Is Durant now the Savior?

[Scalabrine]

Zaza/McGee are not equal to Bogut/Ezeli.

(Bogut > Zaza) + (McGee > Ezeli) = wash.

Ezeli last year was definitely better then McGee has been this year.

[Knicks_Fan2]

Also, I agree with the op that KD is primed now to be the savior and will regain much of what he lost in respect by leaving OKC for GSW if he comes back and leads them to the title irrespective of what the vocal minority on this board and others think.

[ALL HAIL]

Zaza/McGee are not equal to Bogut/Ezeli.

(Bogut > Zaza) + (McGee > Ezeli) = wash.

Now do your formula again comparing Bogut and McGee. People trying hard to seem mathematical oftentimes miss the finer points.

[Torchmode]

Read on Twitter

I feel like the hype is building for his comeback.

[Knicks_Fan2]

He will be back for round 1.

[ALL HAIL]

What a wild statement. Even though they lost some depth, they still did a pretty good job at replacing them. Obviously the addition of Durant would have depleted a bit, but it wasn't gutted or "trash"

Iggy =/= Iggy
Livingston =/= Livingston
McAdoo =/= McAdoo

Clark =/= Barbosa
Zaza/McGee =/= Bogut/Ezeli

Speights > West (side note: crazy how much he has fallen off since leaving Indiana)
Durant >> Barnes

Clark isn't equal to Barbosa, and Zaza/McGee are not equal to Bogut/Ezeli.

Also, what was their reasoning for letting Speights go again? It wasn't money (he signed to Clips for the minimum).

Clark is having himself a very good season and has filled in admirably for Barbosa's absence putting up identical #'s, but much more efficiently.

Clark - 6.6pts/1.5reb/1.1ast on 50/42/74 with a 59.4%TS and 112ORTG & 108DRTG
Barbosa - 6.4pts/1.4reb/1.2ast on 44/36/89 with a 54.5%TS and 103ORTG & 114DRTG

In regards to the Zaza/McGee vs Bogut/Ezeli debate, i'd say they made off much better considering Ezeli is out and hasn't played all season and likewise with Bogut now out for the season too. Zaza has done a great job filling in for the starting line-up and McGee is one of the feel good stories of the entire season with him bouncing back to become a servicable NBA player again.

With Speights, I believe it was because of the lack of potential playing time after they went out and got David West to fill his position. With the Clippers lacking quality bigs after BG and Jordan, there was just more opportunity in Clipper land

Barbosa was a gamer though; he offered much more stability for them.

I'm not sure there are numbers for that though.

Comme ci comme ca.

[Ballerhogger]

What depth exactly did they give up to get him? Ezeli is done, Bogut was already breaking down and missed games last year, including finals games, Speights is a defensive sieve, Barnes missed a huge chunk of the regular season, and Barbosa I admit was nice but cmon man he's so old. They picked up Zaza and David West and now Matt Barnes...The primary difference this year is that Steph just isn't as good and isn't putting as much pressure on opposing defenses and, overall, with KD, they have been better this year compared to last year based on net rtg but just lost a few coin toss games that they won last year. The decision was a good one and, until Steph gets back to himself, they won't be as good. KD is their best player and, frankly, I think the Warriors are lucky that they got him becasue STeph is clearly running on fumes and the same team last year would have serious difficulty this year after that Finals loss.

Which leads more questions, do you want max deal for Curry? What do you with Klay now? Let him run out his max deal? Try to trade him ? How can can find a good big man? A young big at that? Or do we play the waiver game next year? So many more questions for warriors for next year.

[CS707]

Zaza/McGee are not equal to Bogut/Ezeli.

(Bogut > Zaza) + (McGee > Ezeli) = wash.

Now do your formula again comparing Bogut and McGee. People trying hard to seem mathematical oftentimes miss the finer points.

Sure, when the actual scenario doesn't fit your agenda... make one up, right?

[ALL HAIL]

(Bogut > Zaza) + (McGee > Ezeli) = wash.

Now do your formula again comparing Bogut and McGee. People trying hard to seem mathematical oftentimes miss the finer points.

Sure, when the actual scenario doesn't fit your agenda... make one up, right?

