Jordan is so overrated tbh
But he has made Kawhi haters mad, so I'm ok with that
By your definition, no active players have carried their teams to les except Lebron, Dirk and Wade. Oh, and Metta World Peace if he's still playing.
And he didn't get them over the hump against the Thunder? What about that chase down of Russ in game 6 2014?
You blame him for his injury?
This post is just full of random, haphazardly strung together rants.
Good to know...Fans are thinking it's Kawhi's fault that Zaza hurt him.
And then, people blame Kawhi because the Spurs aren't willing to make monetary excesses to build a superteam like the Heat and the Cavs were on LeBron's days.Chosing Lebron over Kawhi is a no brainer, even if just for the team you can put around him. Who's coming to play alongside Kawhi?
Anyway, Lebron over Kawhi is a no brainer because LBJ's the best player in the league since MJ.
But I don't forget that even LeBron needed Wade/Bosh and Irving/Love to win rings. He didn't win a single ring without them
If the Spurs surround Kawhi with two other superstars I'm pretty sure he'll carry his team to more les.
I wonder why the Spurs didn't sign Irving a guy who already wanted "to play alongside Kawhi"
Because tax? Because they don't have assets to work in a trade? Because some loyalty contract? Sure... BLAME Kawhi for that.
Last edited by YGWHI; 08-06-2017 at 01:56 PM.
Agreed. You could also say move the whole Spurs franchise to the East. Kawhi could very well get to the Finals with the team he's had/has.
Exactly. Another reason why LeBron made many Finals...The East S*UCKS.
I'm crossing out the reasons why someone would consider KL the best player in the game. You don't have to carry a team to the le to be the best player, but you could use that as a reason to consider him that. He didn't, so let's get that out of the way.
It doesn't matter why he's hurt. He plays a 48 minute game just like Lebron, Curry and KD. He twisted his ankle prior to the contact with Zaza. It's not Greg Oden's fault his knees are . That did prevent him from rising up the ladder however.
KL needs to put together a string of convincing performances in the playoffs to get to the next level. He's had some real convincing moments and games, but Lebron had those years ago as well. Curry is just a great 3pt shooter and, imo, shouldn't be considered with the best in the game. He's effective though.
You're not going to convince people who model their forum persona after a player that said player isn't the GOAT. I'm just adding some reality to the thread. You can like whomever you want and caveat your way to whatever suits you.
If you think KL's chasedown of Russ got them over the hump, you're ignoring Manu's clutch shot, Tim's solid screen, the other factors in the game as well. Kawhi's block was big, but do you really think that makes him the best player in the game? Does Manu get that nod this season because of the Harden block?
LeBron James had to form a superteam to win a le. KD had to join a record winning team to win a le. Which team on your list has carried a team to a le by themselves? LeBron? He still had Kyrie to help him this last time around.
DMC is trying to be cool and edgy all of a sudden. He probably just bought a convertible and frosted his tips.
Lebron is the best player in the league, considering he's also the GM and coach, tbh...
Don't forget that if Lebron doesn't go supernatural a year ago and backdoor sweeps the Dubs, you don't get Raymond crying on the phone to KD to come over because they need help...
I think Kawhi is on his way, but he's just not there yet, IMO...
2013 LJ averaged 25/11/7/2(st) in the Finals. KL averaged 14/11/1/2(st)
Sure you can say Ray Allen's 10ppg or Wade's 19/4 was the difference maker, if you're looking for bias confirmation.
2014 LJ averaged 28/8/4/2 in the Finals while KL averaged 18/6/2/1.5
2015 playoffs KL averaged 21/7 LJ averaged 30/11/9
2016 playoffs KL averaged 22/6/3/2.5 LJ averaged 26/9/8/2.3
2017 playoffs KL averaged 28/8/5 LJ averaged 32/9/8
The year Kawhi won the FMVP he wasn't the leading scorer in the playoffs or finals. He had a major impact, but he didn't "carry" the team like Tim did in seasons past. KL came closer this year to carrying the team than he ever has, and was very impressive, but he wasn't better than Lebron James or Kevin Durant. He had moments where he was better than either of them, but not on average.
You don't have to carry a great team to be a great player, but you cannot use "carried the team" when he didn't.
It's not entirely Kawhi's fault either... Lebron decides how much he plays, rests, etc...
Kawhi instead has to deal with a coach that decides to throw playoff games to rest him, and rations his mins throughout the season, in detriment to his stamina and the team. It's also arguable that it doesn't work, all that mins shaving didn't prevent a freak injury from happening, nor accelerated the recovery.
I don't consider fault. It's not AD's fault that the Pelicans are . He's partly responsible because they all agree to contracts, and in the 2nd go round on those, they know the deal already. So though their situations aren't their faults, they do have some control over them. If KL decided being in Pop's system is what he wants, he's set his path. The ROTW looks at output though, and Lebron's dwarfs most NBA players historically.
Comparing to players supposedly better on the offensive side, Kawhi's already the best... EAT , Stephen A. Smith lovers.
Last edited by YGWHI; 08-06-2017 at 03:32 PM.
So it's not an issue about Kawhi lack of great playoffs performances because he already had those dominant moments, it's about LeBron doing it for years and years?
Then we can act like Kawhi being 25 years old and LeBron has nothing to do with this...
*Edit: he turned 26 two months ago.
I don't even remember our record last season other than we got the 2 seed. If we won 60 with that far from stellar, TD-less supporting cast, Kawhi is pretty freaking awesome.
He needs to turn those moments into series and into rings if you want to compare him to Lebron.
It doesn't matter how old the tree is. It only matters how tall it is, if you're comparing height.
Kl finals mvp was a media nba fix to do just what it has done. Bring someone who will surpass lebum as the best in the nba. Kl is a great player.
Similarly lebums pre miami days in cleveland was much more impressive that anything he has done. Had he stayed in cleveland he most likely would be an easy 2 or at least rival mj in goat. He lost out on goat with the decision. And probably will go down a peg or two as most young fans will directly place superteams and backroom deals and warriors as a lebum creation. As they should. Lebum is fake, all lies.
Lebron would never have rivaled MJ as long as he was ringless.
You cannot take anyone seriously when they use derogatory nicknames for their subject matter.
Not true.
At Smith, pretending Davis and Leonard have had equal opportunity to score throughout their careers.
Davis' career usage rate and minutes per game: 27.8 / 34.4
Leonard's career usage rate and minutes per game: 22.4 / 30.5.
I know he has a job because of his shtick and not his expertise, but still, ESPN should be embarrassed at this level of "analysis" in '17.
James' usage rate and minutes per game in . . .
- '14 Finals: 32.9 / 37.8
- '15 playoffs: 37.6 / 42.2
- '16 playoffs: 30.7 / 39.1
- '17 playoffs: 31.6 / 41.3
Leonard's usage rate and minutes per game in . . .
- '14 Finals: 20.5 / 33.4
- '15 playoffs: 25 / 35.7
- '16 playoffs: 28.1 / 33.9
- '17 playoffs: 28.2 / 35.8
That's not to say James wasn't indisputably better throughout most of this and isn't still, but it's not because of his averages. It's because he's in another universe in the most important area of the sport (play making) and is either better or at least relatively close in virtually everything else.
Leonard was no worse than the co-best player in the '17 playoffs, with James.
Years as pro, matters.
LeBron at Kawhi's age was called LeChoke many times in playoffs... But who would have thought that LeBron with more experience and better teammates arround him would make the difference?
I've said before, LeBron needed other two stars to turn great moments "into series and rings."
But sure, these things "don't matter because the tree is..."
Who cares what he was called? No one calls Kawhi a choker because he's not been put in clutch situations until recently. He choked at the FT line, could have won a ring if he hit it. No one called him a choker because he was a role player at the time.
Kawhi was drafted onto a team with 3 HOFers and a HOF coach.
KL is a great player, getting better as well. He's not as good as Lebron, I don't think he can get that good due to physical limitations and the team he plays for. Lebron is considered better than Tim Duncan, so...
Yet neither of them have a ring to show for it. I'd say KD was the best player in the 2017 playoffs. He won.
Davis' career usage rate and minutes per game: 27.8 / 34.4
Leonard's career usage rate and minutes per game: 22.4 / 30.5.
I know he has a job because of his shtick and not his expertise, but still, ESPN should be embarrassed at this level of "analysis" in '17.
James' usage rate and minutes per game in . . .
- '14 Finals: 32.9 / 37.8
- '15 playoffs: 37.6 / 42.2
- '16 playoffs: 30.7 / 39.1
- '17 playoffs: 31.6 / 41.3
Leonard's usage rate and minutes per game in . . .
- '14 Finals: 20.5 / 33.4
- '15 playoffs: 25 / 35.7
- '16 playoffs: 28.1 / 33.9
- '17 playoffs: 28.2 / 35.8
That's not to say James wasn't indisputably better throughout most of this and isn't still, but it's not because of his averages. It's because he's in another universe in the most important area of the sport (play making) and is either better or at least relatively close in virtually everything else.
Leonard was no worse than the co-best player in the '17 playoffs, with James.
Sure it is. Name one player who was ever compared to Jordan without ever having won a ring. Just one.
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