One Season and One Season only - who you taking

[i believe in brad]

How can you start to build a team with a player if you are only going to have that player for one year? If you choose a superduperstar and build around that player, after a year the team you built is screwed. And let's face it, teams you rebuild in one year don't usually win a championship in that first year, like the 2007-08 Celtics did. That C's team is the exception to the rule. It usually takes years for a core to be together to win a championship.

So if I have to choose one player and know that player is going to be gone after one year I would choose a player who after I lost them I could replace them with a better player. Also the player I lost would need to be paid big bucks, so that the year his cash comes off the books, it opens up space to sign a max level free agent to a four year deal.

So I guess someone like Derrick Rose. He would be a serviceable PG for a year, I could build a competent team around him, then after his $21 million comes off the books I would sign Steph Curry to a huge four year deal, have the great team around him in place and be contenders for 4 years instead of one.

I think you're missing the point.  Pretend like your life is on the line to win a title in 1 standalone year.  Nothing after that year matters.

OP - who's the coach of this 1 year team?  Because if it's Pop/CBS/other top coach then I'd choose between the highest ceiling guys who IMO are Curry or AD. 

If it's "generic coach X" I wouldn't risk Curry or AD.  I'd be choosing between above-average floor but still very high ceiling guys who IMO are Lebron or Durant.

[TheTruth]

No one else is taking Westbrook just for the fun of watching him play?

[max215]

I'll take the best player in the NBA: Mr. Curry.

[celticsclay]

For the people that are mentioning Lebron over Curry right now, is the consensus there that Golden State really has more talent?

Is Thompson better than Irving?
How much better is Green than Love?
1st big off the bench Speights or Thompson?
I would say Bogut is better than Mosgov but given that Bogut has serious health issues and usually doesn't play more than 25 minutes it can't be a huge factor
Barnes is better than Smith and Shumpert, but I don't think Barnes is quite as good as some people seem to think he is.

Beyond that the warriors probably have a little bit better of a bench but they also have been playing Clark and Brandon Rush major minutes themselves.

Do we all chalk the record difference up to coaching? Fit?

 

[Celtic Fan Forever]

For the people that are mentioning Lebron over Curry right now, is the consensus there that Golden State really has more talent?

Is Thompson better than Irving?
How much better is Green than Love?
1st big off the bench Speights or Thompson?
I would say Bogut is better than Mosgov but given that Bogut has serious health issues and usually doesn't play more than 25 minutes it can't be a huge factor
Barnes is better than Smith and Shumpert, but I don't think Barnes is quite as good as some people seem to think he is.

Beyond that the warriors probably have a little bit better of a bench but they also have been playing Clark and Brandon Rush major minutes themselves.

Do we all chalk the record difference up to coaching? Fit?

Thompson is a better player than Irving.. He plays defense and shoots the ball better than Kyrie. Might not have the handles that Irving does, but he's a much better shooter and doesn't need the ball in his hands to be effective.

Green is light years above Love right now. He just impacts the game in so many ways. The guy's a big
Man averaging 7 assists, and is 3 times the defender Love will ever be.

Can't even compare the groups, take Curry and LeBron away from their respective teams: Golden State makes the playoffs and Cleveland doesn't come close.

[Celtic Fan Forever]

Not saying he's my top choice, but I'm surprised nobody's mentioned Kawhi Leonard as a candidate. He's having an incredible year, his shooting numbers are insane, and he's without a doubt in my mind the best 2 way player (and top 5/6 overall) in the league. Granted he's in an incredible system in San Antonio, but you can't deny the talent and work ethic is top notch.

[celticsclay]

For the people that are mentioning Lebron over Curry right now, is the consensus there that Golden State really has more talent?

Is Thompson better than Irving?
How much better is Green than Love?
1st big off the bench Speights or Thompson?
I would say Bogut is better than Mosgov but given that Bogut has serious health issues and usually doesn't play more than 25 minutes it can't be a huge factor
Barnes is better than Smith and Shumpert, but I don't think Barnes is quite as good as some people seem to think he is.

