AB & IT top 5 guard combo?

[mainevent]

Watching the game last night and listening to all the hype about Dame & CJ made me think why isn't Bradley and IT in the talks of a top guard combo?  Bradley is definitely top 5 defensively and his offense has definitely come a long way (he's even taking the ball to the hole with confidence now) and we know that teams have to plan for IT offensively and honestly he's not that bad defensively either (despite the obvious of being undersized).  We know splash 1 & 2 are #1, but people mention Wall & Beal, Lowry & Derozan, Dragic & Wade, Paul & Reddick....

I say AB & IT are definitely top 5...

Thoughts?

[sofutomygaha]

I don't know. I can't figure it out--- the team is so much more than the sum of its parts that when you pull a part out and try to figure out the magic, you end up gobsmacked. Maybe it's that Isaiah Thomas is a top 5 offensive guard? Maybe Marcus Smart is a top 5 Small Forward???

[Denis998]

Probably top 6-7 off the top of my head. Maybe the best 3 guard rotation

[straightouttabahstun]

Boston's backcourt is more of a three man attack than a 1-2 punch like most of the others. Marcus is just as important as AB and IT. The three of them compliment each other well.

[slamtheking]

Watching the game last night and listening to all the hype about Dame & CJ made me think why isn't Bradley and IT in the talks of a top guard combo?  Bradley is definitely top 5 defensively and his offense has definitely come a long way (he's even taking the ball to the hole with confidence now) and we know that teams have to plan for IT offensively and honestly he's not that bad defensively either (despite the obvious of being undersized).  We know splash 1 & 2 are #1, but people mention Wall & Beal, Lowry & Derozan, Dragic & Wade, Paul & Reddick....

I say AB & IT are definitely top 5...

Thoughts?

well you just named 5 combos that I'd take over AB and IT and not thing twice about it (provided every one of those combos is healthy -- very big if with Wall/Beal and Dragic/Wade)

Lillard and Mccollum,
Rose and Butler,
Kemba and Batum,
 are in the discussion as well.

If Westbrook, Harden, Kyrie or Teague had a decent backcourt partner, they'd be in the discussion as well.

Also, the trio of Holiday/Tyreke/Gordon should be a premier trio but for whatever reason they just aren't functioning well together.  Hill and Ellis are also a decent combo but don't function as well together as would be expected.

Parker and Manu aren't in their primes but on experience I wouldn't count them out as a top combo when it matters in the playoffs.

not saying IT and AB aren't in the discussion for good backcourt combo but I can see why they aren't discussed as a top combination.

[iadera]

At the moment, they defintively are! Name me 5 better than IT&AB.
There are no.
We are 6th team overall, according to ESPN's power-ranking. So I don't see many PG-SG combos in the league that in better shape than those two.

[CelticSince83]

At the moment, they defintively are! Name me 5 better than IT&AB.
There are no.
We are 6th team overall, according to ESPN's power-ranking. So I don't see many PG-SG combos in the league that in better shape than those two.

#1- GSW
#2- LAC
#3- TOR
After that I would say it gets a bit less clear.  Chicago and Portland are probably the next 2.  Then Houston and Boston.  If Beal is healthy go ahead and put Washington 4th.

 

[iadera]

At the moment, they defintively are! Name me 5 better than IT&AB.
There are no.
We are 6th team overall, according to ESPN's power-ranking. So I don't see many PG-SG combos in the league that in better shape than those two.

#1- GSW
#2- LAC
#3- TOR
After that I would say it gets a bit less clear.  Chicago and Portland are probably the next 2.  Then Houston and Boston.  If Beal is healthy go ahead and put Washington 4th.

 

Do we consider Top combos generaly (career) or just at this moment, cause our guys've developed as fast as lightning. This is only their 2nd season playin together. Not to mention that they will improve even more. Let me put it like this: Houston sucks, so their combos can't be better than ours. Beal is not healthy. I have nothing to add. Portland could be considered, but we saw all last night in direct clash of our combos, we demolished them. Chicago sucks as well, they won't probably catch the playoffs.
To your list I would maybe add Spurs at 4.  No.5 - it's us! As clear as that.