Acknowledging Nuance = Agenda

[Patches Perry]

Assuming Durant is the savior - Is it reasonable to conclude then that the Warriors, without signing Durant, would have completely fallen apart this season? 3-5 in the games without him so far. To go from NBA champion, to 73 win team team, up 3-1 in the NBA finals 1 game away from back to back titles, and all of the sudden get beat by Cleveland 3 straight games, then come back this year look as bad as they have without KD? They may have been due for an epic collapse the sports world has never seen. If that's true, Durant certainly is the savior.

Maybe Lacob saw the writing on the wall and that's why he was so quick to change the dynamic of the team so drastically to fit KD. They might have been headed for disaster and to stay the course would have left them in ruins.

[CS707]

Now do your formula again comparing Bogut and McGee. People trying hard to seem mathematical oftentimes miss the finer points.

Sure, when the actual scenario doesn't fit your agenda... make one up, right?

Acknowledging Nuance = Agenda

Two sets of players were being compared in a vacuum. Introducing a hypothetical third set makes no sense. Sure, GS could have kept Bogut and added McGee. KD could have signed for the minimum. Both scenarios are equally relevant.

[ALL HAIL]

Sure, when the actual scenario doesn't fit your agenda... make one up, right?

Acknowledging Nuance = Agenda

Two sets of players were being compared in a vacuum. Introducing a hypothetical third set makes no sense. Sure, GS could have kept Bogut and added McGee. KD could have signed for the minimum. Both scenarios are equally relevant.

So calling both sets a "wash" accomplishes what end? Lying?

Maybe you should embrace something other than a strict adherence to myopic linear thinking.

[Throwback24]

Is that guy Steph Curry still on the team? Heard he's alright.

He doesn't know what a good shot is.

[Ndugu Kamala]

What depth exactly did they give up to get him? Ezeli is done, Bogut was already breaking down and missed games last year, including finals games, Speights is a defensive sieve, Barnes missed a huge chunk of the regular season, and Barbosa I admit was nice but cmon man he's so old. They picked up Zaza and David West and now Matt Barnes...The primary difference this year is that Steph just isn't as good and isn't putting as much pressure on opposing defenses and, overall, with KD, they have been better this year compared to last year based on net rtg but just lost a few coin toss games that they won last year. The decision was a good one and, until Steph gets back to himself, they won't be as good. KD is their best player and, frankly, I think the Warriors are lucky that they got him becasue STeph is clearly running on fumes and the same team last year would have serious difficulty this year after that Finals loss.

Let's not forget Luke Walton, who led the team to a historic 30-2 record.

[SF_Warriors]

What a wild statement. Even though they lost some depth, they still did a pretty good job at replacing them. Obviously the addition of Durant would have depleted a bit, but it wasn't gutted or "trash"

Iggy =/= Iggy
Livingston =/= Livingston
McAdoo =/= McAdoo

Clark =/= Barbosa
Zaza/McGee =/= Bogut/Ezeli

Speights > West (side note: crazy how much he has fallen off since leaving Indiana)
Durant >> Barnes

Clark isn't equal to Barbosa, and Zaza/McGee are not equal to Bogut/Ezeli.

Also, what was their reasoning for letting Speights go again? It wasn't money (he signed to Clips for the minimum).

Clark is having himself a very good season and has filled in admirably for Barbosa's absence putting up identical #'s, but much more efficiently.

Clark - 6.6pts/1.5reb/1.1ast on 50/42/74 with a 59.4%TS and 112ORTG & 108DRTG
Barbosa - 6.4pts/1.4reb/1.2ast on 44/36/89 with a 54.5%TS and 103ORTG & 114DRTG

In regards to the Zaza/McGee vs Bogut/Ezeli debate, i'd say they made off much better considering Ezeli is out and hasn't played all season and likewise with Bogut now out for the season too. Zaza has done a great job filling in for the starting line-up and McGee is one of the feel good stories of the entire season with him bouncing back to become a servicable NBA player again.

With Speights, I believe it was because of the lack of potential playing time after they went out and got David West to fill his position. With the Clippers lacking quality bigs after BG and Jordan, there was just more opportunity in Clipper land

Zaza/Mcgee is a huge dropoff from last year's bogut/ezeli..Remember, we are comparing to last year's warriors team, not the ezeli/bogut of this season. Ezeli was a rock defensively, whereas mcgee is more flash than substance
I heard that the warriors never even called speights about re-signing.
I like west, but speights was a perfect fit in kerr's system as a scoring backup big and contributed more than what west has this season.