Beyond that the warriors probably have a little bit better of a bench but they also have been playing Clark and Brandon Rush major minutes themselves.

Do we all chalk the record difference up to coaching? Fit?

Thompson is a better player than Irving.. He plays defense and shoots the ball better than Kyrie. Might not have the handles that Irving does, but he's a much better shooter and doesn't need the ball in his hands to be effective.

Green is light years above Love right now. He just impacts the game in so many ways. The guy's a big
Man averaging 7 assists, and is 3 times the defender Love will ever be.

Can't even compare the groups, take Curry and LeBron away from their respective teams: Golden State makes the playoffs and Cleveland doesn't come close.

A Cleveland team with Irving, Love, Mosgov, Thompson, Shumpert and Jr Smith doesn't come close to the playoffs? That means you must think Irving and Love are truly horrible. I also am not even sure I disagree, but I think a lot of people would say Irving is a superior player to Thompson.

[td450]

For the people that are mentioning Lebron over Curry right now, is the consensus there that Golden State really has more talent?

Is Thompson better than Irving?
How much better is Green than Love?
1st big off the bench Speights or Thompson?
I would say Bogut is better than Mosgov but given that Bogut has serious health issues and usually doesn't play more than 25 minutes it can't be a huge factor
Barnes is better than Smith and Shumpert, but I don't think Barnes is quite as good as some people seem to think he is.

Beyond that the warriors probably have a little bit better of a bench but they also have been playing Clark and Brandon Rush major minutes themselves.

Do we all chalk the record difference up to coaching? Fit?

I think you have to give credit to Curry for the fact that his teammates are flourishing even as he gets more dominant. I don't t think either Irving or Love are growing as players right now.

[Moranis]

For the people that are mentioning Lebron over Curry right now, is the consensus there that Golden State really has more talent?

Is Thompson better than Irving?
How much better is Green than Love?
1st big off the bench Speights or Thompson?
I would say Bogut is better than Mosgov but given that Bogut has serious health issues and usually doesn't play more than 25 minutes it can't be a huge factor
Barnes is better than Smith and Shumpert, but I don't think Barnes is quite as good as some people seem to think he is.

Beyond that the warriors probably have a little bit better of a bench but they also have been playing Clark and Brandon Rush major minutes themselves.

Do we all chalk the record difference up to coaching? Fit?

I choose Lebron four a couple of reasons.  First, and most importantly, he is a better all around player than Curry.  He is a better defender, better rebounder, and has a more diverse offensive game (obviously Steph is a much much better shooter).  Second, Lebron's skill set can more easily mesh with virtually any other teammates.  Steph seems like a guy best suited for a high octane offense surrounded by shooters.

Put it this way, if you swapped Curry and James from the two teams in the Finals last year, I would expect the James led Warriors to easily sweep the Curry led Cavs.  Now James is a bit older and Curry is better this year, but I don't think the gap has been closed entirely.  Another season or two, sure Curry would be the better choice, but right now if I am getting one player for one season only and I know that player will be healthy, I'm taking Lebron James and I don't really think it is all that close. 

[wdleehi]

For the people that are mentioning Lebron over Curry right now, is the consensus there that Golden State really has more talent?

Is Thompson better than Irving?
How much better is Green than Love?
1st big off the bench Speights or Thompson?
I would say Bogut is better than Mosgov but given that Bogut has serious health issues and usually doesn't play more than 25 minutes it can't be a huge factor
Barnes is better than Smith and Shumpert, but I don't think Barnes is quite as good as some people seem to think he is.

Beyond that the warriors probably have a little bit better of a bench but they also have been playing Clark and Brandon Rush major minutes themselves.

Do we all chalk the record difference up to coaching? Fit?

I am not looking at the teams they are on. 



I am looking at their history.   Lebron, even when he switches teams (twice) keeps taking his team to the NBA Finals. 

[chambers]

Steph Curry is the best player in the world and the game is evolving into a 3 point shooters league.

I take Steph.

Then Durant, then Lebron.