Appreciating Durant Greatness....

[espn_hall_of_famer]

"But then again, I haven't seen many threads and links going on and on about Durant being a top-10 player and MVP candidate and how "great" he is."

Now you have:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...top-10-mvp-candidates-for-next-season#page/11

http://protectthepaint.com/2010/02/24/kevin-durant-mvp-candidate/

http://www.bukisa.com/articles/232860_top-three-2010-nba-mvp-candidates

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/features/02/05/racetothemvp.week14/

http://www.nba.com/2009/news/features/11/27/racetomvp.week4/index.html

http://www.nesn.com/2010/09/kevin-d...n-james-kobe-bryant-grab-first-mvp-award.html

http://lakersblog.latimes.com/lakersblog/2010/08/kevin-durant-is-mvp-favorite-over-kobe-bryant.html

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/35243503/ns/sports-nba/

These are just a few. Literally hundreds more...

Typo on my part, sorry. I meant to say I haven't been seeing posts and threads saying ODEN was a top-10 player.

So my point being this. I said Durant is Fool's Gold until he actually proves he doesn't fold under the pressure of a big NBA playoff game, since that is all he's done when a game mattered (as compared to guys like LeBron and Malone who stepped up their games in the playoffs to lead bad teams deep).

You then compared Durant's playoff performances to Oden, to which I'm saying that nobody is comparing Oden to LeBron and Malone and other top-10 players that should be stepping up their games in the playoffs and not curling into the fetal position and dropping their production 5ppg and 12.5% in FG%.

Point being let's not all jump on the bandwagon for guys like Durant, Tyreke, Brook Lopez, John Wall, whatever until these guys actually win a playoff series like the true stars who rise in the playoffs.

BTW - Oden's role isn't to go up and rise up to 20/20/5 during the playoffs. His role either way is to be that Rodman/Ben Wallace type of role player who dominates the defense and holds back the scoring in the paint and helps the guys like a Billups, Durant, Roy, Melo, etc. to rise up in the playoffs and make a difference while the opposing teams can't score or rebound when someone is dominating the paint. Just saying, apples-and-oranges there. Sure maybe Oden is more replaceable for getting regular season wins, but Durant is way more replaceable for actually winning a playoff series.

 

[Targus]

Got it. Respect your position, but we are comparing the top 2 draft picks which was a huge debate at the time. Some have said the decision was clearly to pick Oden, but that isn't true. There were red-flags, consultants saying Durant and articles stating 1 out of every 3 GM's would have picked Durant.

 

[HailBlazers]

HE clearly fit our needs, A strong defense Anchor and cleanup man. We have Roy for O. Clearly G.O. was the pick for us, not for all.

 

[Minstrel]

We will always compare Durant and Oden

Sensible people don't do it several times a week with no new information.

"Hey guys...I still think Durant is awesome and Oden is a bust. Same as last week!!111!one! Next week, I'll compare them again and see if I still agree with myself from this week!"

I personally think it's too early to decide which player was the superior pick, but I'm open to those who think Durant was. Durant has been amazing. What I find silly is the constant barrage of threads, between seasons, essentially aping the same line over and over. Why don't we wait for some new information to come in, like next season, and then re-visit it?

 

[espn_hall_of_famer]

Sensible people don't do it several times a week with no new information.

Well said.

People still claim UFOs several times a week, it doesn't make their argument any stronger than the emperical data that destroys their argument every time. But we get it, go to Art Bell if you want to keep going on and on about consiracies about UFOs, Bigfoot sightings, or red flags on Oden or how anyone would have picked Durant over him based on data that doesn't exist. Don't turn an argument about Durant being a great player into a beating the same worthless "dead horse" argument.

 

[Further]

Skipping all posts to respond

FUCK YOU
FUCK DURANT
FUCK COMPARISONS
FUCK BULLSHIT
FUCK THE THUNDER
FUCK THE PRESS
FUCK THE "FANS"
FUCK YOUR MOTHER
FUCK ME!

 

[Targus]

Now you're just being silly. It's a Blazer board. It's off-season. We're all concerned about when Oden will return. An article comes out about Durant's Greatness. Let's talk about it. If you're not interested, feel free to skip over the post or continue with the profanities. But, guess what...it will get discussed and it will get posted.

Get over it. Deal with it. Stop whining like a little girl about it and man up.

 

[Cake]

I heard that the Germans have bombed Pearl Harbor!

 

[Further]

Now you're just being silly. It's a Blazer board. It's off-season. We're all concerned about when Oden will return. An article comes out about Durant's Greatness. Let's talk about it. If you're not interested, feel free to skip over the post or continue with the profanities. But, guess what...it will get discussed and it will get posted.

Get over it. Deal with it. Stop whining like a little girl about it and man up.

The problem is not that people don't want to discuss it, it's that it has been beaten to death. Over the past few weeks we have been inundated with Durant threads and have grown tired. This is a Blazer board and not a Thunder board.


Some of the following threads were started pro-Oden, others pro-Durant, but they all have one thing in common, they are about the comparison between these to players. they are also all from the past few weeks. There are more threads that turned into Oden/Durant threads that I didn't feel like looking for so I just grabbed the overt ones .
http://sportstwo.com/threads/170257-Cool-article-about-Blazers-oden-durant
http://sportstwo.com/threads/169993...nt-s-Star-Continues-to-Shine-Light-on-Blazers
http://sportstwo.com/threads/169798-What-does-Greg-Oden-have-to-do...
http://sportstwo.com/threads/169804-If-we-had-drafted-Durant-instead-of-Oden....
http://sportstwo.com/threads/169839-Should-we-have......
http://sportstwo.com/threads/169441-I-think-Pritchard-got-fired-because-he-passed-on-Durant.
http://sportstwo.com/threads/169461-If-we-had-drafted-Durant
http://sportstwo.com/threads/169028-Greg-Oden-May-Not-Be-Kevin-Durant...........
http://sportstwo.com/forums/123-Portland-Trail-Blazers/page7?order=desc

 

[Sex Panther]

Sensible people don't do it several times a week with no new information.

Well said.

People still claim UFOs several times a week, it doesn't make their argument any stronger than the imperical data that destroys their argument every time. But we get it, go to Art Bell if you want to keep going on and on about consiracies about UFOs, Bigfoot sightings, or red flags on Oden or how anyone would have picked Durant over him based on data that doesn't exist. Don't turn an argument about Durant being a great player into a beating the same worthless "dead horse" argument.

I'd like to see this empirical data on UFOs that 'destroys' the argument every time. Not that I believe (or disbelieve) this, but just to satisfy my curiosity.

 

[Targus]

Durant was playing in the Worlds so it's no wonder he was being discussed. I also see Oden in every thread, so it is Blazer related.

I don't understand the sensitivity or the desire to control what is being discussed. As a die hard Duck fan, I have no issues discussing Blount, Masoli or LaMichael James - nearly a year and a half after the fact with one issue.

It's the way it is. I'm mature enough to talk about it and mature enough to know it's an issue for some and I'm certainly in now position to control what other say or post about. Cool. Yah, it's a topic that is cumbersome to some and a mousewheel to others. Get over it. People will discuss it.
But, that's just me....

 

[MickZagger]

I'm one who at the time of the draft didn't think that Oden was the unanimous #1 pick. Durant was a stud 6-10" with a knack for putting the ball through the hoop. I still think thats the only real trait that he excells at. Its arguable that its the only realy stat that matters, but I disagree. A well-rounded player like Oden, especially a big man is much more valuable. As a GM you ALWAYS have to go after the once in a generation 7'0". Any GM that would say differently is being a monday morning quarterback.

That said, Oden's the pick we made. People need to deal with it.

 

[espn_hall_of_famer]

I'd like to see this empirical data on UFOs that 'destroys' the argument every time. Not that I believe (or disbelieve) this, but just to satisfy my curiosity.

It's empircal data in that modern logic and observation can pretty much shoot it down. It was one thing before we had satellites that tracked every living cell within a million miles of earth and telescopes that could look into space so deep no UFO that would be so clumsy as to crash and make a circle in Nebraska would be outside detection by 2010 technology.

Or if you'd like a better example, we'll just say empircal data that disproves Bigfoot. That being that if one existed, someone would have run one over by now and had some road kill.

 

[BGrantFan]

A lack of evidence/data does not = "empirical data" that something does not exist.

There are hundreds of new species found every year on Earth alone. That there was no evidence of their existence prior to their discoveries does not mean they did not exist prior to the evidence, does it?

You seem to be taking a lack of information as proof positive that something does not exist. That is as faultly as someone convinced of UFOs, despite the same lack of empirical data. It's two sides of the same coin.

 

[oldguy]

After further review....this thread should be labeled Off Topic.

Go Blazers

 

[Further]

Durant was playing in the Worlds so it's no wonder he was being discussed. I also see Oden in every thread, so it is Blazer related.

I don't understand the sensitivity or the desire to control what is being discussed. As a die hard Duck fan, I have no issues discussing Blount, Masoli or LaMichael James - nearly a year and a half after the fact with one issue.

It's the way it is. I'm mature enough to talk about it and mature enough to know it's an issue for some and I'm certainly in now position to control what other say or post about. Cool. Yah, it's a topic that is cumbersome to some and a mousewheel to others. Get over it. People will discuss it.
But, that's just me....

You make some good points. I personally am just tired of the subject for the moment. Perhaps once the season starts, and we see Oden either Play well, Play poorly, or get injured, the topic would be interesting to revisit. But for the moment, I just feel like absolutely nothing new is being stated on the topic.

I don't think your thread should be moved or voided. As long as Oden is being compared to Durant, it is Blazer related. So from that standpoint, you are correct. And I certainly have the ability to skip the thread, since reading some peoples posts on the topic makes my eyes glaze. I am a blazeraholic and read almost every thread during the down times at work. My original post was meant more as a humorous way to express exasperation over the circular nature of thread topics, and not as malicious, which upon rereading could be construed.

So please accept my explanation and apology. I will continue to read most threads and just deal with the boredom till the season kicks off and a zillion new topics emerge.

GOD

 

[BBert]

After further review....this thread should be labeled Off Topic.

Go Blazers

That was my thinking from the beginning. Just read the title. OT or move it to the OKC forum.

 

[MARIS61]

"Fools Gold" ?

BUT, if Insider's measuring stick is used then ultimately, we need to classify players like Malone, Stockton, Drexler (in Portland), Lebron James, Elgin Baylor, Ewing, Gervin, Wilkins, Terry Porter, Sabonis, and the like as all "fools gold".

Does that mean we can't appreciate them as amazing athletes and admire their skill? Some Blazer fans are so overcompensating for taking Oden before Durant, that genuine appreciation for Durant's abilities isn't conceivable.

Many "great" players don't go on to win championships. Elites do... Note the thread title. Would you argue Durant is currently a "great player" in the NBA and his upside, considering his youth and current contributions, is rather high?

Durant is what, 21 years old?
I'd wager Durant ends his career with more championships than Oden. Any takers?

I doubt he'll end it with any, unless he changes teams.

And he's a really good player, but not as good as Oden, not as good as Roy, not as good as about 30 other players currently active.

 

[MARIS61]

Last season, the Thunder rank in the top 10 in rebounding, fast-break points and steals and 11th out of 30 in points allowed.

So what you're really saying is that the Blazers should have hired Scott Brooks rather than Nate McMillan.

Why not just come right out and say it without all the ridiculous Durant smoke and mirrors stuff?

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

With the current state of the team, it kills me more and more that we didnt draft Durant. I know, 95% of the GM's in the league also would have taken Oden also, but lately it has really been sinking in how amazing we could be if we had him. Durant, Aldridge, Batum = top team in the west. Or we could have used Batum (+ more) to get CP3. Durant, Aldridge, CP3 = best team in the NBA. SHIT SHIT SHIT!!!!

 

[HailBlazers]

What's the point of living life if your staring in the rear view mirror? You know the windshield is much bigger/brighter right?

please don't take that as encouragement for suicide.

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

What's the point of living life if your staring in the rear view mirror? You know the windshield is much bigger/brighter right?

please don't take that as encouragement for suicide.

Love it! Ha ha!
I agree, but lately its just been really bothering me. Being a Blazer fan the last several years is painful. So many ups and downs. There needs to be a Blazer Fan Counseling Service. This message boards serves that purpose a little bit.

 

[jlprk]

With the current state of the team, it kills me more and more that we didnt draft Durant. I know, 95% of the GM's in the league also would have taken Oden also, but lately it has really been sinking in how amazing we could be if we had him. Durant, Aldridge, Batum = top team in the west. Or we could have used Batum (+ more) to get CP3. Durant, Aldridge, CP3 = best team in the NBA. SHIT SHIT SHIT!!!!

Under McMillan, he'd be half the player he is. That should give you comfort.