Is Durant the GROAT?

triple_threat · Post #1 » by **triple_threat** » Sun May 21, 2017 12:43 pm

This guy is the whole package offensively and has taken a big step forward defensively. I can look back through all of history and I can't think of somone better to play the game as a "ringchaser." I define the term for this purposes as a player joining a championship ready team irrespective of how much their salary is. Championship ready would entail at least one recent championship with a core that is still playing championship level basketball.

Is Durant the GROAT?

Mikistan · Post #2 » by **Mikistan** » Sun May 21, 2017 12:49 pm

triple_threat wrote:This guy is the whole package offensively and has taken a big step forward defensively. I can look back through all of history and I can't think of somone better to play the game as a "ringchaser." I define the term for this purposes as a player joining a championship ready team irrespective of how much their salary is. Championship ready would entail at least one recent championship with a core that is still playing championship level basketball.

Is Durant the GROAT?

The heat with Wade were champions already when Lebron joined

triple_threat · Post #3 » by **triple_threat** » Sun May 21, 2017 12:53 pm

Mikistan wrote:
triple_threat wrote:This guy is the whole package offensively and has taken a big step forward defensively. I can look back through all of history and I can't think of somone better to play the game as a "ringchaser." I define the term for this purposes as a player joining a championship ready team irrespective of how much their salary is. Championship ready would entail at least one recent championship with a core that is still playing championship level basketball.

Is Durant the GROAT?

The heat with Wade were champions already when Lebron joined

Not recently nor with the same core and definitely not playing championship level basketball. If I recall correctly they were actually fresh off a 20 something win season. Lol.

plainballing · Post #4 » by **plainballing** » Sun May 21, 2017 12:54 pm

I gotta say this is the first time I have seen a great player, in his prime, joining an already-championship level team.

Post #5 » by **Double Helix** » Sun May 21, 2017 2:23 pm

plainballing wrote:I gotta say this is the first time I have seen a great player, in his prime, joining an already-championship level team.

Especially one that he had on the ropes in a Conference Final the year prior. There are no sell outs in this selfie generation though. Whatever makes each person the most money and the most wins has trumped the old, outdated concept of never giving in and fighting until the very end.

Maybe John Stockton and Karl Malone should have joined the Bulls.

LiSTWithLani · Post #6 » by **LiSTWithLani** » Sun May 21, 2017 2:30 pm

To answer your question, I believe so. The question isn't quite as black and white though. Kobe only wanting to join the Lakers (rookie, nowhere near KDs current level). Sheed joining the Pistons (I believe was a trade from Portland)? LeBron joining the Heat alongside Bosh and Wade is laughable. That's probably tied for 'worst' GROAT. I remember thinking in the offseason before the season began that Payton and Malone joining Kobe, Shaq, Rick Fox, Devan George, Derrick Fisher and Robert Horry was game over before it began. I was wrong.

Ironically, I can remember being upset about teams breaking up too. Phoenix of old with Marion, Amare, Joe Johnson, Nash, Barbosa ... Sacramento with Webber, Divac, Brad Miller, Bibby, Jason Williams, Bobby Jackson, Stojakovic... OKC losing Harden for peanuts, Sefolosha, then eventually Durant and Ibaka... Portland was going to be really fun with Oden, Roy, Aldridge, Steve Blake, Jarret Jack, James Jones, Travis Outlaw, Joel Przybilla, and Martell Webster... Indiana following the Malace at the Palace; JO, Artest, Reggie, Mark Jackson...
And of course the Raptors losing McGrady! (And in Orlando with Grant Hill)

T-d0t · Post #7 » by **T-d0t** » Sun May 21, 2017 2:34 pm

come on man let it go, these Finals are going to be lit

triple_threat · Post #8 » by **triple_threat** » Sun May 21, 2017 3:41 pm

lstern wrote:To answer your question, I believe so. The question isn't quite as black and white though. Kobe only wanting to join the Lakers (rookie, nowhere near KDs current level). Sheed joining the Pistons (I believe was a trade from Portland)? LeBron joining the Heat alongside Bosh and Wade is laughable. That's probably tied for 'worst' GROAT. I remember thinking in the offseason before the season began that Payton and Malone joining Kobe, Shaq, Rick Fox, Devan George, Derrick Fisher and Robert Horry was game over before it began. I was wrong.

