NYRaider Posted November 23, 2020 Share Posted November 23, 2020 Without a doubt it's Giannis. He's the only one of the 4 that hasn't led a team to a title yet. Plus they just added a 3rd All-Star level player to a team that was already the best in the Eastern Conference last season and fell apart in the playoffs. Not to mention his performance and how their season goes probably dictates whether he stays with the Bucks or looks to sign elsewhere next offseason. Followed by Kawhi Leonard, he choked big time but he has already been the man on two different championship teams. I think them falling short and losing some pieces takes some pressure off of him because they're not the favorites coming into this year like they were last season. But if they do fall short and there's drama again this season, IIRC he can opt out so there's definitely going to be high expectations for him. There's pressure on Curry but he already has 3 championships and they just lost Klay so I wouldn't say it's monumental, not getting a title doesn't kill his legacy or have an impact on where he'll be playing after this year. Durant definitely has some pressure to perform as well but he's also coming off of a serious injury with a new team and already has multiple rings, plus he's another guy who will be in Brooklyn after this year regardless of what happens this season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYRaider Posted November 23, 2020 Share Posted November 23, 2020 15 hours ago, beekay414 said: What else were we supposed to do? We went out and got the biggest name available, who is a clear as day upgrade over an unplayable PG in the playoffs, and we got shooters/players that fit better around Giannis/within Bud's system. We didn't have many avenues to truly improve so we did well for what we had. You guys had a great offseason. You added a third All-Star level player despite having minimal trade assets in Holiday who fits perfectly with Giannis/Middleton. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYRaider Posted November 23, 2020 Share Posted November 23, 2020 9 hours ago, amac said: Giannis. Still don’t think they have the firepower to win it all though, and he will probably end up getting some blowback again. Unless he becomes a better shooter They just added another legit All-Star 20 ppg scorer in Holiday and already had Middleton who is also a legit All-Star 20 ppg scorer in Middleton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amac Posted November 23, 2020 Share Posted November 23, 2020 (edited) 47 minutes ago, NYRaider said: They just added another legit All-Star 20 ppg scorer in Holiday and already had Middleton who is also a legit All-Star 20 ppg scorer in Middleton. When it comes down to it none of those 3 are the main guys you want to get a bucket down the stretch, while Jrue is great he’s not a perfect fit as he’s a pretty mediocre spot up shooter. I still don’t think that offense is going to flow beautifully come playoff time Edited November 23, 2020 by amac 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYRaider Posted November 24, 2020 Share Posted November 24, 2020 1 hour ago, amac said: When it comes down to it none of those 3 are the main guys you want to get a bucket down the stretch, while Jrue is great he’s not a perfect fit as he’s a pretty mediocre spot up shooter. I still don’t think that offense is going to flow beautifully come playoff time Giannis is going to have to be that guy that can get you a bucket down the stretch, he's a top 3 player and a back-to-back MVP, who has only improved every year in the league. Jrue is a great fit because he's a great defender and a legit 20 ppg/7 apg that can create his own offense as well as run the offense when Giannis isn't on the floor. He doesn't have to just be a spot up shooter, they have other guys that can shoot now. Plus Jrue is coming off of his best year shooting from deep with 2 made 3's per game at a 35% clip, not great but definitely solid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRealMcCoy Posted November 24, 2020 Share Posted November 24, 2020 11 minutes ago, NYRaider said: Giannis is going to have to be that guy that can get you a bucket down the stretch, he's a top 3 player and a back-to-back MVP, who has only improved every year in the league. Jrue is a great fit because he's a great defender and a legit 20 ppg/7 apg that can create his own offense as well as run the offense when Giannis isn't on the floor. He doesn't have to just be a spot up shooter, they have other guys that can shoot now. Plus Jrue is coming off of his best year shooting from deep with 2 made 3's per game at a 35% clip, not great but definitely solid. And they’ll still get knocked out in the 2nd round or conference finals Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amac Posted November 24, 2020 Share Posted November 24, 2020 5 hours ago, NYRaider said: Giannis is going to have to be that guy that can get you a bucket down the stretch, he's a top 3 player and a back-to-back MVP, who has only improved every year in the league. Jrue is a great fit because he's a great defender and a legit 20 ppg/7 apg that can create his own offense as well as run the offense when Giannis isn't on the floor. He doesn't have to just be a spot up shooter, they have other guys that can shoot now. Plus Jrue is coming off of his best year shooting from deep with 2 made 3's per game at a 35% clip, not great but definitely solid. Giannis isn’t an ideal number 1 option to me, but you can compensate for that by building a snug fitting team around