Everything Playoffs 2022 (Non-Raptors Thread)

[G__Deane]

Jordan, LeBron, Kareem. My top 3. After that I think are Steph contemparies. The OG big guys, wilt and Russell, the new school big men Duncan and Shaq, and the 80s dynasty guys magic and Larry. That's my 10, it's hard to give exact numbers to 4-8 but that's why I asked.

Think he has surpassed Shaq forsure maybe Duncan.

Russell was playing in an old ear with less competition so I could see the Steph over Russell argument too. Wilt also was in the less competive era, but he was a freak athelete who may have been even better in today's league.

And I think he is right there with Larry and magic. Wouldn't be mad at anyone ranking those 3 in any order to be honest.

Curry moved into top 10 for me, not top 5. I can be talked into moving Shaq down, he changed so much in his career that it's a difficult discussion and I don't think he'd be quite as dominant today. In no particular order but close:
Jordan
lebron
Kareem
Magic
Kobe
Bird
Wilt
Shaq
Curry
Russell
Duncan
Durant
Oscar Robertson
Hakeem
Julius Irving.

[G__Deane]

When you are a fan of a single team, you pretty much want parity. But parity is not something a casual fan would want.

I don't think its so much the super team thing. MJ's Bulls weren't really a super team. Lebron's Cavs with Kyrie and Love weren't a super team. They got ratings. I think it's just that Steph is not a marketable super star. His gravitas doesn't extend to the casual as much as Lebron, Kobe, Shaq or MJ did.

Giannis doesn't have it either. I don't know if there is a guy in the NBA that does have it (after Lebron). Maybe Luka but he's not an American. The sport is going to be in a bit of trouble because of it.

The NBA needs something that can extend to the casual. It needs a rivalry of some kind. Like Bird and Magic had.

Disagree a bit.
Lebron, Irving and Love were a super team, maybe not the best of all time but whatever you want to classify them as, better than Butler, Lowry, Bam or beaten up Kawhi/PG, Embiid/Harden for instance.

And Giannis is infinitely more marketable for the NBA than Luka, both players I really like. But global appeal like MJ/lebron no.

[bertarapsfan]

Who's your top 10 all time then. I want to see some of the greats you put behind Steph. I can't put him top 5 all time

Jordan, LeBron, Kareem. My top 3. After that I think are Steph contemparies. The OG big guys, wilt and Russell, the new school big men Duncan and Shaq, and the 80s dynasty guys magic and Larry. That's my 10, it's hard to give exact numbers to 4-8 but that's why I asked.

Think he has surpassed Shaq forsure maybe Duncan.

Russell was playing in an old ear with less competition so I could see the Steph over Russell argument too. Wilt also was in the less competive era, but he was a freak athelete who may have been even better in today's league.

And I think he is right there with Larry and magic. Wouldnt be mad at anyone ranking those 3 in any order to be honest.

[planetmars]

There might be something to super teams and the David vs. Goliath story line making for more compelling drama and entertainment for fans. What we have now is league-wide parity at the top, where (depending on luck and injuries), like 10 teams could rise up and win the championship and nobody would be overly surprised or shocked. There's no David and no Goliath.

When you are a fan of a single team, you pretty much want parity. But parity is not something a casual fan would want.

I don't think its so much the super team thing. MJ's Bulls weren't really a super team. Lebron's Cavs with Kyrie and Love weren't a super team. They got ratings. I think it's just that Steph is not a marketable super star. His gravitas doesn't extend to the casual as much as Lebron, Kobe, Shaq or MJ did.

Giannis doesn't have it either. I don't know if there is a guy in the NBA that does have it (after Lebron). Maybe Luka but he's not an American. The sport is going to be in a bit of trouble because of it.

The NBA needs something that can extend to the casual. It needs a rivalry of some kind. Like Bird and Magic had.

[The Great One]

Was Wiggins a better defender than OG 2 seasons ago when he was the same age as OG now?! nope.

I'm not talking about 2 years ago, i'm talking about right now. Wiggins is the better defensive player right now. He just completely clamped a 1st team All NBA player in the NBA Finals. That's special. He also made life difficult for Luka in the WCF. Luka still put up numbers but he had to work for it. Now, watch Luka's highlights against the Raptors this past season or Tatum's highlights against the Raptors in the bubble.

Overall, Wiggins is also the better overall player than OG because he can create his own shots + he's a much much better finisher.

[golden]

I'm just happy the season is over. What a dreadful finals. Couldn't care less about either team.

There might be something to super teams and the David vs. Goliath story line making for more compelling drama and entertainment for fans. What we have now is league-wide parity at the top, where (depending on luck and injuries), like 10 teams could rise up and win the championship and nobody would be overly surprised or shocked. There's no David and no Goliath.

[planetmars]

I'm just happy the season is over. What a dreadful finals. Couldn't care less about either team.

[golden]

Wasn't the Finals result that I wanted (not a fan of dynasties, prefer new blood) but mad respect for this team and how do you not like Curry? The best pure shooter I have ever seen, the long bombs that should just be highlight stuff became nightly stuff.

Clowning with the ring point and going to sleep stuff weren't my favourite moves though.

Without the logo, how do you hate the Celtics? Hard working talented team without any real elite top 10 superstars and just win. I'd like the Raps to be a bit more like them in some ways. Unless you can find us a Steph Curry

Raps can easily be like the Celtics and eventually surpass. Just need a bit more seasoning and less over-coaching defense.

[G__Deane]

Wasn't the Finals result that I wanted (not a fan of dynasties, prefer new blood) but mad respect for this team and how do you not like Curry? The best pure shooter I have ever seen, the long bombs that should just be highlight stuff became nightly stuff.

Clowning with the ring point and going to sleep stuff weren't my favourite moves though.

Without the logo, how do you hate the Celtics? Hard working talented team without any real elite top 10 superstars and just win. I'd like the Raps to be a bit more like them in some ways. Unless you can find us a Steph Curry

[G__Deane]

Easily.. but think he pushing into the top 5 zone

Who's your top 10 all time then. I want to see some of the greats you put behind Steph. I can't put him top 5 all time

[LJ2]

GS does it again and proves their detractors wrong. If they only stayed healthy we'd be talking about them as the greatest team of all time.

[Hotshot]

This is a reality check for Tatum, either he works hard to turn into his ideal Kobe or stays in the Paul George like territory.

[The Great One]

[Hotshot]

Who's the better defender, Wiggins or OG?

Was Wiggins a better defender than OG 2 seasons ago when he was the same age as OG now?! nope.

[A.I]

Wiggins definitely didn't live up to the hype coming out of college, but the impact he had in the Finals, I'm proud of him.

Warriors needed someone to grab rebounds, he got them 16. They needed someone to step up when Steph struggled, he scored 26. They needed someone to defend Tatum, he stepped up to the plate.

You had Steph, Brown and Wiggins as the 3 best players in the series. Head and shoulders above everybody else.