Ironically, I can remember being upset about teams breaking up too. Phoenix of old with Marion, Amare, Joe Johnson, Nash, Barbosa ... Sacramento with Webber, Divac, Brad Miller, Bibby, Jason Williams, Bobby Jackson, Stojakovic... OKC losing Harden for peanuts, Sefolosha, then eventually Durant and Ibaka... Portland was going to be really fun with Oden, Roy, Aldridge, Steve Blake, Jarret Jack, James Jones, Travis Outlaw, Joel Przybilla, and Martell Webster... Indiana following the Malace at the Palace; JO, Artest, Reggie, Mark Jackson...
And of course the Raptors losing McGrady! (And in Orlando with Grant Hill)

Yes sheed was traded so I would definately not consider that ring chasing on his part.

Payton and Malone were well past their prime when they join the lakers, so although definately ringchasers they weren't playing near the level of Kevin Durant.

Also, if you consider bosh and Wade a championship level team that's laughable in itself.

OvOh · Post #9 » by **OvOh** » Sun May 21, 2017 3:52 pm

I always thought GROAT meant Greatest Raptor of All Time

Psubs · Post #10 » by **Psubs** » Sun May 21, 2017 3:58 pm

I am GROAT!

Mr Burns · Post #11 » by **Mr Burns** » Sun May 21, 2017 4:28 pm

triple_threat wrote:
Mikistan wrote:
triple_threat wrote:This guy is the whole package offensively and has taken a big step forward defensively. I can look back through all of history and I can't think of somone better to play the game as a "ringchaser." I define the term for this purposes as a player joining a championship ready team irrespective of how much their salary is. Championship ready would entail at least one recent championship with a core that is still playing championship level basketball.

Is Durant the GROAT?

The heat with Wade were champions already when Lebron joined

Not recently nor with the same core and definitely not playing championship level basketball. If I recall correctly they were actually fresh off a 20 something win season. Lol.

False they were 47-35 and that was just with Wade. They add Bosh and LeBron the year after and anyone with a brain would know they are instant favourites to win the title. What him and Durant did are the exact same thing.

RaptorsLife · Post #12 » by **RaptorsLife** » Sun May 21, 2017 4:29 pm

Durant is amazing

teamLeiweke · Post #13 » by **teamLeiweke** » Sun May 21, 2017 4:33 pm

"The weakest decision by any superstar in the history of sports." - Stephen A. Smith ESPN

Dr Positivity · Post #14 » by **Dr Positivity** » Sun May 21, 2017 4:47 pm

Yes, everything else close is a poor man's version

Moses Malone signs with Sixers who were 80 and 82 finalist, but they were not as dominant as the Warriors or a champion already, and had shown they probably weren't getting over the hump without his help. Also Moses was leaving bad team.

Wilt forced a trade to Lakers with West and Baylor in Lakers but it wasn't ring chasing as much as just wanting to play in LA. The team he left though was arguably more stacked and were the 67 champion and should have been 68 champion. This is like if Curry went to the Thunder after last season.

04 Karl Malone and Payton were old

Kahn_2001 · Post #15 » by **Kahn_2001** » Sun May 21, 2017 4:51 pm

Mr Burns wrote:
triple_threat wrote:
Mikistan wrote:
The heat with Wade were champions already when Lebron joined

Not recently nor with the same core and definitely not playing championship level basketball. If I recall correctly they were actually fresh off a 20 something win season. Lol.

False they were 47-35 and that was just with Wade. They add Bosh and LeBron the year after and anyone with a brain would know they are instant favourites to win the title. What him and Durant did are the exact same thing.

