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Week 1: Bulls 2-2
Through one week of the NBA season, the Bulls are 2-2 which most would have expected, but the path to .500 has been more of a surprise.
Last season, the Bulls struggled against the East’s top teams (and the League’s top teams for that matter) and there was emphasis put on correcting that coming into this season. The Bulls are certainly accomplishing that task one week into the season, posting their two wins against the Eastern Conference finalists from last year, the Celtics and Heat.
Watching the game against the Celtics, the team was hammering the offensive boards and it had me grinning from ear to ear seeing Vooch down low. It’s amazing what they can accomplish when you put your biggest guy in the paint instead of floating around the 3 point line. Vooch had a double double in the first half, he was killing it! That needs to be his primary role, and have the ability to stretch the floor when needed. Our guards need to be better about recognizing matchups, Stacey King was continually validating me screaming at the TV to dump it down to Vucevic when he has a smaller guard sealed off in the post, those are easy buckets. Coby and Ayo will hopefully get some of that corrected after looking at the film.
Speaking of Ayo, this dude is proving to be a legit starter. I picked him pre-season to be the Most Improved Player this year, and he’s doing everything right so far to be in the running. It’s a long season, but even with the return of Lonzo, whenever that time comes, Ayo has played his way into being considered at the starting 2, and allowing Billy to roll out a fairly stout small-ball line up. The Bulls need Ayo to continue to be his aggressive self, and this team may be able to string together enough wins to remain in contention until we are back to a fully healthy line-up.
The bench has been the shining point of the season so far, showing out and punishing the other team’s second units. According to Statmuse.com the Bulls bench has contributed 129 combined points this season, with a +11 differential. Those are much needed productive minutes, allowing the starters to get their rest. So much of last season, we watched the 2nd unit begin to plummet and DeMar would be checking back in to help stabilize or reverse the run. DJJ was a difference maker in the outing against the Celtics, 10 impactful points in just 15 minutes, posting a +16 differential while on the court.
Overall, I would consider the first week a success, I wish we could have picked up at least one of the other wins against the “beatable” teams, but it’s a long season. Somebody send Patrick Williams a wake up call, the season started and it’s time to play basketball. I think he is going to have a decent game tonight against Indiana that will shut up some of the nay-sayers but this has been the same story every year, he flashes his potential but doesn’t bring it every game. This is his time to shine. Let’s hope we see it tonight.
I am still waiting to see Dalen Terry get his shot out there, I am confident that when he does, he is going to become a fan favorite very quickly. His time will come. Looking forward to the matchup tonight against the 1-3 Pacers, getting over the .500 hump and beginning our climb up the standings. With that, I’m out. Let’s have a week, catch me on Twitter @GreNBA_
Jacob Grenemeier
October 26th, 2022Photo Credit: https://cdn.nba.com/teams/legacy/www.nba.com/bulls/sites/bulls/files/220519_samsmith_ayodosunmu_dribbling_redjersey_16x9.jpg
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2022-2023 NBA Season Tip-Off
October 18th, we’ve finally made it! The regular season is set to tip off tonight with a matchup between the 76ers and the Celtics followed by a West-Coast matchup between the Lakers and the reigning champion Warriors. It feels like Christmas, but I’ve been so wrapped up in a move that I haven’t had to feel the anticipation levels rising. Now that it’s here though, we’re all in!
I tweeted out some of my overall NBA predictions for the year here:
My outlook for the Bulls though is that we will be a playoff team, but not a contender. I think that this has been a long-term play by the Bulls, and that we are not exactly expecting championships RIGHT NOW. I think the way this team is built, they can make a run, but it would take a healthy line-up and a few breaks to go our way. I think the overall goal of this team is to get these younger guys some playoff experience, a taste of the post-season, and set a winning expectation in Chicago. Then, when the next generation of players gets their chance, they know what it takes and can act like they have been there before.
The key players I am looking to take strides this season are:
Ayo Dosunmu: I think Ayo can be the point guard of the future for this team if he keeps making progress on his game. With Lonzo out for an extended period of time again, Ayo is going to get his minutes, and if he takes full advantage of the opportunity like he did last year, we could see him step into a lead role in the future iterations of this team.
