This is stupid too. I don't even know where to begin.
First of all, I said "I'm not sure he's in the top ten of PG" because I hadn't really even thought about it up to that point. But in trying to make me look stupid, you only make yourself look stupid with your straw man arguments.
To wit:
1. You celebrate Westbrook's assist numbers while not taking into account that he plays alongside Kevin Durant. That's a guaranteed five assists (at least) per night for any point guard. You discount Conley's assist numbers without realizing that he plays alongside a big man (Gasol) who is also a facilitator. The burden of assists is shared.
2. You brag about his rebounding numbers, not taking into account that OKC is a jump shooting team. Any athletic guard is going to have abnormally high rebounding numbers. He would not have those numbers in a system like Memphis runs.
3. You diminish Westbrook's turnover numbers despite the fact that he turns it over a full turn per game more than Conley. That is much bigger than you make it out to be. Also, you pretty much overlook the steals component. Conley was #2 in the league for steals this year (only behind Paul) and was second team all NBA defense.
4. Comparing assists/turnover ratio is the biggest straw man argument of all for reasons I mentioned above. His assist numbers are high because of Durant, but even then, they aren't dramatically higher than Conley's. Conley turns the ball over less. But the bottom line is that they run two different styles, so comparing A/TO ratio is an apples to oranges comparison anyway.
5. As far as the guy I included in my PG list that didn't play this season, he's won an MVP award at that position, so I am comfortable with where I have him ranked.
Secondly, I never said a PG couldn't be a scorer. Conley and Westbrook are in different systems, if you even want to call OKC's offense a "system." Getting shots within the flow of the offense, like Conley does, is much different than pulling up for wild jumpers on the break or out of control drives to the rim, like Westbrook does. OKC's offense is predicated on Westbrook and Durant making individual plays.
Maybe you don't know what revisionist history means. So many "experts" have decried his decision-making, his turnovers, his mistakes, his poor shot selection, how much he takes the ball out of Durant's hands, his poor defense, etc., etc. All of a sudden, those same experts are proclaiming him to be a top ten talent because he is out for the playoffs. It can't be both. Maybe you're Russell Westbrook's girlfriend, or uncle, or whatever, and that's why you are defending him so passionately. I'm just giving my opinion. Westbrook is a great player with tremendous athleticism, and I haven't denied that. The Grizzlies are successful with the personnel they have for the style of offense they run. In that style, Conley is a better fit than Westbrook. It isn't even close. If Memphis were looking for someone to run and gun and score 20 per game, maybe Westbrook is a better fit. That's the argument I'm making.
First of all, I said "I'm not sure he's in the top ten of PG" because I hadn't really even thought about it up to that point. But in trying to make me look stupid, you only make yourself look stupid with your straw man arguments.
To wit:
1. You celebrate Westbrook's assist numbers while not taking into account that he plays alongside Kevin Durant. That's a guaranteed five assists (at least) per night for any point guard. You discount Conley's assist numbers without realizing that he plays alongside a big man (Gasol) who is also a facilitator. The burden of assists is shared.
2. You brag about his rebounding numbers, not taking into account that OKC is a jump shooting team. Any athletic guard is going to have abnormally high rebounding numbers. He would not have those numbers in a system like Memphis runs.
3. You diminish Westbrook's turnover numbers despite the fact that he turns it over a full turn per game more than Conley. That is much bigger than you make it out to be. Also, you pretty much overlook the steals component. Conley was #2 in the league for steals this year (only behind Paul) and was second team all NBA defense.
4. Comparing assists/turnover ratio is the biggest straw man argument of all for reasons I mentioned above. His assist numbers are high because of Durant, but even then, they aren't dramatically higher than Conley's. Conley turns the ball over less. But the bottom line is that they run two different styles, so comparing A/TO ratio is an apples to oranges comparison anyway.
5. As far as the guy I included in my PG list that didn't play this season, he's won an MVP award at that position, so I am comfortable with where I have him ranked.
Secondly, I never said a PG couldn't be a scorer. Conley and Westbrook are in different systems, if you even want to call OKC's offense a "system." Getting shots within the flow of the offense, like Conley does, is much different than pulling up for wild jumpers on the break or out of control drives to the rim, like Westbrook does. OKC's offense is predicated on Westbrook and Durant making individual plays.
Maybe you don't know what revisionist history means. So many "experts" have decried his decision-making, his turnovers, his mistakes, his poor shot selection, how much he takes the ball out of Durant's hands, his poor defense, etc., etc. All of a sudden, those same experts are proclaiming him to be a top ten talent because he is out for the playoffs. It can't be both. Maybe you're Russell Westbrook's girlfriend, or uncle, or whatever, and that's why you are defending him so passionately. I'm just giving my opinion. Westbrook is a great player with tremendous athleticism, and I haven't denied that. The Grizzlies are successful with the personnel they have for the style of offense they run. In that style, Conley is a better fit than Westbrook. It isn't even close. If Memphis were looking for someone to run and gun and score 20 per game, maybe Westbrook is a better fit. That's the argument I'm making.
