My thoughts on.. Action: A resurgence of Stanford basketball this season and the Johnny Dawkins era My Reaction: There's a good shot that Stanford will make the NCAAs, even after losing three in a row and falling short against Colorado this past weekend. To Dawkins' credit, Stanford beat Connecticut on the road and four top-50 win teams. But can anyone be convinced that Dawkins can lead this team to the sweet 16? I sure can't. It's been a frustrating 6 years for a program that's been highly respectable under Mike Montgomery and Trent Johnson. 2008 was the last year Stanford has been to the big dance and Dawkins is the one to blame for that.
Action: EDC Las Vegas 2014 tickets have sold out My reaction:There's been a general consensus out there that EDM is fading away, but due to this report- quite the contrary. An increase in ticket prices and the declining economy have not stopped fans from pulling the trigger on this once-a-year Vegas extravaganza. Although the EDM lifestyle has slowed quite a bit in the bay area, it's still as popular as ever. How long will it last? My prediction- a few more years before the main-stream music festivals shut down for good. We're one unfortunate circumstance away from seeing the end of 'Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat' in the foreseeable future.
Action: I saw this tweet from my buddy this past Sunday: "@cylusballin Just watched a guy lose 12k while grading algebra papers. Good thing teachers make 70k a year in California. #1/6" My reaction: It's okay to lose about 6% of your salary at the poker tables in one session, but let's keep the math homework where it belongs- at home. Action: Daylight savings time sweeping the nation My reaction: We've been told Daylight savings conserves energy during the Spring and Summer time. Retail stores love it as customers stay out at the shopping centers longer. TV ratings and movie theaters hate it as people explore and enjoy nature during this time. I, for one, love it. Why don't we just leave it like this all year 'round?
Action: It's old news now but House of Cards released season 2 in spectacular fashion My reaction:Netflix has done well with House of Cards and Orange is the New Black. If I didn't know then, I know now: Kevin Spacey is one heck of an actor. I thought he was good, but not THIS good. Netflix's decision on releasing all the episodes for the season was a positive move for the popular streaming provider.
The Golden State Warriors have had some good players throughout the years. Most of us were too young to remember Wilt Chamberlain and Rick Barry. Chris Mullin was a great shooter during the 90s, an Olympian, and a Hall of Famer on his own right, but typically was not the best player in his era. Chris Webber was a talented big man but didn't play long enough in Golden State. Exciting players have passed us by -Sprewell, Ellis, Jamison, Richardson, and Hardaway. To some of us, they are a distant memory.
In the modern-day era, no other players in this franchise have created such a a buzz as Baron Davis and Stephen Curry during the past ten years. That being said, let's take a closer look how these two would fare against each other:
Who will win 1 on 1?
Many forget that Baron Davis was an offensive force. Davis can get to the rim, cross his man over, and had an under-rated fade-away J from 15-17 feet from the basket. Davis was able to post up most point guards in the league and take advantage of his body strength. He wasn't usually the quickest player on the floor, but he was one of the most confident and smartest at his position.
Stephen Curry is arguably the best shooter to ever step foot on a basketball court. His range is limitless and he can beat you in many ways- fast break 3s, spot up 3's, and even off a pick-and-roll step-back 3's. Curry isn't the strongest guy on the floor but he makes up for it with excellent ball handling skills, quickness, and vision of the basket.
Edge: Curry. Although Davis can post Curry up and try to slow the game down, Curry will make up for his deficiencies on the defensive end by driving past Davis if he played too close. If Davis gives him space, Curry can drain any shot he wants.
At their peak, who is the best player on the court?
Curry at this moment is a top 10 player in the NBA. Night in and night out, he's worth the price of admission alone. Curry can drain five threes in one night, dish out 8 dimes, and wow the crowd with one dazzling move after another.
Davis, when he put his mind to it, was a top 5 player during his hey-day. He threw down some nasty dunks, threw alley-oop passes to Richardson from half court, and was one of the most clutch players I've ever seen.
Edge: Davis. At one point in his career, Davis was arguably the best player in the world (although it was short-lived). In 2007 during the Dallas Mavericks series, Davis averaged 25 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 5.7 APG. At the time, he was the best player in the playoffs until they faced the Jazz as the Warriors simply ran out of gas.
Who makes their teammates better?
Curry's teammates are more traditional in a sense that they play better defense collectively. 2014 Warriors have a traditional center in Bogut and shut-down defenders in Iguodala and Thompson. This year's Warriors team also have great individual offensive talent. Each starter, besides Bogut, can take over a game at anytime.
Conversely, Davis had a bunch of castoffs during the 2007/2008 season. Matt Barnes, Andris Biedrens, and Stephen Jackson all had pivotal roles during the We Believe years. It's safe to say, those players in their prime would not be starters for this 2014 team.
Edge: Davis. While Curry is wonderful offensively and 8.9 assists to add to his stat line, he has committed a career high in turnovers, can be one dimensional during crunch time, and is enjoying the luxury of playing with highly skilled offensive teammates around him. Defensively, Bogut is there to defend the rim and Iguodala/Thompson are above-average defenders. Lastly, Curry does not have the daily responsibility of guarding the opposing team's best player, as Thompson usually takes on that responsibility.
Often times, Davis would have to put the Warriors on his back. The We Believe years had some offensively challenged players in Biedrens and Patrick O'Bryant, and Davis had a target on his back every game. Keep in mind that Davis would have to defend the opponent's best player, as Monta Ellis (as good as he was offensively) was a huge liability on the defensive end. Intangibles
Davis had a knack of making his teammates better. He brought leadership abilities and was a coach on and off the court. He brought out the best in Andris Biedrens (which led Biedrens to a new contract) and kept Stephen Jackson in check for those two years they spent playing with each other. Davis also brought that LA 'swag' to the bay area.
Curry's intangibles are mostly shown on the court. He's not the most vocal guy in the huddle, but when his team needs him to score, he'll score. His presence on the court elevate's every player's value. His teammates will see more open looks because of the attention being taken place on Curry. Often times, a good defense can also bog down the offense when Curry tries to take over a game all by himself.
Edge: Davis Final Thoughts
Was Baron Davis better than Curry in their prime? For a time in Davis' career, the answer would be yes. If we're talking about longevity and potential, Curry gets a slight edge here. The fact that Curry has many years left in him and is already a topic of discussion as the best Warrior of all time speak volume of his game. How good can he be? That's an answer only time will tell.
Curry is a superstar and we can all acknowledge that. At the same time, let's not crown him the best Warrior just yet. There was a time during the 2006-2008 era when Davis ruled the Bay Area and we shall not forget that.
If I needed to win game 7, Baron would be my guy . But it doesn't mean that Steph won't be able to supplant Davis and become a better overall player in a few years.
At the rate Curry has progressed in his short NBA career, that may very well happen sooner than we think.
