Steph Curry

[Knicks411]

In basketball I would lean more toward peak, just because a great basketball player can carry you further than a great player in another sport, with the possible exception of QB. But sure, you n eed to have some kind of longevity. I would find it impossible to rank Steph right now

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Likely, no one will ever top Wilts best years, so we can stop greatest seasons ever discussions.

 

[upperdeck]

its crazy teams are so scared of him they just back off and let him shoot. it helps that physical play for the most part is gone now compared to the MJ days. still teams have to actually guard him and make him shoot the tougher shots from inside the arc as he has shown he makes open shots from pretty much anyplace.

 

[Eric15]

it helps that physical play for the most part is gone now compared to the MJ days.

That's a good thing, in my book. Basketball is supposed to be a graceful, high-scoring, fluid game played by world-class athletes out in open space. Hand-checking and excessively physical defense is horrible for the game. Everything about the Bad Boy Pistons was bad for basketball.

 

[Cusefannotindc]

its crazy teams are so scared of him they just back off and let him shoot. it helps that physical play for the most part is gone now compared to the MJ days. still teams have to actually guard him and make him shoot the tougher shots from inside the arc as he has shown he makes open shots from pretty much anyplace.

Who backs off and lets him shoot?

 

[upperdeck]

everyone

 

[STEVEHOLT]

its crazy teams are so scared of him they just back off and let him shoot. it helps that physical play for the most part is gone now compared to the MJ days. still teams have to actually guard him and make him shoot the tougher shots from inside the arc as he has shown he makes open shots from pretty much anyplace.

If you play up on him, hell go right around you with ease...hes great around the rim as well. Im sort of tired of these comments from retired players media types who actually think being physical with him will slow him down.

They really think NBA teams havent thought of this? They have tried to be physical with him, and it doesnt work. nothing works on him. the only thing that will work is father time or injury. This isnt the NFL where you could light him up as he goes over the middle in years gone by but now the rules are different. This is the NBA where physical play has always had its limits.

He's not a chicken who will be shaken up from a hard hit or two.

 

[orangefog]

I respect what the players did in their generation, but players are so much better now. They probably would have been better too, but they didn't play against a Steph Curry. Like posters mentioned earlier, they never played against someone with ball handling skills like Curry. I get frustrated watching games from the 70's and before, many players could barely dribble with their off hand. Now there are 7 footers dribbling down court like guards.

 

[NashvilleOrange]

Watching him this season, specifically these last three games, has been amazing. I highly recommend getting league pass if you don't have it already when they drop the price down to $50 in a week or so for the stretch run.

 

[MikeSU02]

I respect what the players did in their generation, but players are so much better now. They probably would have been better too, but they didn't play against a Steph Curry. Like posters mentioned earlier, they never played against someone with ball handling skills like Curry. I get frustrated watching games from the 70's and before, many players could barely dribble with their off hand. Now there are 7 footers dribbling down court like guards.

And remember, while people claim that the defense was way more physical in the past, it was also way, way worse and much less complex.

Part of that was due to the rules that mandated where you could be, but part of that was just the defense being bad.

Steph Curry lit up Kawhi Leonard like a light bulb. Kawhi Leonard, by any metric, is an elite defender and one of the best players in the league. Steph is in his own stratosphere on offense right now.

 

[Knicks411]

And remember, while people claim that the defense was way more physical in the past, it was also way, way worse and much less complex.

Part of that was due to the rules that mandated where you could be, but part of that was just the defense being bad.

Steph Curry lit up Kawhi Leonard like a light bulb. Kawhi Leonard, by any metric, is an elite defender and one of the best players in the league. Steph is in his own stratosphere on offense right now.

I know the game is different, but if you watch some 80's games, a lot of guys don't even get covered until they're within like 20 feet of the bucket.

 

[orangefog]

And remember, while people claim that the defense was way more physical in the past, it was also way, way worse and much less complex.

Part of that was due to the rules that mandated where you could be, but part of that was just the defense being bad.

Steph Curry lit up Kawhi Leonard like a light bulb. Kawhi Leonard, by any metric, is an elite defender and one of the best players in the league. Steph is in his own stratosphere on offense right now.

I agree. If you look at a jump shooter like Ray Allen. He has a perfect stroke and he gets it off fast. But Steph has changed his stroke so that he can get it up and out of his hand as soon as he sees daylight. It is unbelievable. And the notion that in a couple of years we are going to have teams with multiple Steph Currys out there, I find comical. There are tons of gunners in the league, and even more that would love a chance at playing in the league, but Steph Curry is an anomaly, and if he can sustain his current pace, he will be among the very best to ever play this game, a true legend. It's like saying that teams will have 3 or 4 guys like Lebron. Lebron is a freak, Steph Curry is a freak, Anthony Davis is a freak. Of course ever team will be looking for their Steph Curry, but they aren't going to find him.

