First Round Playoff Thread

MikeIsGood · Post #3321 » by **MikeIsGood** » Thu Jun 7, 2012 3:43 am

God damnit I love Durant. Lots. And lots.

europa · Post #3322 » by **europa** » Thu Jun 7, 2012 3:44 am

MikeIsGood wrote:God damnit I love Durant. Lots. And lots.

The only fans more bummed tonight than former Sonics fans are Blazers fans.

Wooderson · Post #3323 » by **Wooderson** » Thu Jun 7, 2012 3:44 am

LUKE23 wrote:Thunder and Packers are pretty much carbon copy franchises at this point.

Only difference is Presti is 100 years younger than TT, assuming TT isn't a robot/alien/machine or combination there of.

LUKE23 · Post #3324 » by **LUKE23** » Thu Jun 7, 2012 3:44 am

He's a robot so I'm not worried about it.

MikeIsGood · Post #3325 » by **MikeIsGood** » Thu Jun 7, 2012 3:45 am

europa wrote:
MikeIsGood wrote:God damnit I love Durant. Lots. And lots.

The only fans more bummed tonight than former Sonics fans are Blazers fans.

You betcha.

europa · Post #3326 » by **europa** » Thu Jun 7, 2012 3:47 am

The challenge for the Thunder is keeping everyone together when Harden's and Ibaka's contracts expire. If Presti can do that we could definitely be looking at a Spurs-esque run of dominance for the next decade.

Wise1 · Post #3327 » by **Wise1** » Thu Jun 7, 2012 3:47 am

Once Durant wins his title this season, there's no way an argument can be made that he's not the best player in the game.

Prime Shaq, KG, Kobe and Durant ftw.

El Duderino · Post #3328 » by **El Duderino** » Thu Jun 7, 2012 3:50 am

europa wrote:I want no part of the Heat in the Finals.

Go Celtics.

I can't stand Miami either and it's not just LeBron. Wade and his non-stop complaining to refs has turned me against him and i'm a big Marquette fan.

That said, i'd greatly enjoy seeing the Heat get oh so close to a ring, only to be defeated in the Finals again. Plus, i hate all Boston area professional sports teams, so picking between them and Miami would be like asking if i'd rather see the Bears or Vikings win a NFC Title game.

Max Green · Post #3329 » by **Max Green** » Thu Jun 7, 2012 3:52 am

I hope Miami beats Boston so we can see a Heat/Thunder finals. A Lebron/Durant showdown for their first ring would be awesome.

BUCKnation · Post #3330 » by **BUCKnation** » Thu Jun 7, 2012 3:53 am

Good job, good effort Spurs.

InsideOut · Post #3331 » by **InsideOut** » Thu Jun 7, 2012 3:54 am

If you want to keep the NBA at least partially relevant I suggest you hope the Heat get healthy and make a great finals. Otherwise without injury I see the Thunder making the chase for the NBA title irrelevant for a while. Who in the West can come close to them? The Lakers, Dallas and Spurs are old and done and I don't see the Clippers getting good enough to test them. How do the Thunder not dominate the West for a decade? Maybe if the Clippers get Howard?

Boston is about done and if the Heat can't give them a series then why bother watching? I guess Chicago maybe but we'll see. Best hope for an 80’s Lakers / Celtics scenario is for the Heat to play the Celtic role. Unless you get a team to load up I can't anyone touching the Thunder for years to come.

El Duderino · Post #3332 » by **El Duderino** » Thu Jun 7, 2012 3:54 am

europa wrote:The challenge for the Thunder is keeping everyone together when Harden's and Ibaka's contracts expire.

Not possible, Presti will end up having to pick between those two because both will be in line for big contracts and Durant/Westbrook already have max deals.

REDDzone · Post #3333 » by **REDDzone** » Thu Jun 7, 2012 3:54 am

trwi7 wrote:
InsideOut wrote:Wasn't it just two years ago during the FTD season we had a debate whether it was the Bucks or Thunder that were in better shape. I guess we can put that one to bed.

That was one of the funniest debates I've ever seen on realgm.

LMAO. Thanks for the reminder.

europa · Post #3334 » by **europa** » Thu Jun 7, 2012 3:55 am

El Duderino wrote:
europa wrote:The challenge for the Thunder is keeping everyone together when Harden's and Ibaka's contracts expire.

Not possible, Presti will end up having to pick between those two because both will be in line for big contracts and Durant/Westbrook already have max deals.

I'm not going to rule anything out at this point. But it's definitely going to be a stern test to keep both those guys plus Durant and Westbrook.

REDDzone · Post #3335 » by **REDDzone** » Thu Jun 7, 2012 3:55 am

europa wrote:Congrats to OKC. I was rooting for the Spurs but the Thunder are a great team and so much fun to watch. Durant is amazing.

All of this.

Ayt · Post #3336 » by **Ayt** » Thu Jun 7, 2012 3:57 am

El Duderino wrote:
europa wrote:The challenge for the Thunder is keeping everyone together when Harden's and Ibaka's contracts expire.

Not possible, Presti will end up having to pick between those two because both will be in line for big contracts and Durant/Westbrook already have max deals.

I don't see any way they let Harden go. Ibaka is much more replaceable.

europa · Post #3337 » by **europa** » Thu Jun 7, 2012 3:58 am

Duncan pure class as always hugging Durant after the game ended.

El Duderino · Post #3338 » by **El Duderino** » Thu Jun 7, 2012 4:03 am

InsideOut wrote:If you want to keep the NBA at least partially relevant I suggest you hope the Heat get healthy and make a great finals. Otherwise without injury I see the Thunder making the chase for the NBA title irrelevant for a while. Who in the West can come close to them? The Lakers, Dallas and Spurs are old and done and I don't see the Clippers getting good enough to test them. How do the Thunder not dominate the West for a decade? Maybe if the Clippers get Howard?

Boston is about done and if the Heat can't give them a series then why bother watching? I guess Chicago maybe but we'll see. Best hope for an 80’s Lakers / Celtics scenario is for the Heat to play the Celtic role. Unless you get a team to load up I can't anyone touching the Thunder for years to come.

They'll obviously be among the elite teams for quite awhile so long as Durant/Westbrook are paired together. Harden and Ibaka have two years left on their deals and both should keep getting better over those two years. After those two tears though, that's where Presti will earn his money. He can't keep both and he'll have to make other savvy moves to keep a solid surrounding cast on the cheap. We see firsthand with Miami what happens when just three players eat up the large majority of the cap, it leaves little else for the rest of the roster.

LUKE23 · Post #3339 » by **LUKE23** » Thu Jun 7, 2012 4:05 am

Harden and Ibaka essentially have one year left, assuming they don't take the QO.

El Duderino · Post #3340 » by **El Duderino** » Thu Jun 7, 2012 4:09 am

Ayt wrote:
El Duderino wrote:
europa wrote:The challenge for the Thunder is keeping everyone together when Harden's and Ibaka's contracts expire.

Not possible, Presti will end up having to pick between those two because both will be in line for big contracts and Durant/Westbrook already have max deals.

I don't see any way they let Harden go. Ibaka is much more replaceable.

What if though Harden wants a max contract, but Ibaka can be had for less? Harden is the better player, but he should ask for a max deal given some other team will offer it if OKC doesn't. I just question if Presti will want to have three max players devouring his cap space.