Patrick Williams: Sounds like a broken record doesn’t it? His development has taken longer than expected, but the injury last year definitely didn’t help his case. I’m getting as tired as anyone of playing the waiting game, but if his off-season work with DeRozan got him over the hump, and he starts being more aggressive, he will (and should) be a key piece to the future of this team.
Coby White: This team build and off-season moves set Coby up to prove himself as a shooter. If he can become a more consistent 3-point shooter he is going to get plenty of opportunity on a team that is severely lacking shooting, especially with Lonzo being out. He has a chance to carve out a pivotal role in the rotation and shut the mouths of a lot of critics. I’ve always backed Coby, he’s got so much potential, he just needs the game to slow down for him and he can be a real difference maker.
Dalen Terry: The rookie seems to have Glue-Guy written all over him. He is a ball of energy and is surprisingly who I am most looking forward to watching this season. His charisma gives him the ability to be a natural leader, and he’s showing that he is willing to be the voice of the team coming into his first year. I already love this kid and he’s done everything right up ’til now, he is definitely making it difficult to keep him out of the rotation, let’s hope that can continue into the regular season and he can seize his opportunities on the court.
Those are the guys that I want to see progress out of. Obviously we have our staples in Lavine, DeRozan and Vooch. When this team is, or should be, ready to compete though, it will be on these young guys to step up as Vooch and DeRozan begin to fade out. I’m excited for this season, but my expectations aren’t through the roof. I want to see progress, using this season as a stepping stone toward a championship team.
Here’s to the 22-23 season kicking off, and to the future of the Bulls, the new era and getting the young guys to the place they need to be to compete in a couple of years. You can follow me @GreNBA_ on twitter, and you can find me putting out occasional content on ChicagoHoopHeads.com as well. Looking forward to another great NBA Season!
Jacob Grenemeier
October 18th, 2022 -
Bulls Draft History: 1998
Welcome to the 1998 edition of Chicago Hoop Heads’ Bull’s Draft History series. This is where this begins to get a little bit more enjoyable, at least for me, because around 1998 is when I began getting more interested in basketball. I would have watched some games with my older brother before, but around age 5-7 is when things really started to take root. That being said, this is still one of the weaker draft years for the Bulls, but this would be the year of The Last Dance, and draftees will begin getting better and more impactful in the coming years. The pick is in…
With the 28th pick in the 1998 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls select…
Corey Benjamin, Guard from Oregon State
Corey Benjamin was a very mild contributor for Chicago. He averaged 5.5 points per game while with the Bulls, appearing in 144 games over 3 seasons. He was not terribly efficient and judging by his per game stats, was more of a swing man than a facilitator or scorer. That’s a pretty nice way of saying that he didn’t do a whole lot to fill up a stat sheet.
The Last Dance may have jogged your memory of Corey Benjamin, as Michael Jordan, just one year into his 2nd retirement, came to the Bulls practice facilities to challenge Corey Benjamin to a game of 1 on 1 after Benjamin had been talking some smack. Jordan goes on to route Benjamin in front of his teammates, showing that he still had it. You can watch the clip from the practice here.
After 3 seasons with the Bulls, Benjamin played some ball overseas, and would end up signing two 10-day contracts with the Atlanta Hawks before calling it quits. Another spirit broken by the Goat.
With the 34th pick in the 1998 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls select…
Shammond Williams, Guard from the University of North Carolina
The pick that was used to draft Williams was acquired in the trade that sent Jason Caffey to the Warriors, but unlike the last guard we drafted from UNC, this pick would not stick around long. Before ever playing for the Bulls, Shammond Williams was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Corey Carr, who was selected 49th in this year’s draft by the Hawks, a 1999 second round pick, and a 2000 second round pick. Corey Carr played all of 42 games for Chicago before they waived him. That would be the end of Corey Carr’s career. I would go into his stats, but he only lasted half of a season.