Andre/Livingston are declining vets who are a year older than they were last year. That said, there probably isnt too much of a dropoff there.

Also a guy like brandon rush who is a competent veteran 3&D player filled in admirably when HB was out last season. Now we have an inexperienced rookie in mccaw and/or a washed up vet like MB trying to fill in, neither of whom play defense or shoot threes like rush.

Clark has played well this season, but he does not provide the type of energy off the bench that barbosa did. Barbosa was a game changer many nights due to his otherworldly ability to score at the rim

But all those points are dwarfed by the fact that steph is shooting very poorly during KD's absence. Steph most definitly did not play this way last year for this type of extended stretch.

They also played 3 games in a a row to teams that gave them trouble last season..SAS, BOS, MIN all beat them last year during their 73 game win season, two of them being at home

[CS707]

Acknowledging Nuance = Agenda

Two sets of players were being compared in a vacuum. Introducing a hypothetical third set makes no sense. Sure, GS could have kept Bogut and added McGee. KD could have signed for the minimum. Both scenarios are equally relevant.

So calling both sets a "wash" accomplishes what end? Lying?

Maybe you should embrace something other than a strict adherence to myopic linear thinking.

Come on man... you disagree that the two sets of players are a wash? Fine, make that point. Creating fantastical scenarios isn't nuance though, it's making things up.

[dreadhead_htx]

Hogwash.

The reason why the Warriors stink right now is because their team is gutted. You have 3 guys who are good, and the rest are bottom bench trash. It was only inevitable that this would happen. They gutted their 2nd unit in order to get Durant. Now its being exposed.

That and Curry coming back to normal levels after the last 2 years isn't helping either.
Everybody was on Kerr's jock as the greatest new phenomenon coach in the league. I noticed now he slowly is turning into the scapegoat.

Who didn't see this happening?

omg I was waiting for someone to say this.

This warriors team gave up too much of their depth. they were struggling early on because their defense just wasnt the same like last year with bogut in the middle but when kd stepped up defensively while still dropping his 25-30 the ppl forgot this team still has no depth. now that KD is hurt your missing a guy who was playing career best defense on a squad that lacked depth now your missing his 26 points on 55 percent shooting on top of his defense. crazy how ppl underate the things bogut, fetus ezeli, harrsan barnes,Leandro Barbosa, Brandon Rush and Marreese Speights did for the team. All those guys contributed in a big way weather it was providing toughness on the defensive end or providing a spark off the bench

[SF_Warriors]

Hogwash.

The reason why the Warriors stink right now is because their team is gutted. You have 3 guys who are good, and the rest are bottom bench trash. It was only inevitable that this would happen. They gutted their 2nd unit in order to get Durant. Now its being exposed.

That and Curry coming back to normal levels after the last 2 years isn't helping either.
Everybody was on Kerr's jock as the greatest new phenomenon coach in the league. I noticed now he slowly is turning into the scapegoat.

Who didn't see this happening?

omg I was waiting for someone to say this.

This warriors team gave up too much of their depth. they were struggling early on because their defense just wasnt the same like last year with bogut in the middle but when kd stepped up defensively while still dropping his 25-30 the ppl forgot this team still has no depth. now that KD is hurt your missing a guy who was playing career best defense on a squad that lacked depth now your missing his 26 points on 55 percent shooting on top of his defense. crazy how ppl underate the things bogut, fetus ezeli, harrsan barnes,Leandro Barbosa, Brandon Rush and Marreese Speights did for the team. All those guys contributed in a big way weather it was providing toughness on the defensive end or providing a spark off the bench

KD was not just the leading scorer but the teams leading shot blocker and rebounder

When he went down, the perceived weaknesses everyone had on the team early in the season that KD made up for (rebounding shotblocking interior defense)
Became actual weaknesses now that there isnt a 7 foot perimeter player covering most defensive weaknesses

[TMU]

So, anyone still doubting that Durant is better than Curry?

[Jedi32]

But but but I thought the Warriors were super stacked? Smh

They have 4 all NBA players, 2 MVPs, FMVP off the bench.

Yes, they are super stacked. Don't get it twisted

nah some here have it twisted. i think they are 3-5 without durant this year, that doesn't sound super stacked to me. also iggy being finals mvp was a complete joke, no disrespect to iggy but curry lead that team. yes they fill their roles great and curry makes the game easier for them,but we don't know how green or klay would look if defenses were geared to stop them night in and night out.