 

[MikeSU02]

I know the game is different, but if you watch some 80's games, a lot of guys don't even get covered until they're within like 20 feet of the bucket.

A lot of guys basically gave some effort for the first three quarters and then turned it on in the 4th. Especially the superstars.

Part of that was to reserve energy for the defensive end, but part of that was the weight of offense for the strategy versus what we have now, which are much more complex and intense defensive schemes.

I love those 80s games, but Kawhi would shut down most of the league by himself if you put him in a time machine.

 

[MikeSU02]

I agree. If you look at a jump shooter like Ray Allen. He has a perfect stroke and he gets it off fast. But Steph has changed his stroke so that he can get it up and out of his hand as soon as he sees daylight. It is unbelievable. And the notion that in a couple of years we are going to have teams with multiple Steph Currys out there, I find comical. There are tons of gunners in the league, and even more that would love a chance at playing in the league, but Steph Curry is an anomaly, and if he can sustain his current pace, he will be among the very best to ever play this game, a true legend. It's like saying that teams will have 3 or 4 guys like Lebron. Lebron is a freak, Steph Curry is a freak, Anthony Davis is a freak. Of course ever team will be looking for their Steph Curry, but they aren't going to find him.

This is a great comment, especially the Ray Allen comment.

From a technical standpoint, Klay's jumper is actually better than Steph's. But for the outrageous abilities that Steph has, his shot is perfect for him.

If he gets to three MVPs and two or three titles, he'll end up in the top ten, no doubt in my mind.

As complex as the game is, you still dribble, shoot, dribble and pass. He's the very best at one of those three things of all time. And he's elite in the other two things.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

And the notion that in a couple of years we are going to have teams with multiple Steph Currys out there, I find comical.

I think it will happen actually. If nothing else, I think he's showing that if you have a guy that can hit from deep, just give him the green light. That will have a big long term effect.

 

[Knicks411]

A lot of guys basically gave some effort for the first three quarters and then turned it on in the 4th. Especially the superstars.

Part of that was to reserve energy for the defensive end, but part of that was the weight of offense for the strategy versus what we have now, which are much more complex and intense defensive schemes.

I love those 80s games, but Kawhi would shut down most of the league by himself if you put him in a time machine.

Also, no one really shot 3's at all. It's just a completely different game. But I struggle with the idea that players in the past were any better than they are now. At the absolute minimum, they should be just as good. Why would players now be any worse than players 10,15, 30 etc years ago? (I mean the reality is they are almost certainly better, but what reason would there be for them to be worse? )

 

[OrangeDW]

Also, no one really shot 3's at all. It's just a completely different game. But I struggle with the idea that players in the past were any better than they are now. At the absolute minimum, they should be just as good. Why would players now be any worse than players 10,15, 30 etc years ago? (I mean the reality is they are almost certainly better, but what reason would there be for them to be worse? )

Because most old people think things were better when they were young. That's all that is.

 

[Fireball Jr.]

Because most old people think things were better when they were young. That's all that is.

I've been watching the NBA 50-somethin' years, game's better than ever from my vantage point in the senior citizen center.

 

[MikeSU02]

I've been watching the NBA 50-somethin' years, game's better than ever from my vantage point in the senior citizen center.

I'm 36.

I love the game now.

As for players, I never thought anyone would be better than Bird or Magic when I was little. Then I didn't think anyone would approach MJ.

I never thought Shaq or Duncan or Kobe quite got to those levels.

LeBron did (and still does).

I think KD and Russ have the potential to end up being top 10 / 15 talents if they can win some titles.

However, if, and it is a big if, Steph can keep it going at this level, he is entering rarefied air. All time talent and all time "let your friends know Steph is going off and it's must-watch tv".

Just a note, don't sleep on Kawhi Leonard in the long run. As someone who defends Scottie Pippen as though he were my own child, someone that plays at that level of defense and has improved so much on offense is on a trajectory to be an all-timer.

BTW, I think all this is moot. Once Bryce and Bron Jr enter the league, it's over. Those guys are going to average 35/15/10. (kidding, kidding)

 

[Cusefan0307]

Curry would score 80 against these defenses. Nobody helped and nobody guarded outside 15 feet. College defenses look harder to score against than this defense from the 84 finals.