With the final pick (58th) of the 1998 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls select…
Maceo Baston, Forward from The University of Michigan
Mr. Irrelevant in the 1998 draft, Maceo Baston never played a game for Chicago, he hung around for a year but was eventually waived. He went on to get picked up by the Toronto Raptors and bounced between Toronto and Indiana, each year switching to the other team, for 4 years.
The top picks in the 1998 NBA Draft:
1. Michael Olawakandi – Clippers
2. Mike Bibby – Grizzlies
3. Raef LaFrentz – Nuggets
4. Antawn Jameson – Raptors (Traded to Warriors)
5. Vince Carter – Warriors (Traded to Raptors)
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7. Jason Williams – Kings
9. Dirk Nowitzki – Bucks (Traded to Mavs)
10. Paul Pierce – CelticsOverall, this was a really solid draft class. Bulls legend Nazr Mohammed was drafted 19th, and probably the best player to come out of Nebraska so far, Tyronn Lue was also taken in the first round of this draft. That’s a wrap for the 1998 draft, catch you next time when we take a look at 1999.
Jacob Grenemeier
July 13th, 2022Credit to:
Photo: https://brobible.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/michael-jordan-beat-corey-benjamin-in-bulls-practice-after-retiring-one-on-one.jpg?w=640
Info: https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_1998.html -
Bulls Draft History: 1997
The 2022 draft just finished up last week and the flood gates on free agency are set to open up tomorrow afternoon. I’ll be covering the 2022 Chicago Bulls draft selection when we get to 2022, for now we are stuck in 1997 and the Bulls once again have the last pick in each round, let’s get into it.
With the 28th pick in the 1997 NBA draft, the Chicago Bulls select…
Keith Booth, Forward from Maryland
Keith played 2 seasons for the Chicago Bulls before being waived in 1999 which ultimately ended his NBA career. He played in a total of 45 games, averaging just 10 minutes of playing time, 2.9 points, 2.2 boards, and 0.9 assists. Another riveting late round draft pick by the Bulls that resulted in next to nothing from a team building or from a production stand point. He had a career 3pt% of 9.1%. He shot a total of 11 3’s only making 1. He tallied a total of 130 career points and 42 turnovers. He committed more fouls than he made buckets, with 51 made field goals, and 63 personal fouls. Almost as if he was the bench player that got subbed in to simply get a take foul, BUT he has got a ring.
With the 57th pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls select….
Roberto Duenas, Center from Spain
Despite having an awesome name, Roberto did not receive a contract from the Bulls after being selected in the draft, and although he has a basketball reference page, there is nothing on it.
The top picks from the 1997 NBA Draft:
1. Tim Duncan – Spurs
2. Keith Van Horn – 76ers
3. Chauncey Billups – Celtics
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9. Tracy McGrady – RaptorsAnother draft year in the books for the Chicago Bulls, it’s been uneventful thus far, but what do you expect? When you dominate an entire decade on the court, you tend not to have much excitement on draft night. The Bulls time is coming though, Jordan’s time in a Bulls uniform is coming to an abrupt end shortly. SPOILERS Sorry!
Jacob Grenemeier
June 29th, 2022Credit to:
Photo: https://alchetron.com/cdn/keith-booth-19d356a8-4fe5-4961-a436-3421604e0dc-resize-750.jpeg
Info: https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_1997.html -
Bulls Draft History: 1996
If you thought the previous years were uneventful – wait to you read this 1996 breakdown! The Bulls had just one selection in the 1996 NBA draft, and here it is:
With the 29th and final pick in the first round of the 1996 NBA Draft the Chicago Bulls select…
Travis Knight, Center from UConn
Travis Knight was the Bulls one and only selection in the 1996 draft, and they released him 2 weeks later.
Travis would go on to have a 7 year NBA career, but he had little to no impact on the Bulls as a franchise.
