Does it even matter until Curry retires?

[Gainesville Celtic]

Some were saying the same thing about LeBron, and I suppose it is still true.  So nothing matters until these guys are out of the league?  Okay, I will switch from watching basketball to curling for the next 10 years.

To be honest, I've only really felt that way (i.e. that "nothing matters till that guy's gone") about 3-4 players since the Bird/McHale/Parrish years:


- Jordan (c. 1992-98; obvs. not the 2 years he played baseball;)

- Shaq/Kobe (c. 2001-02; Had Shaq/Kobe been able to coexist it felt like they woulda won 6-7 straight; That 2-3 year span was the closest it's come to feeling like Jordan-level what does it matter.)

- Lebron (c. parts of 2007-1st half of 2010, then mid-2012; Basically his first 2 MVP years... The fact that Ainge built a great team just as Lebron was entering "does it really matter?" territory obvs. muted that feeling but Lebron was the one guy who scared me the most during the Pierce/KG/Allen years — more than Kobe; Lost that feeling once it was clear how long it took (relative to KG/PP/RA) for he, Wade and Bosh to mesh, regained it 1/2 way through their run)


For all their greatness I never felt "does it really matter" about Duncan, post-Shaq Kobe, post-Kobe Shaq, Nash, pre-Celtics KG, Durant or Iverson.

I've not felt it about the Curry & the Warriors for some reason either. Maybe it's having a better grasp of the CBA and the difficulty teams have in keeping everyone together. And general GM/front office accumen has probably improved since the 90s.

Or maybe it's feeling like there are ways to stop/beat each of these players --- whereas it felt like no contemporary could do that with Jordan/Shaq-Kobe/Lebron.


Strangely the only other player that came close to filling me with that feeling of desperation was, for a brief time, Dwight Howard (c. 2008-09). It was probably just b/c I got to see him in person a 1/2 dozen times, but the ability to stop Howard really worried me for a 8-month stretch spanning 2 seasons... He was just so dominant AND a SVG had figured out how best to use him. When it became clear that his development curve had leveled off that feeling stopped, but jeez-louise he was a load for a time.

And yet, even your best examples of "does it matter" periods include a total of around 15 years for the Shaq/Kobe and Lebron runs, and those guys didn't even win a majority of championships.

Lebron has been the best player in the league for about a decade and he has two rings.

I think you just made a pretty good case for competing hard no matter what the rest of the talent pool looks like.

Signed,

Dirk from Dallas and Chauncey from Detroit.

Haha... yeah sorry my hangover got in the way of my clarity this morning 

I meant this exactly...I was saying that there were only a few very brief periods where I felt what the Original Poster was saying. (including only 1/2 to 1/3 of "The Heatles" run...).

AND was pointing out with the Shaq/Kobe and Lebron examples that they started off feeling like they'd be long runs of supposed invicibility which both ended up being relatively short runs b/c of personality conflicts, FA, etc.

I totally agree that you always build and compete each year regardless of the rest of the league.

And yet, even your best examples of "does it matter" periods include a total of around 15 years for the Shaq/Kobe and Lebron runs, and those guys didn't even win a majority of championships.

Actually there were only about 5 total years of Shaq/Kobe (2yrs)  and Lebron (3yrs) where they felt unbeatable -- and yeah there were only 3 titles in those 5 years.

Further underscoring that even when a team/player "feels" unbeatable, they still ARE beatable or nearly beatable (see: Kings vs. LA (c. 2001-2) and BOS and ORL vs CLE (c. 2007-10)).

[PhoSita]

Of course it matters.

If you want to be in a position to win a championship when there is a void at the top again, you will need to have a team with a track record of competing deep in the playoffs.

Look at what the Mavs were able to do over the course of Dirks career.

If you can't have a generational MVP talent like Curry, I think that's the next best thing. Build a team that's in the mix every year for a good long while and be patient for your opportunity to get to the Finals and win four out of seven.

[IDreamCeltics]

Of course it matters.

If you want to be in a position to win a championship when there is a void at the top again, you will need to have a team with a track record of competing deep in the playoffs.

Look at what the Mavs were able to do over the course of Dirks career.

If you can't have a generational MVP talent like Curry, I think that's the next best thing. Build a team that's in the mix every year for a good long while and be patient for your opportunity to get to the Finals and win four out of seven.

Why do you hate Dirk so much?  He scored 20+ ppg for 12 consecutive seasons, he's on his 16th consecutive season scoring 20+ pp/36. 

All he ever wanted was to make you love him and see him as a generational talent.

[slamtheking]

for some reason, the Warriors don't scare me.  a team with good defensive guards with respectable offensives games that can make Curry and Thompson work on both ends would have a chance in a series. 

C's could be that team with AB, Smart and Rozier.  IT would make them work on D but they'd shoot right over him.  C's definitely need more on the wing and the frontcourt to provide a much better balance to compete with them (obviously) but I do think GSW could be beat by the right team.  I don't think Cleveland is as overmatched as some believe.

[Quetzalcoatl]

I don't even think that the Warriors are going to win this year.  I think the Cavs are.

[Snakehead]

I think it's funny how short minded many fans are.  After game 1 you think the Thunder had the series won.  Now it's pencil the Warriors into the Finals and further the title.

I think the Cavs look great.  Excited for hopefully a great Finals with whatever teams are there.

[PhoSita]

Of course it matters.

If you want to be in a position to win a championship when there is a void at the top again, you will need to have a team with a track record of competing deep in the playoffs.

Look at what the Mavs were able to do over the course of Dirks career.

If you can't have a generational MVP talent like Curry, I think that's the next best thing. Build a team that's in the mix every year for a good long while and be patient for your opportunity to get to the Finals and win four out of seven.

Why do you hate Dirk so much?  He scored 20+ ppg for 12 consecutive seasons, he's on his 16th consecutive season scoring 20+ pp/36. 

All he ever wanted was to make you love him and see him as a generational talent.

I love Dirk.  Easily one of my all time favorites. So consistent. So skilled. Sometimes unguardable. Always excellent.

He just wasn't ever the obvious alpha dog of the league. Doesn't mean he wasn't great.

[SHAQATTACK]

Curry is a very small guy lightly built .....IT maybe be short , but he is built to take the punishment ....he is a little cannon ball of muscle.

I'm not sure Curry can survive the wear and tear for tons of years.

[libermaniac]

The Warriors aren't unbeatable, as demonstrated in Game 1.

And when we beat they a$$ in Oakland!

[mctyson]

28 points on 15 shots. Even if we drafted Simmons and Ingraham it would still be 4 and out against GSW.

If you have been paying attention, he is not the most durable basketball player, and I doubt he is as good in 4 years as he is now.