Curry came at The King, didn't miss, and now LeBron's chasing the throne

[BklnDem75]

Lost in the hoopla over Stephen Curry's second straight Most Valuable Player Award, his status as the first player to have won that award unanimously and his record-setting performance in overtime after two weeks off with a sprained MCL is an equally striking accomplishment: What he's done to LeBron James.

Curry, in his unlikely rise from undersized, relatively unheralded draft pick to star player to MVP to most important player in the game, has quietly overshadowed the player who embraced the moniker the Chosen One and once held the game in his hands.

Which makes sense. We talk so often, amidst the flurry of record-breaking three pointers -- and the small-ball, ball-movement, defense-and-team-first mantra that powered the Warriors to an all-time best 73 regular-season wins -- about how Curry has revolutionized the game.

Go small. Pass the ball. Find a point guard. And above all else, shoot the three. LeBron & Co. have certainly embraced that last part of the game's evolution. They've made 134 of them in eight games so far this post-season, good for 16.8 a game. To put that in perspective, the Warriors averaged 13.3 made threes a game in the regular season.


http://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/curry-came-at-the-king-and-didnt-miss-and-now-its-lebron-chasing-the-throne/

[n2doc]

1. It's going to be a very interesting finals if both GS and CLE meet

Full Strength this time. And with both teams having finals experience.

[BklnDem75]

2. Curry's looking pretty unstoppable right now

Hitting 3's with little to no prep time. Thompson, by himself, is a monster.

[underpants]

3. Lebron's the best player I've ever seen

The game has changed a lot since Jordan played - it's basically European style now- but Lebron could play in any era. Hell he could probably have played in the NFL 5 years ago or so. Curry a great player but he can't play all 5 positions like Lebron can.

Lebron is just incredible to watch. Better IMHO than Magic, MJ, Moses, Arvitas (the first version of the modern NBA center), Olajuwon, etc. he reminds me of what Len Bias could have been if he had lived but Lebron has been doing it since he was 19.

[Moostache]

5. Jordan would have dominated ANY era, including this current one...

With the rules changes against arm barring and contact off the ball, today's game is a free-for-all that would have seen Jordan and the Bulls from '91 through '98 average 120 a game. The kind of defenses that Jordan faced from the Pistons and the Knicks would have made LeBron cry in the corner and ask for a Woobie and a Binky!!

LeBron is a great player in his era, but he is also a flopper and a crybaby and waaaaaay too soft to be considered the greatest of all time. He possesses unique skills and size, but he is more Chamberlain than Russell in that regard.

[n2doc]

6. He has incredible physical skills and basketball IQ

Not sure his heart is as big as some of the others you mention.

Curry doesn't need to play all 5 positions. He just makes the others so much better.

[c588415]

7. Steph and the Warriors will win it all

[libdem4life]

8. They have to get past the Thunder, first.

I'm from both states and it's going to be an emotional game, no matter which way it goes.

[FoisterForCongress]

9. Cavs v. Warriors

I would be shocked if it isn't Warriors v Cavs again. My money is on Warriors, the team is just unstoppable. Cavs have to hope they get off to a bad start.

[NEOBuckeye]

10. Do not underestimate these Cavs

People seem forget that James--sans Irving and Love who were lost to injuries--still brought the Cavs within two games of winning the title last year. The Warriors won in the end, but against a badly depleted Cleveland team.

If there is a rematch, and current trends hold out, the Warriors will be facing the Cavs at full strength, and a LeBron James who will be quite motivated to silence his critics, and the members of the media that snubbed him by choosing Curry as the MVP, as well as to win a title for Cleveland. They have been holding back all season for the purpose of enacting revenge on Golden State for last year's defeat.

The Cavs are a far more versatile team than the Warriors. Even Curry's 3-point shooting won't go unanswered by them.