens up the floor so much for others, much as he does when he has the ball himself.

On the defensive end with LeBron these past 2-3 seasons has by his standards been apathetic and less able to shut down the best players from the other team, needing to conserve his energy for the offensive end which has allowed Curry to also surpassed LeBron on that end of the floor. Curry forces low % shots by forcing guys to bad spots and also has such quick hands he doesn't even need to play the passing lanes as LeBron does to get 2+ steals per game. It's worth checking bballbreakdown's video on youtube about Steph's defence and how good his defence really is.

As a passer and rebounder I agree LeBron is better, though not by much in either category. As a rebounder Curry by point guard standards is excellent with nearly 6 rebounds per 36min. As a passer Curry can get too fancy and turn it over so I certainly prefer LeBron's passing with his drive and dish game, seeing over everyone and hitting the open 3pt shooters for the easy catch and shoot 3s. But Curry as a passer in his own right when he doesn't get careless is very good in his own right.

 

[sirlothie]

LeBron is better overall. He is the perfect package as a basketballer. Tall, strong, fast, great leap. Can score inside and out, rebound, block shots, steal, pass. He can do everything. He is probably the most naturally talented player ever and the best player over 6"6.

 

[Knightmare]

LeBron is better overall. He is the perfect package as a basketballer. Tall, strong, fast, great leap. Can score inside and out, rebound, block shots, steal, pass. He can do everything. He is probably the most naturally talented player ever and the best player over 6"6.

LeBron (was) better overall.

While athletically he has lost a step and lost some of his spring, he is still a terrific physical specimen.

Finishing near the rim isn't what it once was. Poor 3pt shooter and an only ok free throw shooter but can hit from mid-range.

Capable rebounder, but not a factor on the offensive boards.

Able to get his share of chasedown blocks but in the most part is unwilling to block from in front.

To get steals LeBron sags off on defense and plays the passing lanes. I don't consider that good defense. And more generally LeBron isn't the anyone stopper on defense he once was.

LeBron is a great all-rounder and such a skilled, athletic and versatile player. But his game is flawed and those flaws these past two seasons with Cleveland have really been noticeable (defence, 3pt shooting, ft shooting).

Over 6"6 Wilt Chamberlain was the most naturally talented ever. Physically and for athleticism had LeBron well covered and from a skill perspective while much taller also exceeded LeBron in several regards. The only area Wilt didn't have was the ability from the line. He had a terrific fade-away jumper and could make hook shots from 3 point range. Best passer over 7' ever. Just from the line as a big, he struggled with the limitation on body motion from the line.

 

[sirlothie]

LeBron (was) better overall.

While athletically he has lost a step and lost some of his spring, he is still a terrific physical specimen.

Finishing near the rim isn't what it once was. Poor 3pt shooter and an only ok free throw shooter but can hit from mid-range.

Capable rebounder, but not a factor on the offensive boards.

Able to get his share of chasedown blocks but in the most part is unwilling to block from in front.

To get steals LeBron sags off on defense and plays the passing lanes. I don't consider that good defense. And more generally LeBron isn't the anyone stopper on defense he once was.

LeBron is a great all-rounder and such a skilled, athletic and versatile player. But his game is flawed and those flaws these past two seasons with Cleveland have really been noticeable (defence, 3pt shooting, ft shooting).

Over 6"6 Wilt Chamberlain was the most naturally talented ever. Physically and for athleticism had LeBron well covered and from a skill perspective while much taller also exceeded LeBron in several regards. The only area Wilt didn't have was the ability from the line. He had a terrific fade-away jumper and could make hook shots from 3 point range. Best passer over 7' ever. Just from the line as a big, he struggled with the limitation on body motion from the line.

3 point hook shots? You are kidding?

 

[sirlothie]

LeBron (was) better overall.

While athletically he has lost a step and lost some of his spring, he is still a terrific physical specimen.

Finishing near the rim isn't what it once was. Poor 3pt shooter and an only ok free throw shooter but can hit from mid-range.

Capable rebounder, but not a factor on the offensive boards.

Able to get his share of chasedown blocks but in the most part is unwilling to block from in front.

To get steals LeBron sags off on defense and plays the passing lanes. I don't consider that good defense. And more generally LeBron isn't the anyone stopper on defense he once was.

LeBron is a great all-rounder and such a skilled, athletic and versatile player. But his game is flawed and those flaws these past two seasons with Cleveland have really been noticeable (defence, 3pt shooting, ft shooting).

Over 6"6 Wilt Chamberlain was the most naturally talented ever. Physically and for athleticism had LeBron well covered and from a skill perspective while much taller also exceeded LeBron in several regards. The only area Wilt didn't have was the ability from the line. He had a terrific fade-away jumper and could make hook shots from 3 point range. Best passer over 7' ever. Just from the line as a big, he struggled with the limitation on body motion from the line.

To be honest from the limited footage I have seen on Wilt he seems mostly a catch and dunk player like Shaq or Dwight Howard.

