2022 NBA Offseason - Rest in Peace Bill Russell

[PAOerfulone]

Shaunodon said:

PAOerfulone said:

My Top 10 Greatest Players of All-Time, Pre-Finals:
1. Michael Jordan
2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
3. Bill Russell
4. Kobe Bryant
5. LeBron James
6. Larry Bird
7. Magic Johnson
8. Tim Duncan
9. Wilt Chamberlain
10. Hakeem Olajuwon/Shaquille O'Neal (I'm always flip-flopping between these two.)

POST FINALS:
1. Michael Jordan
2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
3. Bill Russell
4. Kobe Bryant
5. LeBron James
6. Larry Bird
7. Magic Johnson
8. Tim Duncan
9. Stephen Curry
10. Wilt Chamberlain

I'm surprised how close this is to my mind. Only changes: I'd drop Lebron behind Kobe (unless he wins another ring), and I still have it close between him and Bird; also I'd drop Duncan out and move the rest up. Other than that, pretty much exactly the same.

PAOerfulone said:

LONG overdue if you ask me. He should've won it in 2015 and 2018, but oh well.

It's a double-standard that he was the best player on the team in 2015, yet they gave it to the guy who had a better series. But in 2018 they should've easily rolled the Cavs again (which they eventually did), yet in the first two games at home they were legitimately struggling early while Durant went missing and Curry bailed them out. Even if people considered Durant a better player, Curry was more important in that series, but his stats dropped in garbage time blowouts while Durant was running up the score.

Even when they lost to Toronto, people somehow felt Steph could've done more, yet forget while Durant was injured during most of that playoff run Curry carried the shit out of them, especially torching the Rockets and completely outplaying Harden.

I don't particularly even like Steph or his game, but it's always bothered me how he seems to be taken for granted just to elevate other players the media prefer.

As someone who loves Kobe dearly, he will always be my favorite player, I just can't deny LeBron's resume at this point. 4 chips, 4 MVPs, 4 Finals MVPs, and most likely the All-Time Leading Scorer by the end of next season. It's just too much to argue against. Now, if I had to choose between LeBron and Kobe in their primes or at the start of their careers to start my team with, I'm taking Kobe, hands down. But overall resumes and legacy, I have to give the nod to LeBron.

EDIT: Now that I've had more time to think about it and I think about them as leaders, not just players, yeah, I'd much, MUCH rather have Kobe over LeBron. So yeah, I put Kobe back ahead of LeBron.

And wow, I'd like to hear your argument on why you'd take Duncan out completely. 5 rings, 3 Finals MVPs, 2 League MVPs, best PF ever. Leaving him off a Top 10 is a bold claim.

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I firmly believe that if Klay had not suffered that Torn ACL in Game 6 of 2019 and he's able to play the rest of the way, the Warriors win that game. Then WHO KNOWS what happens in Toronto for Game 7. People, and especially the analysts who want to build up Durant, all fail to realize that KD was able to do all that damage the Warriors were able to have that success because of Steph. We just saw it in this series, especially Game 5, where Steph draws SO MUCH attention from the other team's defense that it opens things up for everyone else. Wiggins had the greatest game of his life in Game 5 because Steph took Marcus Smart out to damn near half court and made the game 4 on 4, giving Wiggins more room to attack. The same was true for KD in 2017. I lost count how many times KD had a wide open dunk in transition because JR Smith or Kyrie or LeBron were running out to Steph at the 3-point line, giving KD an open lane to the basket.

I have never seen a player impact a game the way or to the degree that Steph does night in and night out. Even when he's having an off night, he still effects the game because just him being on the court and moving all over the place off the ball opens things up for everyone else!

Last edited by PAOerfulone - on 11 July 2022