Top Picks from the 1996 Draft:
1. Allen Iverson – 76ers
2. Marcus Camby – Raptors
3. Shareef Abdur-Rahim – Grizzlies
4. Stephon Marbury – Bucks (Traded to Twolves)
5. Ray Allen – Timberwolves (Traded to Bucks)Jacob Grenemeier
June 15th, 2022Photo Credit: https://media.9news.com/assets/KUSA/images/b8897fbf-d096-4ec5-9943-c68b5b18a953/b8897fbf-d096-4ec5-9943-c68b5b18a953_1140x641.jpg
Info: https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_1996.html -
Bulls Draft History: 1995
We are moving on in our Bulls Draft History series to 1995, Michael Jordan has returned from retirement, and although the Rockets won it all this year, the GOAT was back, and ready to bring glory back to Chicago. Let’s jump right in.
With the 20th pick in the 1995 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls select…
Jason Caffey, Forward from Alabama
Jason Caffey played 2.5 seasons with the Bulls, winning 2 championships in that time before being traded to the Warriors for Davis Vaughn, a 1998 2nd round pick, and a 2000 2nd round pick. Judging by the stats, Caffey was a second unit role player for the Bulls, he did start a few games but averaged anywhere from 10-18 minutes per game, contributing 7.3 points and 4 boards. He would go on to have an 8 year career playing with the Warriors and the Bucks after the Bulls.
What about David Vaughn, the player we received in the trade, did he make any contributions?
The answer is no. He was waived less than 2 weeks after being traded. The picks that the Bulls received in that time will be covered in their respective years when we get there in the Bulls Draft History series.
With the 2nd pick of the 2nd round (31st OA) in the 1995 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls select…
Dragan Tarlac’, Center from Belgrade, Serbia
But wait… How did the Bulls get such a high 2nd round pick? Great question.
In 1994 the Bulls had traded our very own Stacey King to the Timberwolves in exchange for Luc Longley and a future 2nd round pick. This is that 2nd round pick.
Dragan Tarlac’ played just one season with the Bulls, and didn’t perform exceptionally well, so he returned to Europe to compete in the Euro league.
This series is showing me just how difficult it was to land a solid player late in the draft during this era. Even looking at some of the names that are taken later in these drafts, there haven’t been any players that the Bulls missed big on. Today’s player pool seems to be much deeper than it was 25 years ago.
Top picks from the ’95 draft:
1. Joe Smith – Warriors
2. Antonio McDyess – Clippers
3. Jerry Stackhouse – 76ers
4. Rasheed Wallace – Bullets
5. Kevin Garnett – TimberwolvesThat brings the 1995 Bulls draft history to a close. We are approaching those early 2000 years that I know were much more eventful, but until then we get to learn about players that you either forgot about, or weren’t worth remembering in the first place, mostly the latter.
Jacob Grenemeier
June 9th, 2022Credit to:
Photo: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-rBk9O4EH_Q/sddefault.jpg
Info: https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_1995.html -
Bulls Draft History: 1994
Continuing our draft history journey, we are going to jump right in to 1994, these 90’s drafts are a little tough because the Bulls, being the dominant team they were, naturally ended up near the back end of drafts which doesn’t always spell doom, but it’s certainly a tougher dart throw than a lottery pick. I promise, there are more entertaining years to come.
With the 21st pick in the 1994 NBA Draft, the Bulls select…
Dickey Simpkins, Big Man from Providence
Dickey Simpkins played for a total of 6 years with Chicago, with a brief hiatus to play a few months for the Warriors. He acquired 3 rings (’96, ’97, ’98) starting a total of 17 games over that span, only averaging around 10 minutes per game. in the ’97-’98 season, he was traded to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Scott Burrell.
Scott Burrell ended up being released by the Bulls in January of ’99 but did play in 80 games for Chicago and did secure himself a ring.
The Warriors had waived Dickey Simpkins in this time, and the Bulls thought they would give him another go, signing him as a free agent in 1998, just 5 months after trading him to the Warriors. He played another 3 seasons, starting in 83 games over that time, and had the most productive season of his career in ’98-’99 averaging 9.1 points and 6.8 boards. After the ’99-’00 season he went on to play in Greece. He would return just one year later to play in 1 game for the Atlanta Hawks, which is where his NBA career would come to an end.
