Clippers look underrated good

[ArbitraryWater]

Russ is not just playing much better than next to AD, but he seems to be working for them.

[ArbitraryWater]

actually Russ is still trash

[Manny98]

Kawhi is the modern day MJ

[imdaman99]

Kawhi is the modern day MJ

When he plays, he's as close to him as anyone since prime Wade. Kawhi is just not as charismatic or as marketable as MJ was but he's a winner, he has that dawg in him, he's hit a series winning shot, he's made series ending defensive stops, he has rings.

He just has that load management crap but when he plays and is healthy??? He can make life hell for KD. We'll see how the Suns figure out how to clear KD from him but the thing about KD is that he is a great ISO guy and doesn't ask for picks for switches. He's gonna have to do that or figure out how to score easier on KAwhi.

[fsvr54]

Kawhi is the modern day MJ

Basically. Injuries robbed him, but talent-wise he's the GOAT of this generation.

[SATAN]

Basically. Injuries robbed him, but talent-wise he's the GOAT of this generation.

:roll:

[Wardell Curry]

talent-wise he's the GOAT of this generation.

https://www.streamscheme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/monkahmm-emote-1.png

[ImKobe]

Basically. Injuries robbed him, but talent-wise he's the GOAT of this generation.

No doubt. He'd be Kobe/MJ of this era without the knee problems. 29/8/4/2/1 2.5 TOV on 63.4%TS in his last 61 Playoff games (since 2016). The Efficiency and all the metrics point to him being one of the best Playoff performers we've ever seen but he just can't stay healthy. He puts up KD numbers offensively while being a much better defensive player.

[Wardell Curry]

No doubt. He'd be Kobe/MJ of this era without the knee problems. 29/8/4/2/1 2.5 TOV on 63.4%TS in his last 61 Playoff games (since 2016). The Efficiency and all the metrics point to him being one of the best Playoff performers we've ever seen but he just can't stay healthy. He puts up KD numbers offensively while being a much better defensive player.

He's a Tim Duncan, a healthy Durant & Klay in the same series away from being ringless and nobody proclaiming such things. Even less people would talk about him than they do now. Oh, and you can't forget about that blatantly over the top traveling in the series before Durant & Klay on a game winner.

Woulda coulda shouldas don't mean anything and I'm not even sure what you're saying is true about what his status would be.

Shaq would be the GOAT if he had Kobe's work ethic.
LeBron would be the GOAT if he had MJ's fearlessness in closing moments and 'killer instinct'.

The list goes on.

[Wardell Curry]

Also, Embiid wouldn't be labeled a choker if that shot doesn't go in with the luckiest bounce in NBA history because the Sixers would have a ring. Ben Simmons' career trajectory is probably different.

Woulda, coulda, shoulda.

It's funny how things work in hindsight and how much people tie team success and a certain level of randomness to the status of individuals.

[ImKobe]

Also, Embiid wouldn't be labeled a choker if that shot doesn't go in with the luckiest bounce in NBA history because the Sixers would have a ring. Ben Simmons' career trajectory is probably different.

Woulda, coulda, shoulda.

It's funny how things work in hindsight and how much people tie team success and a certain level of randomness to the status of individuals.

Would he? It goes OT if Kawhi misses and I like the Raps' chances given their superior talent (Kawhi + Lowry alone) on offense. I wouldn't trust the Sixers to beat the Bucks or an injured GS team for that matter.




He's a Tim Duncan, a healthy Durant & Klay in the same series away from being ringless and nobody proclaiming such things. Even less people would talk about him than they do now. Oh, and you can't forget about that blatantly over the top traveling in the series before Durant & Klay on a game winner.

Woulda coulda shouldas don't mean anything and I'm not even sure what you're saying is true about what his status would be.

Shaq would be the GOAT if he had Kobe's work ethic.
LeBron would be the GOAT if he had MJ's fearlessness in closing moments and 'killer instinct'.

The list goes on.

That's a lot of IFs.

Ray Allen misses that shot and maybe Spurs end up winning B2B titles. CP3 misses that GW in 2015 and maybe the Spurs make another run & 3-Peat. 2017 they're up over 20 on the undefeated Warriors and if he doesn't go down maybe he has another ring and stays in San Antonio for the rest of his career. That bubble choke doesn't happen without COVID. He doesn't tear his ACL in 2021 and it's the Clippers against the Bucks in the Finals instead with a good chance at another run in 2022. We could go in a lot of directions with these hypotheticals.

The only IF I care about here is his health. There's no doubt in my mind his resume would be A LOT better without injuries. That's almost a given. He was already a FMVP (not a strong FMVP but nevertheless a good Finals performance) and a 2x DPOY before the injuries.

[90sgoat]

It's pretty crazy how Kawhi has basically not played basketball in the last 5 years and still he is the best player in the league in the playoffs.

[Wardell Curry]

The only IF I care about here is his health. There's no doubt in my mind his resume would be A LOT better without injuries. That's almost a given. He was already a FMVP (not a strong FMVP but nevertheless a good Finals performance) and a 2x DPOY before the injuries.

I understand what you're saying but ultimately it's just another type of 'if.' That's what most of his career has been.

What if Len Bias didn't overdose on coke? What if Ben Simmons cared about basketball and didn't have psychological issues?

If, if, if. It's just another type of 'if' that you view as not his fault when the truth is there are tons of 'ifs' that happen to players and teams that aren't their fault. It is what it is. Kawhi Leonard has his only ring as 'the man' on a team because of multiple 'ifs' going in his favor in 2019.

[tpols]

He's a Tim Duncan, a healthy Durant & Klay in the same series away from being ringless and nobody proclaiming such things. Even less people would talk about him than they do now. Oh, and you can't forget about that blatantly over the top traveling in the series before Durant & Klay on a game winner.

Woulda coulda shouldas don't mean anything and I'm not even sure what you're saying is true about what his status would be.

Shaq would be the GOAT if he had Kobe's work ethic.
LeBron would be the GOAT if he had MJ's fearlessness in closing moments and 'killer instinct'.

The list goes on.

You could say that about anybody that's ever won a ring. Winning with an ancient tim Duncan isn't a negative. Kawhi single handedly buried the Heat with a barrage of jumpers after the series was tied 1-1 and led the spurs to the biggest point differential blowout in NBA finals history at the time. After that he went on to be a true superstar. Went to Toronto who were playoff historically underachieving bums and instantly made them the champion. His ability is unquestionable.

[Axe]

You could say that about anybody that's ever won a ring. Winning with an ancient tim Duncan isn't a negative. Kawhi single handedly buried the Heat with a barrage of jumpers after the series was tied 1-1 and led the team to the biggest point differential blowout in NBA history at the time. After that he went on to be a true superstar. Went to Toronto who were playoff historically underachieving bums and instantly made them the champion. His ability is unquestionable.
His greatest feat? Denying chef a three-peat four years ago.

[tpols]

His greatest feat? Denying chef a three-peat four years ago.

Curry made up for that though last year. His game 4 performance is one of the best playoff games of all time given the context of the game.

[Axe]

Curry made up for that though last year. His game 4 performance is one of the best playoff games of all time given the context of the game.
Sure. But his playoff comebacks didn't happen while klay was gone for some period.

[fsvr54]

It's pretty crazy how Kawhi has basically not played basketball in the last 5 years and still he is the best player in the league in the playoffs.

He was literally destroying the league in 2021 before the injury in the 2nd round

[tpols]

Sure. But his playoff comebacks didn't happen while klay was gone for some period.

Klay shot 7-17 and Dray 1-7 in that game.

Curry saved them.

[90sgoat]

He was literally destroying the league in 2021 before the injury in the 2nd round

He's been more out than on the floor.

[fsvr54]

He's been more out than on the floor.

Sure, but your statement was quite the exaggeration.