Which of these elite wing players do you prefer?

[venturalakersfan]

In the context of "who would the Lakers need now" I picked Butler. Best combination of offense and defense.
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RIP mom. 11-21-1933 to 6-14-2023.

[the association]

First and foremost, I think (unsuccessfully) attempting to apportion credit to coaches and teammates is a shaky approach ...

All three are very talented, but I have Kawhi, Butler and PG13 in that order ...

For Kawhi, I think it's clear that he's the best, most versatile defender of the three. On the offensive side of the court, the coach + system in San Antonio very likely deprives him of the minutes (both total and game flow) and opportunities to post numbers that move the needle for many adherents of the PPG temple. Nevertheless, his Per 36 production is basically right there with the others anyway. Additionally, it's pretty plain to see for the casual observer that Tony Parker continues to struggle with the idea that Kawhi can / should be a focal point for the Spurs offense. Without his buy-in, Kawhi's scoring opportunities will probably always suffer ... and I suspect the frustration that may stem from that situation has recursive effects throughout his game. Frankly, it's remarkable that the Spurs are looking so formidable with this obvious intra-team flaw. I guess one way to consider this dysfunction is to imagine Golden State in a scenario where Draymond was very obviously resistant to rotating the ball to Steph ...

For Jimmy Butler, the defense just isn't comparable to Kawhi's DPOY level of play. That's 1/2 the court that so many continue to overlook ... he also doesn't shoot nearly as efficiently as Kawhi, and his efficiency beyond the line is really pedestrian. SOMETIMES higher highs, OFTEN much lower lows.

And as for PG13, his efficiency is simply atrocious. I recognize the sensitivity of addressing shooting efficiency metrics, but he's just abysmal in this key area. In fact, over the last four seasons (inclusive of the current one, and mindful of the injury-compromised one last year), his high-water mark for FG %age is less than 43%. He's somehow making Allen Iverson look like a sharpshooter ... that's the territory PG13's career dwells in at the moment. Finally, he also posts terrible assist - turnover numbers in comparison to Kawhi and Jimmy Buckets.

Kawhi, Butler and PG13 in that order ... and even if someone has constructed an echo chamber / cocoon around her/himself that requires the firm rejection of advanced metrics, take a look at the three in question anyway ... I know it's sometimes difficult to palate for all of us, but our eyes (but really, our feelings) aren't better than the numbers ... and they simply don't provide enough context to the numbers to offset the fairly wide gulf between Kawhi and PG13.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/leonaka01.html

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/butleji01.html

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/georgpa01.html

[kikanga]

[Palin]

Jimmy Butler 25.8 PT .490 of 16.3 FG .887 of 9.4 FT .426 of 3.4 3P 6.5/1.8 RB 4.06 AS 0.13 BL 1.56 ST 1.94 TO 1.69 PF 35.2 MN 16/16 GS


Paul George 21.5 PT .450 of 17.2 FG .927 of 3.7 FT .384 of 6.6 3P 7.0/1.2 RB 3.36 AS 0.45 BL 1.91 ST 3.18 TO 2.64 PF 35.0 MN 11/11 GS


Kawhi Leonard 24.8 PT .468 of 17.5 FG .937 of 6.9 FT .373 of 5.2 3P 5.9/1.2 RB 3.19 AS 0.56 BL 2.25 ST 1.75 TO 1.63 PF 34.1 MN 16/16 GS

So far Butler looks better at numbers which i didnt expect with arrivals of Wade and Rondo. %42 3p is insane for him. So how do you rank them so far this season?

[Fruscas]

The correct answer is Kawhi, although i see this debate was on last season, kawhi still got better in the meantime