With the 22nd pick (49th OA) in the second round of the 1994 NBA Draft, the Bulls select…
Kris Bruton, Forward from Benedict College
Not a whole lot to report here, in fact, there is nothing to report here. Kris Bruton did not register a single game for the Bulls, from what I can tell, they never signed him to a deal. Upon further research, he suffered a serious thigh injury and never was added to the official roster. He did spend some time with the Harlem Globetrotters however.
Top Picks from the ’94 Draft:
1. Glenn Robinson – Bucks
2. Jason Kidd – Mavericks
3. Grant Hill – PistonsThis was a fun draft to look back on though. Jalen Rose was selected 13th to Denver. Eric Mobley, father of Evan Mobley, was selected 18th. Monty Williams, coach of the Phoenix Suns, was selected 24th. Just to name a few.
Well that wraps up the 1994 Bulls draft History, once again, no key pieces were selected, and no pieces that were packaged for any other significant pieces either, but the later we get into the 90’s and into the 2000’s that will absolutely change.
Jacob Grenemeier
June 8th, 2022Credit to:
Photo:
Info: https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_1994.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kris_Bruton -
Bulls Draft History: 1993
The NBA Finals are pressing on, and while I enjoy watching, there is little for me to get excited about as a Bulls fan, so my day-to-day attention has turned to Chicago’s free agency decisions, and well, of course, the draft. Inspired by Will Gottlieb’s article breaking down all of the major transactions in the Arturas Karnisovas & Marc Eversley era, I decided to analyze and map all of the draft picks the Bulls have made in the Jacob Grenemeier era (AKA my lifetime). If you haven’t had the chance to read Will’s article, I suggest checking it out, I have thoroughly enjoyed all of CHGO’s content.
Let’s take a trip back to June 30th 1993, draft night, the Bulls have the 25th (1.25) and 41st (2.14) picks, and are coming off of their first 3-peat. The world is enamored with the Chicago Bulls and everyone wants to be like Mike. Jacob (That’s me!) is just a couple months away from being introduced to the world. Jerry Reinsdorf and Jerry Krause are at the helm of the team, responsible for making the selections for the 1993 draft.
The pick is in! With the 25th pick in the 1993 NBA draft, the Chicago Bulls select….
Corie Blount, Forward from Cincinnati
Corie Blount played 2 seasons for the Chicago Bulls after being drafted. Unfortunately, this first pick doesn’t have a very long history for us to retrace. Corie averaged 10 minutes per game in his rookie year starting 8 games and went on to average 13 minutes in his 2nd season starting in 9 games, contributing 3 points per game on average in both seasons. After 2 years, the Bulls sold the player rights to the Lakers in 1995.
He would make his way back to Chicago in 2002 as a free agent, starting in 3 games that season and staying true to his scoring abilities, averaging 3 points, this time with an average of 17 minutes per game. The Bulls would waive him the next year. Blount bounced around the league but did enjoy an 11 year NBA career.
In 2008, according to wikipedia, Blount was arrested for possession of 29 pounds of marijuana. Police confiscated 3 vehicles, 3 guns, and about $30,000 cash. He was released on bond and later, in 2009, pleaded guilty to 2 felony possession charges and sentenced to 1 year in prison among other financial punishments.
The best part of this story is that he apparently told the judge that it was all for personal use! To which the judge replied, and I am not making this up, “Cheech and Chong would have had a hard time smoking that much.”
If you don’t believe me, you can read the ESPN article here.
After that unexpected turn, let’s see what the Bulls did with their second pick in the ’93 draft.
Anthony Reed, Forward from Tulane
Anthony Reed recorded exactly zero minutes playing for the Bulls because he was waived before the season began. He made his way into the Euro leagues where he played for a few years, and then bounced around over seas before retiring from basketball. Some quick fun facts about Reed, when he left Tulane, he was the program’s all-time leading scorer, he no longer holds that title. In 2015, however, he was inducted into the Louisiana Basketball Hall of Fame according to our friends at Wikipedia.
A fairly uneventful year in Chicago’s draft history, but that is somewhat expected when you’ve just won 3 straight championships. Little did the Bulls know at the time, but just 3 months later, Michael Jordan would announce his retirement (the first time) on October 6th, throwing the basketball world into a whirlwind.
