re: Damian Lillard says Draymond controls everything for Warriors

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@slackster

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Considering my entire thesis is based around Draymond with someone OTHER than the Warriors, this doesn't exactly disprove my unpopular hot take.

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Guess he wasn't one that voted Draymond as the most overrated player in the NBA

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Ahh I forgot about this. Nearly 1 in 5 NBA players polled said Draymond was the most overrated player in the league. Maybe my opinion isn't as unpopular as I thought.

Durant raises their floor substantially.

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lol wut? KD has gotten better defensively over the past couple of years but he in no shape or form an all nba defense level player

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KD is a near elite rim protector when asked to and guards the opposing team’s best player on a large portion of possessions.

He’s not asked to do both every game, but there’s plenty of evidence that shows how good he is defensively.

He’s essentially a less athletic Giannis, but with a superior shot and higher basketball IQ.

That’s not a knock Giannis, he’s 7 years younger than KD. It comes with time.

Durant going to Golden State made him a more complete basketball player, as his role varied, better coaching, player development, etc.

Same with LeBron in Miami.

Hate on him all you want, but Durant became his best self out there and the leagues best player.

They aren’t better without his defense, scoring ability, gravity, or basketball IQ on the court.

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Durant raises their floor substantially.

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I tend to agree that he raises the floor and the ceiling, but I don't believe he raises the average level, and the numbers tend to support that notion.

This has been clear for years with them. The offensive prowess of Curry, Klay, and Durant gets the hype and well deserved. They are so fluid and fun to watch when they’re playing at their best.

They never needed KD to do that, they won one and very nearly two titles without him. He just puts them over the top and nigh unbeatable when you have to rely on that many guys to have off games enough to beat them in a series. Even without KD, it’s still tough and they’re deadly.

They do and always have needed Draymond though. You can really tell when he’s not in the lineup how things are out of sync. He is the Warriors fulcrum point and a critical piece to their success.

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I tend to agree that he raises the floor and the ceiling, but I don't believe he raises the average level, and the numbers tend to support that notion.

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There might be a shred of truth in there, only if it means Durant is so good he diminishes the use of Draymond and Klay.

Draymond’s effort level is more consistent.

That’s not Durant’s fault. Dude is obsessed with perfecting his craft, he’s actually kind of a basketball weirdo.

Klay could take or leave the game.
Curry loves to entertain.
Durant just simply wants to be the best.

Watch his shootaround/warm up routine. He’s shooting at odd angles, off balance, etc. He’s practicing counter moves to defense.

He’s an odd ball with a chip on his shoulder.

I hope he’s back for the finals.

Seeing Giannis/Kawhi vs Durant is the kind of matchup that the NBA loves.

To an extent, but I’ll contest that they don’t beat Kyrie-Love-LeBron Cavs at full strength with the former iteration of this.

This series is small sample size theater. As is any time Durant’s really missed in GS.

Steph can’t carry the load for a full season.

Neither can Draymond or Iggy.

Klay was in a slump for 2 months of the season.

Boogie came back in late January.

Does anyone think Harrison Barnes would have been able to do this?

8-1 in the Finals with him, too.

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Dray has been the emotional bitch for the Warriors for years

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FIFY