Harden/CP3 vs Luka/Kyrie vs ?

[Manny98]

2 chokers vs 2 killers, answer is easy

[Duffy Pratt]

Backcourts in the running (depending on how you define skill):

Frazier and Monroe
West and Goodrich

Defense has its own set of skills, and both of these pairs are way better defensively. Hard to compare on ball handling skills because the rules are so different now. Also hard to compare raw numbers on some things (assists awards were much more strict pre-Magic/Stockton). And of course, the three has also botched the comparison.

In modern day, I think Curry and Thompson are more skilled than either of these pairs (but again I don’t really understand the modern usage of skill - it seems to be more directed at flashy stuff that makes your jaw drop than at fundamental skills that lead to winning.)

[tpols]

Klay's skill isn't on the same level as the other 3. So it instantly disqualifies the duo.

Klay may be overrated but you can't argue the results. The warriors dynasty was built off Curry and Klay off ball action and shooting skill.

And I'm heavily rooting for Dallas to win the chip.

[FultzNationRISE]

Backcourts in the running (depending on how you define skill):

Frazier and Monroe
West and Goodrich

Defense has its own set of skills, and both of these pairs are way better defensively. Hard to compare on ball handling skills because the rules are so different now. Also hard to compare raw numbers on some things (assists awards were much more strict pre-Magic/Stockton). And of course, the three has also botched the comparison.

In modern day, I think Curry and Thompson are more skilled than either of these pairs (but again I don’t really understand the modern usage of skill - it seems to be more directed at flashy stuff that makes your jaw drop than at fundamental skills that lead to winning.)

Ball handling is a skill, footwork in the paint is a skill, unconventional shooting is a skill (weird angles, ball spin, etc).

As others have pointed out… Klay really isnt anywhere near the company of the other three when it comes to overall skill. I also dont think Harden and CP3 are on that tier either. Harden in his prime had a tough skillset to stop (in the regular season) but it was a narrower skillset by comparison. CP3 was also skilled certainly but his value was mainly as a decision maker and very consistent jump shooter.

In terms of just being able to do crazy shit with the ball… Curry, Kyrie and Luka are probably the top 3 active guys, behind Lebron.

[FultzNationRISE]

Klay may be overrated but you can't argue the results. The warriors dynasty was built off Curry and Klay off ball action and shooting skill.

And I'm heavily rooting for Dallas to win the chip.

Its reasonable to take Curry/Klay for impact when Irving/Doncic have yet to prove anything as a duo in the playoffs.

But impact and skill arent the exact same. They overlap, but technically different things.

Rebounding is a skill, but nobody would argue Rodman is one of the GOAT skill players. Nor can you put Catch & Shoot Klay up there, despite being a GOAT at that particular skill.

[tpols]

Ball handling is a skill, footwork in the paint is a skill, unconventional shooting is a skill (weird angles, ball spin, etc).

As others have pointed out… Klay really isnt anywhere near the company of the other three when it comes to overall skill. I also dont think Harden and CP3 are on that tier either. Harden in his prime had a tough skillset to stop (in the regular season) but it was a narrower skillset by comparison. CP3 was also skilled certainly but his value was mainly as a decision maker and very consistent jump shooter.

In terms of just being able to do crazy shit with the ball… Curry, Kyrie and Luka are probably the top 3 active guys, behind Lebron.

Hardens off ball skill is trash though. He has no nuance for finding open space off the ball. I wouldn't even say he's that much more skilled than Klay just because he takes a million dribbles. That's checkers to chess.

[warriorfan]

Ball handling is a skill, footwork in the paint is a skill, unconventional shooting is a skill (weird angles, ball spin, etc).

As others have pointed out… Klay really isnt anywhere near the company of the other three when it comes to overall skill. I also dont think Harden and CP3 are on that tier either. Harden in his prime had a tough skillset to stop (in the regular season) but it was a narrower skillset by comparison. CP3 was also skilled certainly but his value was mainly as a decision maker and very consistent jump shooter.

In terms of just being able to do crazy shit with the ball… Curry, Kyrie and Luka are probably the top 3 active guys, behind Lebron.

CP3 is very skilled. He’s just not really flashy with it. CP3 can score at all 3 levels, always had a super high assist to turn over ratio, lead great offenses. He’s extremely skilled. There’s not really much a hole in his game besides for him being small and injury prone, skill wise CP3 is as sound as they come.

[FultzNationRISE]

CP3 is very skilled. He’s just not really flashy with it. CP3 can score at all 3 levels, always had a super high assist to turn over ratio, lead great offenses. He’s extremely skilled. There’s not really much a hole in his game besides for him being small and injury prone, skill wise CP3 is as sound as they come.

I agree he’s a very skilled player relative to league average.

But comparing him to the absolute elite skill players, altho it is splitting hairs to some extent, I dont think he can do *quite* as much as those guys when it comes to pure ball skills. But of course hes not a slouch.

[Duffy Pratt]

Ball handling is a skill, footwork in the paint is a skill, unconventional shooting is a skill (weird angles, ball spin, etc).

As others have pointed out… Klay really isnt anywhere near the company of the other three when it comes to overall skill. I also dont think Harden and CP3 are on that tier either. Harden in his prime had a tough skillset to stop (in the regular season) but it was a narrower skillset by comparison. CP3 was also skilled certainly but his value was mainly as a decision maker and very consistent jump shooter.

In terms of just being able to do crazy shit with the ball… Curry, Kyrie and Luka are probably the top 3 active guys, behind Lebron.

The fundamental skills are Shooting, Ballhandling, Passing, Rebounding and Defense. When people are talking about skill in these conversations, they are largely discounting passing and completely ignoring defense and rebounding. Within each of those categories, there are deeper levels where you can talk about more particularized skills.

The thing that bothers me is that the stuff that counts as highly skilled is often way less valuable than the stuff that is also a skill, but doesn't count. Yes, we won't say that Rodman is more skilled (or Bill Russell), but it seems to me that that is just stupid (or at best discounting skills that are at least as important, if not more important, to winning). At the beginning of the season, everyone was saying how much better the Bucks were going to be because they had gotten Dame as a replacement for Holiday. After all, Dame is a much more skilled player, right? But it turns out that that was wrong, at least for the way the Bucks were constructed and the skills they actually needed and didn't bother to replace.

[BarberSchool]

I'm heavily rooting for Dallas to win the chip.

Alot of casual basketball fans think this is crazy, but to me, Dallas is the 3rd most likely to win the chip this year.