The top draft picks in the ’93 draft were:
1. Chris Webber – Orlando (traded to Golden State)
2. Shawn Bradley – Philadelphia
3. Penny Hardaway – Golden State (traded to Orlando)Maybe Chicago’s ’94 draft selections will give us a little bit more context to build on than a local Louisiana Legend and a guy who would rather be rolling papers, than rolling off screens.
Jacob Grenemeier
June 7th, 2022Credit to:
Photo: https://www.amazon.com/1993-94-Ultra-Blount-Rookie-Basketball/dp/B081Y2TR9K
Info: basketball-reference.com wikipedia.com -
The Boston Celtics Won The Eastern Conference Finals
The Boston Celtics defeated the Miami Heat in Game 7 on Sunday night to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals. They will be tipping off against the Golden State Warriors, game 1 begins Thursday June 2nd.
I have to be honest, I underestimated this team at the beginning of the season. Despite their solid core, I thought that they still needed a solution at PG, which to be fair, they do. The Celtics ball-handling is atrocious but more on that later. Also with Brad Stevens transitioning out, I didn’t have much optimism for a first year head coach to take this team this far, so hats off to Ime Udoka for coming in and really not missing a beat. Of course, there was a transitionary period and it took some time for everything, and everyone, to settle into place, but the Celtics were running like a well-oiled machine in the second half of the year, allowing their defense to be the main driver of their success.
I feel like you always sort of knew the core of this Boston team (Smart, Tatum, Brown) would be successful if they could stick together – I’ll be writing another piece about team construction that will be worth the read – and this could be the first of many Finals appearances for this young crew. Led by Jayson Tatum, the inaugural Larry Bird Western Conference MVP winner, the Celtics look to finish what they started and claim their first Larry O’Brien trophy since 2008.
If the Boston Celtics are going to prevail, they are going to need to take advantage of the Warriors carelessness with the ball. The Warriors are averaging just over 14 turnovers per game this post season according to Statmuse. The problem is, the Celtics are also coughing up 14 turnovers per game. The Warriors are going to (or they should) look to expose Boston’s weak ball-handling ability. It’s been painful to watch the Celtics bring the ball up most nights, Jaylen Brown looks like a much better player when he can be effective off the ball, but with the ball, defenders have made him look like he belongs on a high school’s B team.
Based upon the lack of experience on the side of Boston, as well as the ball handling issues, I am predicting that the Warriors win the series in 6 games. They have an abundant amount of experience, all the confidence in the world, and they have the best player in the matchup, Stephen Curry. I do think the Celtics will make it a fun series, and the games won’t come easy for the Warriors, but ultimately they will end up on top. I really hope that the series is full of closer games than we have been seeing as of late with the pendulum of blow-outs. If the Celtics are able to prevail, I think we will be witnessing the dawning of a new era, a new shoe-in for a few years to come in the Eastern Conference, the budding of another potential dynasty in this Boston Celtics squad. I think this team would have a solid 3-5 year window to make multiple championship runs with the core of Tatum (24) Brown (26) and Smart (28).
Let me know your thoughts, who is going to win it all this year? Do the Celtics have the foundational pieces of a dynastic roster? You can find me on twitter @GreNBA_ Enjoy your week, here’s to the Finals tipping off Thursday night.
Jacob Grenemeier
May 31st, 2022Photo credit: https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/05/8117a-16539248017308-1920.jpg
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Stephen Curry Wins First Ever Magic Johnson Western Conference Finals MVP Award
Last night the Golden State Warriors defeated Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks to secure their spot in the 2022 NBA Finals. The Warriors will be competing for the Larry O’Brien Trophy against either the Boston Celtics or the Miami Heat. The Celtics currently have a 3-2 series lead with game 6 set to tip off tonight at the Garden.
