Stephen Curry...Greatest individual season of all time? **POSSIBLE NBA SPOILERS!**

Kyrie and Lebron were practically unstoppable tonight. Amazing offense performance by the Cavs duo. Klay was amazing for a half. Curry again played #2, and without Draymond they needed him to be amazing if they would pull game 4 out. You can really see the effect of not having Draymond Green, particularly on the defensive end. Iggy played well for a while, but Lebron just had a great game. Lebron pretty much had a free run to the basket for layups. Now that Bogut is injured, the dubs will need draymond even more. I think the Warriors can still win in Cleveland, but if the Cleveland duo scores like they did tonight, especially if Lebron hits outside shots. This will likely go 7, and the dubs will still be favored to win, unless Draymond gets another flagrant and is gone again...

 

Sure I can...no problem...

1996 NBA finals game 4 against Seattle Supersonics. Coach George Karl of the Sonics finally decided to let Gary Payton, "the glove" play Jordan 1 on 1, much to Payton's pleading. Payton responded by locking up MJ into a 9/16 night and "only 23 points". As the sonics rolled to a 21 point blowout...

The Sonics also won the next game with again Payton limiing Jordan to "only 26 points in game 5.

Keep in mind 1996 was the season that the Bulls won 72 games (now eclipsed be the Golden Stare Warriors)
I was a big Gary Payton fan back then, as I had his basketball shoes (much preferred them to Jordan's) and he was from Oakland and still represents the Bay Area well to this day...

Yes everyone has bad days...

 

Yeah, I am surprised that Love is not doing better. RJ looked good because there was no Draymond and no Bogut for most of the game and there was no interior defense put up by the Warriors. Did you see how easy Lebron and Kyrie had paths to the paint? Minus the 2 time runner up for defensive NBA MVP in Draymond Green and one of the most feared shot blockers in the game (former 2nd team all NBA defensive team) in Andrew Bogut, This was not the same championship defense that the Warriors have had through this banner 73 win year. The NBA and Lebron got their wish in extending this series, and it is quite shameful an OFF THE COURT decision may likely go down as the turning point of the series. Bad luck in losing Bogut will hurt this team. He is the best passing center in the league and the best screen setter for Curry and Thompson.

Curry really needs to up his offensive game in one of the next 2 games if the Warriors are to win the championship this year. There are reports that Curry has suffered a right shoulder injury, likely in game 4 when he was fouled hard in the paint. Of course, no flagrant foul, or even common foul was called. I have stated many times in the past that the NBA refs let all these things to go on to Curry. The report stated that he may need surgery, but Curry has denied this report. Before game 5 during interviews you can see Curry weeding a large ice-bag on the right shoulder. Perhaps this may be affecting him...

It is now a series, as the NBA has wished for...

 

For the undisputed greatest basketball player of all time, MJ, 23 points with poor efficiency and a 31 point blowout loss to the Sonics was a bad game...

My point is that sometimes true history is not how we always remember it...Sometimes the greatest hero's in our youth come out a bit more heroic than they really were. We tend to think that these legends were perfect, when in fact they ay have been far from it.

In comparison to Curry's "lackluster" 2016 NBA playoffs, his worst game so far was the game 3 blowout at the hands of OKC where he "only scored 24 points with poor efficiency from 3 point land.

Other 2106 playoff games where Curry's performance has been criticized were in game 1 and 2 of the Cleveland series where he scored shy of 20 points on both occasions. In game 2 another Warriors blowout win, he shot 7/12 and was very efficient. In games 1 and 2 both Curry and Thompson were held down due to strong perimeter defense, that the Warriors team mentality subsequently moved the ball in cuts to the paint where "the other guys" destroyed the Cavs interior.

Of course none of this matters much if the Warriors don't win the series in the next 2 games, which has been made much more difficult-by luck, karma or whatever you say... But I contend that the NBA has deliberately gone out of their way to give the Cavs some help since they were fearing a sweep or a 5 game series.

 

Judgements will be made when the season is all well and done. We will have to put all the information together to see if Steph's season is or is not the greatest individual season of all time. I contend that so far, his individual accomplishments, including MVP accolades, individual records broken, team records broken, effect on popular culture, and effect on the game put him at or near the top of this list.

Obviously championship in 2016 will also have to be considered in this.

So in comparison Michael's 1996 season where he won 72 games and was dominant in the finals is probably the best individual season of all time? Do you want to consider Wilt's Philadelphia Warriors year where he scored 100 in a game but lost out in the early round of the playoffs? One of Magic's or Kareem's best showtime years? Oscar Robertson's best year, One of Kobe or Shaq's best years, One of Lebron's 2 championship years, one of Bird's best years?

 

I agree with this, this is why when he does dominate, Curry is truly doing something special...something that has never been done before. This is why whatever he still amazes me.

It is sort of like when Alonso was with Ferrari and he was truly competing with Vettel in the much better Red Bull. Everyone knows that the Red Bull was the much better car, but Fernando was performing some magic in the Red car that almost (should have) had him a championship for Ferrari-derailed by some much bad luck and ultimately the inability for Fernando to pass on the last race of the season...still leaving a sour taste to this day...

Curry should not be able to dominate and he can, though not as consistent in this playoff year. The series is still not over and maybe there is some magic left in him...

 

I agree, officiating has been horrible in general for both sides. How about just before the half in game 4 when Iguadala got hammered just before he put up the 3 point shot and there was no foul called.

 

I think we can all agree on this, ha ha...

 

My bad, it was 6/19, scoring only 23 points ON 19 SHOTS and combined with a 31 point loss by MJ and the Bulls to Payton and the Sonics, this was not a good game by any measure.

In contrast, I contend that Curry's game 2 against the Cavs this year was a much better game from Curry where he "only" shot 7/11 fg's and "only 4/8 from the 3 point line to score "only 18 points, to go along with 9 rebounds and 4 assists. He was taking what the defense has given him, given he was double to triple teamed in the perimeter at all times and the Warriors moved the ball around to the open paint player to score a 33 point win...

Many people would contend that Jordan's game was better here just cuz he scored more, but this is indeed not he case...