Not even close to the same thing.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

triple_threat · Post #16 » by **triple_threat** » Sun May 21, 2017 5:07 pm

Mr Burns wrote:
triple_threat wrote:
Mikistan wrote:
The heat with Wade were champions already when Lebron joined

Not recently nor with the same core and definitely not playing championship level basketball. If I recall correctly they were actually fresh off a 20 something win season. Lol.

False they were 47-35 and that was just with Wade. They add Bosh and LeBron the year after and anyone with a brain would know they are instant favourites to win the title. What him and Durant did are the exact same thing.

You seem to have trouble interpreting the original
Premise of this thread. Bosh and Wade didn't win a championsonsip and are not a championship
Level team and hence the definition of "ringchasing" as I set out is not met. Save ur comments for another thread where they actually might be relevant you're sounding butthurt

aminiaturebuddha · Post #17 » by **aminiaturebuddha** » Sun May 21, 2017 5:12 pm

Mr Burns wrote:
False they were 47-35 and that was just with Wade. They add Bosh and LeBron the year after and anyone with a brain would know they are instant favourites to win the title. What him and Durant did are the exact same thing.

The main difference, and I think that it's fairly significant, is that Lebron's Cleveland situation was horrible, and he had arguably earned the right to look to go elsewhere. In his 7 years in Cleveland, who was the best player that he played with - Zydrunas Ilgausakas? Mo Williams? A broken down Shaq? Cleveland did a horrible job putting talent around him.

On the other hand, OKC put a lot of great talent around Durant - Westbrook, Harden, Ibaka, etc.

So the decisions to go to a championship caliber team may have been similar, but the situations they were coming from were completely different.

Mr Burns · Post #18 » by **Mr Burns** » Sun May 21, 2017 5:15 pm

triple_threat wrote:
Mr Burns wrote:
triple_threat wrote:
Not recently nor with the same core and definitely not playing championship level basketball. If I recall correctly they were actually fresh off a 20 something win season. Lol.

False they were 47-35 and that was just with Wade. They add Bosh and LeBron the year after and anyone with a brain would know they are instant favourites to win the title. What him and Durant did are the exact same thing.

You seem to have trouble interpreting the original
Premise of this thread. Bosh and Wade didn't win a championsonsip and are not a championship
Level team and hence the definition of "ringchasing" as I set out is not met. Save ur comments for another thread where they actually might be relevant you're sounding butthurt

Who cares if they didn't win a ring before they teamed up. Everyone knew they broke the league once they teamed up. Wade was by far the second best player in the conference and Bosh was a top 5 player at the time in the east. In my eyes there is no difference in their situations other than the fact that the Cavs were trash, which has nothing to do with Miami. Durant and LeBron both broke the league with their decisions.

Mr Burns · Post #19 » by **Mr Burns** » Sun May 21, 2017 5:17 pm

aminiaturebuddha wrote:
Mr Burns wrote:
False they were 47-35 and that was just with Wade. They add Bosh and LeBron the year after and anyone with a brain would know they are instant favourites to win the title. What him and Durant did are the exact same thing.

The main difference, and I think that it's fairly significant, is that Lebron's Cleveland situation was horrible, and he had arguably earned the right to look to go elsewhere. In his 7 years in Cleveland, who was the best player that he played with - Zydrunas Ilgausakas? Mo Williams? A broken down Shaq? Cleveland did a horrible job putting talent around him.

On the other hand, OKC put a lot of great talent around Durant - Westbrook, Harden, Ibaka, etc.

So the decisions to go to a championship caliber team may have been similar, but the situations they were coming from were completely different.

I agree that their situations were different, however it does not change the fact that they both ruined the league with their decisions. In both cases the player is chasing after a ring by joining superior talent on another team.

DisAintNoPekNik · Post #20 » by **DisAintNoPekNik** » Sun May 21, 2017 11:08 pm

See it the same way, what Durant did is fresher in our minds but Lebron was the same imo. He colluded with Wade and Bosh - then talked about how they are win not 5,6,7...Also Lebron wasn't going back to Cleveland if they had no assets to make a championship team. Lebron led the way and KD copied it. Now we are left with this type of NBA.

Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums