Around the NBA - April 2017

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Boob-No-More said:
Ultimately, do you think if Durant was happy playing with Westbrook and felt they had ANY chance of winning a championship he would have taken less money to go to GSW?
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I see what you did there. Nice side step.
 
handiman said:
I see what you did there. Nice side step.
Click to expand...

You could change the "and" to an "or" and the result would have been the same.

Durant didn't like playing with Westbrook. He was constantly requesting more ball movement, but he would have stayed if he thought he could have won a ring playing in OKC.

BNM
 
Boob-No-More said:
Well, I would never wish an injury on anyone, but given I only have two choices, in my perfect storm of an answer, I'd love to see GSW beat CLE with Durant sidelined for the series. He'd get his ring, but if Golden State beats the Cavs this year, without Durant contributing in any way, it would cement his status as the ultimate coat tail rider.

I respect what SAS has accomplished as an organization, and I like Kawhi as a player, but when it comes to LaMarcus Aldridge, I don't ever want to see him make a finals appearance. I want him to always be healthy, but left on the outside looking in. I don't want any injury excuses. I want him to fail to make the finals because he just isn't good enough to get his team there. I want him to be the scapegoat when they lose and come up short of expectations year after year. I want him to regret his decision to leave Portland and I want the Spurs and their fans to regret signing him.

BNM
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I can totally agree with this line of thinking. But, just in case Durant is healthy and he plays, I think we're already in the clear. He couldn't win with his own team. He had to go ride the Warriors coat tails, and whether he wins or not is not really important. He couldn't win with OKC, and I'm not sure if he could have won with us.

Fuck Aldridge though. I don't think he even qualifies as a superstar anymore. The dude is averaging 17 and 7. What a silly drop off. In these playoffs he's averaging 14 ppg and 6 rebounds. What happened to that guy?
 
Boob-No-More said:
Proof, you mean like a smoking gun? Durant isn't stupid enough to publicly say he left OKC because Russ is a selfish ballhog who cares more about his own stats than winning. But, all the evidence is there and there are plenty of articles that describe the tension between the two. Ultimately, do you think if Durant was happy playing with Westbrook and felt they had ANY chance of winning a championship he would have taken less money to go to GSW?

Here's just one article on the topic. If you want more, just google why did Kevin Durant leave OKC.

Saturday Shows Why Kevin Durant Left Russell Westbrook



Don't like articles and quotes from sources close to the team (no one will ever say anything on record, or they will be fired like Kim Hughes), just go back and look at the game logs and stats for the 4th quarters of playoff games where Westbrook consistently froze out the more efficient scoring Durant. This goes all the way back to their second season together in OKC and continued right up until they blew a 3-1 lead against GSW last year.

Just go back and look at the stats for their 2012 finals series against MIA. In that series, Durant got 104 FGA to Westbrook's 120. Durant shot .548 FG% and .394 3FG%. Westbrook shot .433 FG% and .136 3FG%, yet he constantly called his own number more than Durant's especially in the 4th quarter when Durant would often go several minutes without touching the ball on offense. Durant was always a far more efficient scorer than Westbrook, but with the game on the line, Westbrook consistently resorted to hero ball. The bigger the stage the more Russ craved, make that demanded, the spotlight - always to the detriment of his team.

That's just one example, but it was part of a pattern that was repeated year after year after year until Durant had had enough and left. He was unhappy playing with Russ and knew he could never win a championship with Russ playing hero ball and freezing him out. He was right. I've been saying the same thing for years and also predicted back in 2012 that Durant would eventually get fed up with Westbrook's me first attitude and flee OKC.

But hey, triple doubles, MVP! MVP! MVP, slurp, slurp go the fan boys. Sure, Westbrook is an amazing physical talent that puts up video game like numbers. Too bad there is also a mental aspect to the game that will always hold Westbrook back. He will never trust his teammates when it matters. He will always try to do too much and he will always fail. He'll continue to have gaudy stats (both good and bad - 47.0 USG% and 6.0 TOV/G in that HOU series), but will never win anything. Basketball is still a team sport and Westbrook just isn't a team player.

BNM
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The thing is, I completely understand why Durant left. OKC is a shit city, they traded away Harden and didn't get the right talent around those 2, and Westbrook is an inefficient, ball dominant, non-clutch chucker.

However, he chose the fucking Warriors, which is why he's hated. He couldve contended in Portland, creating a Big 3 with Lillard and McCollum, and erasing the pain of Portland picking Oden over him. He could've contending with Boston, who had the perfect role players to compliment, and assets to create an even better team then todays Golden State Whorriers. Hell, his hometown Wizards would've probably been the best team in the league this year with him. Wall, Beal, Porter, Durant, and Gortat would've been a deadly ass lineup. He could've went to Miami and contended, pairing up with Dragic, Waiters, J.Johnson, and Whiteside (but that would've been following in Lebron's footsteps. He could've went to Hawks, and been the scorer they need to contend. He could've went to the Pacers and been a tall dominant SG/SF tandem with PG13 and him. Same with Chicago and Jimmy Butler.

Durant could've went to 10 different teams and turned them into an instant contender, and he could've built something new and special for a franchise. Instead, he latched on to the Warrior train, a team where his ring will be unearned and underserved. He's not building anything. He's not creating anything special. He's a
 
Hopefully Durant decides to man up and try to earn a ring on his own after the Warriors walk their way into the championship. Fuck that bitch.

NBA needs parity. They need to figure out a way to evenly disperse stars, and make it impossible for Big 3's and Big 4's to be created by signing free agents. The further a team goes in the playoffs, the less amount of cap space they should have to sign free agents. Make an NBA Finals? Well, they'll only be able to us 60% of their available cap space on free agents.

That would've stopped the Durant signing.
 
Trackjack said:
Rember Lebron went to Miami to chase a ring. So Durant went to the best team to have chance to win one. I don't blame him leaving OKC.
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Different situation. The Heat were essentially a blank slate. LeBron, Wade, and Bosh decided to team up to create a super team. The Heat weren't a super team before LeBron arrived.

The Warriors broke the win record last season. He knew he was joining a team that already had 3 All-Stars. It's a very different situation.
 
But still he join up with 2 other super stars to win a ring. Something he couldn't do at the time in Cleveland. Durant join 3 other star hope to win a ring it is same basis. Either one of them could win a ring with there original teams. Except Lebron did last year with 2 other star playing beside him.
 
Natebishop3 said:
I can totally agree with this line of thinking. But, just in case Durant is healthy and he plays, I think we're already in the clear. He couldn't win with his own team. He had to go ride the Warriors coat tails, and whether he wins or not is not really important. He couldn't win with OKC, and I'm not sure if he could have won with us.
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His only potential saving grace is that GSW lost in the finals to CLE last year. If they beat the Cavs this year, he can claim they needed him to get past LeBron. That's one reason I'm hoping CLE doesn't make the finals this year.

GSW is definitely better, especially in the post season, with the addition of Durant, but CLE is also a lot worse this year. I don't want to see GSW mop the floor with LeBron and company in the finals as it somewhat validates Durant's decision (at least to the casual fans).

I really would have liked to see Durant go to WAS and led them past CLE in the Eastern Conference finals. Then he would have been matched up with GSW in the finals with a real chance to cement his legacy. It would have also been a feel good story with Durant returning home and reuniting with his former coach.

That shit I could get behind. Joining a 73-win team to get a ring just isn't impressive. I mean shit, I could have probably joined the Warriors and won a ring this year - with, or without, Kevin Durant.

BNM
 
Good Bucks Raptors game right now. Raptors 25 point lead down to 8. Every time Toronto misses a shot, crowd goes crazy.
 
Haven't looked at the numbers, but Greg Monroe has been playing great during this series.
 
Crazy comeback going on right now
 
Toronto is fucking garbage
 
Terry for the lead! We need a Terry/Vince/JoeJ player. Mo Williams used to be that player for us and he made big shots.
 
Worst foul ever by Ibaka.
What was he thinking, you're up by 7 under 30 seconds to go and you foul a 3 point shooter.
Jesus.
 
I underestimated the Geko's.
They look like they're going to close out in game 6, not allow a team that isn't as talented force a game 7.
 
DeRozan fouled, no call. Bucks ball after review.
ref needs to call the foul.
 
Flavor of the Month team down.
Geko's don't take more than 2 games off the Cavs again in round 2.
 
I want to feed Tony Brothers into a wood chipper.

Bucks in six!
 
Where's all the idiots that think Kyle Lowry is better than dame?
 
Spurs vs Memphis already went a lot longer than most thought. Heres hoping Memphis forces a game 7.
My Spurs in 7 prediction was based off Tony Allen meme-ing Leonard.
But without him I'm surprised af Memphis is in game 6.
 
Boob-No-More said:
You could change the "and" to an "or" and the result would have been the same.

Durant didn't like playing with Westbrook. He was constantly requesting more ball movement, but he would have stayed if he thought he could have won a ring playing in OKC.

BNM
Click to expand...

You included the likelihood of winning a title in OKC, alongside his happiness playing with RW, as proof that Durant left because of RW. And your response is to fall back on and/or semantics? Weak.
 
Memphis with a 50-45 lead at half time.
Can they force a g7.
 
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