him. As Jrues value as an off ball guy isn’t amazing I don’t think it’s perfect. Having another high level offensive player will help get them further but I don’t see them winning it all without big improvements from Giannis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roger murdock Posted November 24, 2020 Share Posted November 24, 2020 Durant and Curry have already proven to be all time greats and top-4 all time at their positions. They could retire tomorrow and be remembered fondly in 40 years. There is nothing left for them to prove. All they can do now is keep running up the score. If Curry keeps putting up seasons like he did from 15-19 he can go down as the GOAT PG. If Durant keeps doing his thing he'll pretty easily be remembered as the #2 all time SF. But still, they are as proven as it gets. Leonard needs to prove hes a leader. He might not have as much individually to prove as Giannis, but for his franchise to justify what they invested in him, he absolutely has to step up. The means no more half assing it, setting a poor example, and fostering a weak locker room. He needs to embrace leadership for the first time in his career. Because if he doesn't, that teams going to lose R1 and hes going to bail and the Clippers will be completely screwed for the next 8 years all for 2 mediocre seasons of load management. Giannis needs to prove hes a top-5 player in the league and thats done by performing in the playoffs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-ALL-DAY Posted November 24, 2020 Share Posted November 24, 2020 It's not even that Giannis has to get you buckets late in the game, it's that he doesn't even have the ball in his hands to create for others. In games 1 and 3 against the Heat, dude was used as strictly as a screener and roll man. Then it becomes a battle between Middleton and the opposing team's best player. All this talk about the last shot is irrelevant. LeBron doesn't always take the last second shot, but he's a guy who has controlled the entire tempo of damn near hundreds of playoff games and has created for others or scored himself when needed for years. Giannis becomes pretty much a high level role player in those tight situations and it puts a ceiling on the Bucks. That's why while Jrue is a VERY good player and pick up, not sure he is the one that gets them over the hump. I badly wanted the Bucks to get CP3 some way, some how. That was a picture perfect fit for both sides. Giannis and the rest of the squad take a lot of pressure off of him in the regular season and even for majority of the game and then when it comes to crunch time, he gets to close the deal. If you are not going to have a big time bucket getter or creator, then you need a team full of shot makers and those that can score in multiple ways. Bogie would have been such a good addition and this way you can run a line up of Jrue, Bogie, Middleton, Giannis and Lopez at the end of the game and you are pretty damn dangerous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYRaider Posted November 24, 2020 Share Posted November 24, 2020 14 hours ago, amac said: Giannis isn’t an ideal number 1 option to me, but you can compensate for that by building a snug fitting team around him. As Jrues value as an off ball guy isn’t amazing I don’t think it’s perfect. Having another high level offensive player will help get them further but I don’t see them winning it all without big improvements from Giannis. Giannis just averaged 29.5 ppg on .553 FG | .304 3FG | .633 FT in 30.4 minutes per game and isn't a number 1 option? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amac Posted November 24, 2020 Share Posted November 24, 2020 (edited) 7 minutes ago, NYRaider said: Giannis just averaged 29.5 ppg on .553 FG | .304 3FG | .633 FT in 30.4 minutes per game and isn't a number 1 option? Not an elite one. As has been talked about ad nauseam here he is easier to gameplan against and frustrate in crunch time than you would hope your go to guy would be. There is more to the game than reading basic stats. Edited November 24, 2020 by amac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastor Dillon Posted November 25, 2020 Share Posted November 25, 2020 Oh those 4, it’s easily Giannis. Those other guys all have rings. Giannis is chasing that. I’d argue that Harden should be top of this list. He’s getting older. Giannis has years left to compete for the ship, hardens window is closing really quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indifference Posted November 25, 2020 Share Posted November 25, 2020 Giannis hands down. Had the best record in basketball and got bounced out the playoffs like a bad check. Regular season accolades are great but post season is where your legacy defines you. He has the most to prove out of any superstar. KD would be my second choice. Yes he has two rings but those rings were cake walks. He was balling in the finals/playoffs but honestly put LeBron/Kawhi/Giannis on that squad they are still winning the whole thing. I’m curious to see how well he plays when you don’t have arguably to 2 greatest 3 pt shooters of all time. He won’t get nearly as much as spacing as he did in Gs in BK. So im looking forward to seeing KD operate playing with a lessor team. He’ll be asked to carry his team a lot more than his OKC/GS days. Kawhi - I dont think that man has anything to prove. He’s been the man on both championship teams. Bron and Curry are both running up the score at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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