Outrageous take or no?

[QUOTE]
Yes the main difference is the competition. You're finally getting it.

Lebron and AD have looked amazing and won a title and they're a play in team. Warriors are fully healthy and have a great core and they're a play in team. The Kings with Fox and Sabonis who were a top seed last year are a play in team. The Durant Booker Beal Suns who were expected to be title contenders at the start of the season are a play in team.

That doesn't mean they're all "playing the worst ball of their careers'". Total nonsense. The competition level has risen is the difference.
[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=ShawkFactory;14896937]So they both are as good overall as they were in 2020?[/QUOTE]

Strawman argument.

Lebron and AD have been great this year absolutely no question about it and honestly Reaves is a better 3rd option than anybody from the 2020 Laker team.

And they're a play in team!

That along with the other examples fully illustrates the competition level rising being the main factor. To say these teams are playing the worst ball of their careers because they are low seeds is total nonsense.

All time trolling right here.

The NBA has gotten so much better that a championship team that lost 6 total playoff games and never faced elimination is now a play in team.

Welcome to 3Ball territory. Well done on your rise up the troll rankings.

Yes... the West right now is at an all time high. It's not even debatable. The East looks pretty good now too. I've never seen low seeds this good before. And the high seeds are monstrous as well outside Minnesota.

[QUOTE=Wally450;14896928]People were clamoring over Curry in 2016. It wasn't until after the Finals that people walked back their takes of Curry being the best in the NBA. But at the end of the regular season in 2016, many people, including those who voted him MVP, would've said he's the best player in the NBA.[/QUOTE]

Curry getting locked by Delly in 2015 was already a thing. So Im sure there were people who wouldve said “lets see what Curry’s 73-9 team does in the playoffs this year before we crown him.”

And then we saw how that played out.

[QUOTE=FultzNationRISE;14896943]Curry getting locked by Delly in 2015 was already a thing. So Im sure there were people who wouldve said “lets see what Curry’s 73-9 team does in the playoffs this year before we crown him.”

And then we saw how that played out.[/QUOTE]

I agree with that, although they were a small minority. Curry won over lot's of fans. But there were still doubters, who ended up being proven right.

[QUOTE=Wally450;14896944]I agree with that, although they were a small minority. Curry won over lot's of fans. But there were still doubters, who ended up being proven right.[/QUOTE]


True dat

[QUOTE=tpols;14896940]Strawman argument.

Lebron and AD have been great this year absolutely no question about it and honestly Reaves is a better 3rd option than anybody from the 2020 Laker team.

And they're a play in team!

That along with the other examples fully illustrates the competition level rising being the main factor. To say these teams are playing the worst ball of their careers because they are low seeds is total nonsense.[/QUOTE]

How is that a strawman? Do you know what that means? My point is that while the numbers are similar, the players aren’t as effective overall. You’re the one who threw in “and won a title”. If you don’t want something addressed then don’t say it.

Comparing 2020/2024 Lebron and AD overall is like..the exact opposite of a strawman. It’s an exact comparison to my point. Neither are as good as they were.

[QUOTE=Wally450;14896944]I agree with that, although they were a small minority. Curry won over lot's of fans. But there were still doubters, who ended up being proven right.[/QUOTE]
He was truly phenomenal in the rs during the early years of their dynasty, can't deny that. But at the same, the west also became weak when they made the finals five straight times. And it took him six finals just to garner his first finals mvp award.

[QUOTE=tpols;14896940]Strawman argument.

Lebron and AD have been great this year absolutely no question about it and honestly Reaves is a better 3rd option than anybody from the 2020 Laker team.

And they're a play in team!

That along with the other examples fully illustrates the competition level rising being the main factor. To say these teams are playing the worst ball of their careers because they are low seeds is total nonsense.[/QUOTE]

How many games have you watched this season? We were clowning their coach for like half of the season for a reason.

This season, LUKA is finally near Curry from 3, both percentage wise and total made.
And they both have all time great gravitational pull on defenses.

Luka is also a MUCH better passer out of double teams.
And a much better passer overall.

But Luka is also a worse perimeter defender, and a worse transition defender.
And drinks too much, so unlikely to have as long and healthy career as Curry.

But let’s not get carried away.
Prime Curry changed the league forever.
Changed the international game a bit too.
Luka has a long way to go to not catch hate when his fans make these kind of statements.

But this season Luka is insane on offense for way way more reasons than the PPG & APG.
Watching hella games shows everyone that.

There is not a solo defender of any size, length, athletic ability, or intelligence level, who can lock him up. Nor is there a team defense who he can’t figure out and bait, and fool, and carve up with both scoring and passing.

Son just sucks guarding guards.
Everything else, if he can stay healthy and stop drinking so much, he will be a top ten all time player.

I will say this.

I've seen Curry get locked up. I've seen Curry taken out of moments in big games. Either because he couldn't get space or because he couldn't get the ball period.

Never really seen anyone lock up Luka. He's getting pretty much any shot he wants.

Curry had an abysmal finals in 2016 so it's not an outrageous take at all if Luka ends up having a great postseason.

[QUOTE=dankok8;14897146]Curry had an abysmal finals in 2016 so it's not an outrageous take at all if Luka ends up having a great postseason.[/QUOTE]

If Luka has an mcl tear during the last part of the season we will see how he comes back from it and then can judge that accordingly to Curry’s 2016

I think there's little to no argument against it tbh. 2016 Steph obviously is considerably better on 3s and at the FT line, but you'd give everything else to Luka offensively. He's ~84%FG inside 3 ft and is also unstoppable from 3-10 this season. Cavs managed to take away Steph's looks from 3, and Steph was injured obviously as well which slowed him down, but we've seen an injured Luka multiple times in the POs and he didn't miss a beat production-wise because he's able to bully his way to the rim when he has nothing else going. He's just a more polished all-around offensive player and has the size advantage that Steph doesn't.

Until I see Luka get completely shut down in a PO series like Steph I can't really doubt him tbh. The WCF vs. Golden State might have been his worst because of the scoring efficiency, and he still averaged 32/9/6/2/1 56%TS. You could argue that he's a stat-padder like Bron, but he's yet to hit a serious low in the POs.

[QUOTE=tpols;14896940]Strawman argument.

Lebron and AD have been great this year absolutely no question about it and honestly Reaves is a better 3rd option than anybody from the 2020 Laker team.

And they're a play in team!

That along with the other examples fully illustrates the competition level rising being the main factor. To say these teams are playing the worst ball of their careers because they are low seeds is total nonsense.[/QUOTE]

Even though AD and Bron have been doing their thing and have been healthy for the most part, the supporting cast has had many issues this season, and the HC has sabotaged the team many of times with his BS rotations. Lakers are 20 - 8 in their last 28 games but are still in the Play-In because of Ham's bullshit early on in the season. Lakers also don't have the dawgs they did in 2020 when they had an elite defense. Dwight, Javale, Rondo, Danny Green & KCP were all huge in their roles.