 

[TradeDraft]

To be honest from the limited footage I have seen on Wilt he seems mostly a catch and dunk player like Shaq or Dwight Howard.

but No One could Stop Him

 

[sirlothie]

but No One could Stop Him

Today they could. In his day Wilt seemed to have 8 inches on everyone. 7"1 isn't that big anymore.

 

[Knightmare]

3 point hook shots? You are kidding?

I saw it in the Wilt Chamberlain archive on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/dantheman9758/videos

Here is the video:

The context was as a bet at training (the 3 point shot at the time was considered a circus shot) and he took and made four hook shot 3s in a row from four attempts. It's also spoken about in several other interviews on the channel about Wilt.

Crazy stuff.

To be honest from the limited footage I have seen on Wilt he seems mostly a catch and dunk player like Shaq or Dwight Howard.

My one criticism of Wilt actually other than his poor free throw shooting is that Wilt didn't dunk nearly enough and attack the rim with the aggression he could have.

Wilt would have injured half the big men in the league, in any generation had he gone for more dunks, and he didn't want a reputation as an arseh*le. He has blocked shots and dislocated the shoulders of guys, such was the force of his blocking. Dunked the ball and had it come up again through the rim - such was the force he threw it down. That's all stuff he can do, but because there was a perception that he was bigger, strong and more athletic than everyone Wilt actually played his career very much a finesse game. Mostly scoring on finger rolls and lots of fadeaway jumpers (and still doing it all at historically high percentages).

Dunking at the time wasn't mainstream and Wilt wanted to be perceived as not only bigger, stronger and more athletic than everyone, but also more skilled.

That's why he made the effort one season to lead the NBA in assists in 1968. Just because he could.

Absolute freak of a man.

 

[TradeDraft]

GS won game 4 so 3-1 up.

Fat Lady Sung. They win title in Game 5

 

[danielnajdek]

Game 6 boys.

 

[jjsmitty8]

LBJ getting it done offensively and defensively for the Cavs.

 

[jjsmitty8]

Steph Curry fouled out, ouch. That would suck ass, being booed out of a Cavs filled stadium when your team is gunna lose game 6 of a finals series.

Bring on game 7! Hope Steph gets the last laugh.

 

[TradeDraft]

Steph Curry fouled out, ouch. That would suck ass, being booed out of a Cavs filled stadium when your team is gunna lose game 6 of a finals series.

Bring on game 7! Hope Steph gets the last laugh.

Curry going off would been huge.

Gone to GAME 7

 

[danielnajdek]

Curry and Klay throwing tantrums like little babies.

 

[mattys123]

No matter what happens now the 95/96 Bulls have kept their place as the greatest modern day NBA team.

They only lost 3 games in their entire playoff run (led the finals 3-0 before blowing 2 games too, so could have been just one loss).

The Warriors if they win on Monday will go down as a great team, but the Bulls playoff record has them in front by a fair margin now.

 

[TradeDraft]

No matter what happens now the 95/96 Bulls have kept their place as the greatest modern day NBA team.

They only lost 3 games in their entire playoff run (led the finals 3-0 before blowing 2 games too, so could have been just one loss).

The Warriors if they win on Monday will go down as a great team, but the Bulls playoff record has them in front by a fair margin now.

I hope the Cavs can Get Up. Warriors had there Turn last year

 

[TradeDraft]

That be the last Thing you want your Wife to Say

http://www.foxsports.com.au/basketb...s/news-story/114e77154018302e9fad9b692cf96d66

 

[danielnajdek]

CAVS WIN!!!

That block from LeBron. Wow. And that three from Kyrie won it for them. While Curry choked and threw up bricks.

 

[nahnah]

Amazing. One of the best days of my life. Love you cavs.

 

[jjsmitty8]

CAVS WIN!!!

That block from LeBron. Wow. And that three from Kyrie won it for them. While Curry choked and threw up bricks.

I don't think it was a case of choking from anyone. Everyone on the planet knew Klay or Steph would take the last shot, Cavs were all over them. It would have been a different story if they'd drained it.

The game was on the line, defence was tight from both teams. It was just a matter of cometh the moment, cometh the man, and LeBron and Kyrie were clutch. LeBron's block saved them the game and Kyrie's 3 couldn't be stopped.

It was just a good game, good series, GSW would be spewing they let it slip, but all credit to the Cavs. They never said die.

 

[TradeDraft]

Great to see Cavs win the title and Glad see the Pies Fan Delly win a Ring.

Now onto the Draft on Friday

 

[danielnajdek]

And that is why I think LeBron is better then Curry.

He always steps up in playoffs while Curry went missing.

 

[nahnah]

Screw all the haters, Cleveland Cavs NBA champions.

Big time shot by my man Kyrie

 

[TradeDraft]

Cavs could of won Back to Back Titles IF Irving and Love where not injured last year in the Finals