Saturday Slam: Stephen Curry has solidified himself as the greatest Warrior

 

                                             (Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports) 

Not that there was much doubt about who the greatest player in Golden State Warriors history was before this week, Stephen Curry passed Wilt Chamberlain on Monday night to become the all-time leading scorer in franchise history with 53 points in a 116-107 victory over the Denver Nuggets. Becoming the all-time leading scorer in franchise history is fitting for Curry as he has led the organization to three NBA championships and been the backbone of the organization for over a decade. The only thing that stood in his way in terms of solidifying himself as the greatest Warrior of all-time was the scoring record and now he has it. 

What makes Curry so amazing is his consistency and his ability to bring it night in, night out. He's not only the greatest player in Warriors history, he's arguably the greatest shooter in NBA history period. The only other players in NBA history who I think give him any sort of run are Reggie Miller and Ray Allen and I'd still pick Curry over both of those guys for best shooter ever. 

The reason why is Curry is such a lethal shooter off the dribble. Both Miller and Allen were at their best in catch and shoot scenarios, whereas Curry is lethal both in catch and shoot and off the dribble situations. If anything, he's even more dangerous off the dribble, which just makes his shooting all the more impressive. 

As one who likes to see basketball played at its highest level, it's truly a gift to have Stephen Curry still out there doing his thing, torching opponents from deep. He literally is the human flame thrower. Some of those shots he throws up are from another planet it seems. Hopefully he'll continue to dazzle us for a very long time. 

Touching quickly on where things sit for the Warriors, they are 28-28 at the moment and rookie big man James Wiseman is done for the year due to surgery on his knee. They are 9th in the Western Conference standings which means they are right in that sweep spot to make the play in tournament for the playoffs (top six teams in each conference make the playoffs, seeds 7-10 go to a play in tournament). So, they still have a shot to make the playoffs, but the odds of them doing any damage are low. Especially with Wiseman now out as well as Klay Thompson still sidelined. 

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Tomahawk Tuesday: Comparing #8 Kobe Bryant to #24 Kobe Bryant

                                          (Credit: CBS Sports) 

On Monday night, the Los Angeles Lakers retired Kobe Bryant's #8 and #24. There has been a lot of debate about which Kobe was better and so I have decided to weigh in.

One interesting to thing to ask yourself when going about this debate is which number do you envision Kobe Bryant in when you think of him? Is it #8 or #24? Personally, when I think of Kobe, I envision him wearing the #8. I think the reason why is that I am old enough to remember Kobe when he was a rookie and also when he won his first three NBA titles with Shaquille O'Neal. I guess I just think of him wearing a #8 because that's what I first saw him in.

When looking at the stats and accomplishments of the two eras, it's pretty evenly split. #8 Kobe averaged 23.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 2.9 turnovers per game en route to three NBA championships, eight All-Star appearances, four All-NBA First Teams, and one NBA scoring championship (2006). #24 Kobe averaged 26.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.4 steals, .3 blocks, and 3.1 turnovers en route to two NBA championships, 10 All-Star appearances, seven All-NBA First Teams, and one NBA scoring championship (2007).

While statistics do a great job of comparing the two eras, they don't capture the full scope of what made Kobe so amazing in both eras. In the #8 era, what made Kobe amazing was his phenomenal athleticism and ability to score at will. It was in this era that Kobe scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors (2006), which is the most points scored in an NBA game since Wilt Chamberlain dropped 100 points in 1962. When he wore the #8, Kobe Bryant was as good of a one-on-one player that we've seen and there were few that could do anything to contain him. In addition to his scoring and athleticism, Kobe won three titles with Shaq, already cementing himself as one of the greatest to ever play.

In the #24 era, Kobe wasn't as athletic or flashy, but he was perhaps even more lethal. It was in this era that Kobe learned to share the ball and be the go-to option on a championship team. As good as he was during the #8 era, Kobe was still in the shadow of Shaq. In the #24 era, he won his first of two rings without Shaq, finally establishing his own separate identity.

When looking at how Kobe played during the #24 era, he was much better from a technical standpoint. He had a lot more moves and developed a post-game, similar to what Michael Jordan developed at the end of his career. Kobe made up for his diminishing athleticism with more tools in his bag and a willingness to play team basketball.

Personally, I think what makes #24 Kobe most special isn't the rings or the fade away jumper. It's the way he overcame adversity and evolved into one of the most beloved players in the game. I hated #8 Kobe all the way through, but I grew to respect and admire #24 Kobe with each passing year. When Kobe continued to play after tearing his Achilles and fracturing his knee, that was when I finally recognized how special of a player he really was. That fighting spirit and refusal to give up was made most evident during those dark moments. That was when the world got to see how much of a fighter he was and how much he loved the game of basketball.

Sadly, I never enjoyed watching Kobe play until the very end of his career. Back when he was winning championships, I hated him and wanted him to lose so badly. Now that his career is over, I frequently watch highlights of his games and admire his greatness. I even find myself rooting for him when I watch him play in his final game against the Utah Jazz, the team of my childhood.

Whether you love him or hate him, one thing that can we can all say about Kobe Bryant is that we miss him. If you are a Lakers fan, you miss cheering him on. If you are a Spurs fan or a Celtics fan, you miss rooting against him. Kobe's impact on the game of basketball truly cannot be quantified and while he never surpassed Michael Jordan as the greatest ever, he carved out his own unique legacy that he can truly call his own. There will never be another "Black Mamba."

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Tomahawk Tuesday: James Harden has the Houston Rockets knocking on the door

At 27-9, the Houston Rockets are just 3.5 games back of the 30-5 Golden State Warriors. They are currently on a 5 game winning streak, having won 8 of their last 10 games and James Harden is putting up phenomenal numbers in the process. Harden is averaging 28.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 11.9 assists per game, putting him in the MVP conversation along with Russell Westbrook. 

On New Year's Eve against the New York Knicks, James Harden exploded for 53 points, 16 rebounds, and 17 assists, becoming the first player to put up 50+ points, 15+ rebounds, and 15+ assists in a single game. That's Wilt Chamberlain type of production right there, folks. 

       Credit: Darral Chen. Click here for source

While James Harden is viewed as a ball hog and a chucker, it's not like he's not getting his teammates involved. 17 assists is getting your teammates involved. Furthermore, being a ball hog doesn't necessarily mean you hog the ball for the pure purpose of getting yourself points. James Harden hogs the ball because he literally wants to do it all and by "do it all", I mean he wants to get points, rebounds, assists, etc. James Harden is the closest thing we have to a "one man band" in the NBA since he doesn't have the same type of help around him that guys like LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and Stephen Curry have. He literally is the Houston Rockets and without him, they would be a lottery bound team for sure. 

The big question about the Houston Rockets is whether or not they can sustain this type of success for the duration of a season. In order for them to do so, James Harden will need to continue to play like a human video game while Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon continue to take some of the pressure off. In addition, they'll need to get healthy as soon as possible with both Patrick Beverley (wrist) and Clint Capela (fractured fibula) out at the moment. 

If the Rockets are able to do all the things needed to be successful, they could prove to be a dark horse to come out of the Western Conference. I don't consider them a serious threat to win the NBA championship, but if you have a guy like James Harden on your team, you always have a shot to win any game in any venue. As cliché as it sounds, it's really the truth. Stars win championships and James Harden is playing like a star capable of leading a team to a championship. He's that good. 

Note: Patrick Beverley should be back any day now. He was almost cleared to play Monday. 

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