After the game, Ernie Johnson was on the court with the team to award them the Oscar Robertson Trophy for winning the Western Conference. While he was doing so, I noticed what looked like an MVP trophy on the table with it, and sure enough, in the 75th NBA season, they introduced the Magic Johnson Western Conference Championship MVP trophy. The first person to receive the honor of this award happened to be Stephen Curry, who absolutely deserved it.
Steph averaged 23.8 points, 7.4 assists and 6.6 rebounds in this years Western Conference Finals according to Statmuse. Some of Steph’s best qualities don’t show up on the stat sheet. He is one of, if not the, most unselfish superstar in the league, and the work he does off-ball is unmatched. He never stops moving, he wears the defense out without even touching the ball, he creates space and cutting lanes providing open shots for his teammates based solely on his ability to rain 3’s on any given night.
Steph Curry is one of my all time favorite players. He is definitely the player I have most enjoyed watching since I have been able to actually appreciate the game of basketball. Shaq, who ranks high on my list of favorite players as well, was a ton of fun to watch, but my younger self didn’t watch the game the same way I do now. The feeling that you get when Steph runs circles around the defense, comes off a screen, catches, turns and fires is something you truly have to feel to understand. I can’t think of another player that I just assume the ball is going through the net when they put up ridiculous shots like that. The level of difficulty is off the charts, but he makes it look so easy. Even though I assume the ball is going in, a good majority of his shots still leave me shaking my head, grinning from ear to ear, wondering how the heck he does it. I heard Kevin Durant say on a podcast, I believe with JJ Redick, that, and I’m paraphrasing, “some players change the game, some players play the game.” Steph Curry changed the game of basketball and I will always be grateful for the opportunity to watch that unfold, and that is what makes him one of my favorite players ever. What does this award do for Steph’s legacy and ranking on the all time list?
Right now, I would place Steph just outside the top 10 players of all time. I could even argue to put him in the back end of the top 10, but I can comfortably say he is sitting somewhere in the 10-15 range currently. Does this award do anything to bump that up? In the moment, no, I don’t think so. It’s an award that has not been available to the players listed above Steph (other than Lebron) so for that reason, I cannot use it to improve his standing… yet. Right now, the award seems somewhat meaningless, but as they continue to hand this trophy out in years to come, it will be a sign of who shows up when it really counts. It’s an award that will forever be on Steph’s resume and will be used to compare him to future players, but not so much to compare him to the leagues best thus far. If Steph goes on to win another ring, I think he will definitely be able to solidify himself as a top 10 player, at least in my eyes, and if he wins a finals MVP award this year, it should be common place to see him in top 10 conversations.
The question is always who would you bump? The general consensus of top 10 players is in no particular order: Jordan, Lebron, Magic, Kareem, Shaq, Russell, Duncan, Bird, Kobe, Wilt.
In my opinion, it would be either Kobe, Shaq, or Wilt. That’s no disrespect to any of them, but that’s what’s hard about these lists. If someone comes in, someone has to go. I think most would argue that it would be Shaq who slipped out of the top 10 if Steph was to make his way in. I am bias, given that he is one of my favorites but I could see the case for the argument. Kobe edges out Shaq because he has one more ring. Wilt was great and put up some massive individual feats, but does that make him a better basketball player? Basketball is a team sport and winning matters. I did not have the opportunity to watch Wilt play, all I have is highlights, articles and books that I have read, so I would be tread lightly before I decided who gets the boot, but if the Warriors finish of this season on top, and Steph claims the finals MVP award, I’ll be making a new top 10 list to include the best shooter of all time.
What effect do you think this award has on Steph’s legacy? Where does Steph land on your top players of all time list? Will he move into the top 10 with another ring and an MVP, who would you bump? Let me know your thoughts on twitter @GreNBA_
As always, thanks for reading, we’ll see if the Celtics can close out the Heat and punch their ticket to the NBA finals tonight. Jayson Tatum is my pick to win the Larry Bird Eastern Conference MVP trophy and if he does, I’ll share my thoughts on him as well. Have a great Memorial Day weekend.
Jacob Grenemeier
May 27th, 2022Photo Credit: https://warriorswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2022/05/USATSI_18364946.jpg?w=1000&h=600&crop=1
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