[Denis998]

At the moment, they defintively are! Name me 5 better than IT&AB.
There are no.
We are 6th team overall, according to ESPN's power-ranking. So I don't see many PG-SG combos in the league that in better shape than those two.

1. GSW
2. Toronto
3. Portland
4. Chicago
5. Washington

[mmmmm]

At the moment, they defintively are! Name me 5 better than IT&AB.
There are no.
We are 6th team overall, according to ESPN's power-ranking. So I don't see many PG-SG combos in the league that in better shape than those two.

1. GSW
2. Toronto
3. Portland
4. Chicago
5. Washington

For what it's worth, Boston has beaten Portland, Chicago & Washington (and Miami & LAC since those were also mentioned by others) in their most recent meetings.

Did they beat those teams based on our dominating front-court?

[nickagneta]

I don't think AB and IT are a top 5 guard duo, but the AB, IT and Smart trio is probably a top 2 three-guard rotation in the NBA

[CelticSince83]

At the moment, they defintively are! Name me 5 better than IT&AB.
There are no.
We are 6th team overall, according to ESPN's power-ranking. So I don't see many PG-SG combos in the league that in better shape than those two.

#1- GSW
#2- LAC
#3- TOR
After that I would say it gets a bit less clear.  Chicago and Portland are probably the next 2.  Then Houston and Boston.  If Beal is healthy go ahead and put Washington 4th.

 

Do we consider Top combos generaly (career) or just at this moment, cause our guys've developed as fast as lightning. This is only their 2nd season playin together. Not to mention that they will improve even more. Let me put it like this: Houston sucks, so their combos can't be better than ours. Beal is not healthy. I have nothing to add. Portland could be considered, but we saw all last night in direct clash of our combos, we demolished them. Chicago sucks as well, they won't probably catch the playoffs.
To your list I would maybe add Spurs at 4.  No.5 - it's us! As clear as that.

The OP seemed to be speculating on present day, not career, nor potential.  He also limited the scope to starting backcourt, or at minimum implied it.  Tony Parker and Danny Green (who has played awful this year) are not anywhere near the top 5 though I can tell you that much. 

[CelticSince83]

At the moment, they defintively are! Name me 5 better than IT&AB.
There are no.
We are 6th team overall, according to ESPN's power-ranking. So I don't see many PG-SG combos in the league that in better shape than those two.

1. GSW
2. Toronto
3. Portland
4. Chicago
5. Washington

For what it's worth, Boston has beaten Portland, Chicago & Washington (and Miami & LAC since those were also mentioned by others) in their most recent meetings.

Did they beat those teams based on our dominating front-court?

They beat the Clippers by 5.  In OT.  At home.  And it sure didn't have anything to do with IT and Bradley dominating JJR and CP3. 

[Ilikesports17]

GSW
Toronto
LA
Portland -->although I'm not sure this is a slam dunk. Neither play good defense.
I'd say have us beat
Healthy Washington does too

I think we are better than Chicago and Miami

[Snakehead]

I don't think AB and IT are a top 5 guard duo, but the AB, IT and Smart trio is probably a top 2 three-guard rotation in the NBA

Agreed.  Hard for me to even say AB is really better than Smart overall.  Both players have been great this year I think but I think Smart just does so many little things.  But as a three man unit it's a lot to deal with and it wears teams down.  IT may not be the way Smart and AB are on defense, but he wears guys down on offense and really hustles up the floor.

I think it's really special to have AB, Smart, and Crowder on the same team right now.  I think in general it is rare to have three defenders of that caliber and aggressive style playing together.  Stevens gets a lot of credit for our defensive ranking, and he should, but I think our perimeter defense should get a ton of credit because it is carrying the defense to be as good as it is.