Center, completing the 5, KD’s ploy

[SinceGatlingWasARookie]

I don’t think KD wants a trade. Is Kyrie not still his buddy?

Kyrie, Harris, Simmons and Durant is a pretty good line up…….Wait who is the center.
How good is Claxton?
Kyrie, Harris Simmons, Durant and Claxton; one name does not have the reputation of the others. Not talking about snowflake reputation.

Getting Royce O’Neal improves the depth. Patty mills plus Seth Curry gives them the ability to play without Kyrie.
Royce O’Neal lets Simmons slide to power forward and off guard positions.

Keep Blake Griffin, Aldridge and Claxton but is a new starting center needed to complete the team. Is Blake Griffin losing his quickness to play power forward when Durant rests?

Kyrie in contract year, he might get focussed and have his best season.
Nets might beat Bucks, Heat, Celtics in the playoffs this year.

Giving up on the KD Kyrie super team before they have won anything would look soft for KD and Kyrie.

[SinceGatlingWasARookie]

Maybe Hassan Whiteside would help. He can’t defend guards at the 3 point line on switches but is that really the center’s primary job.
Nets did not do well at rebounding vs the Celtics in the playoffs.

KD and Simmons could in theory play some undersized 5 but they would have to rebound with energy to make their ability to switch onto guards compensate for what they give up as rebounders. As a Warriors fan looking at the Nets vs Celtics stats one thing that popped out was that KD’s rebounding has slipped.

I really don’t know anything about Claxton except that he is young. If he can switch onto guard then maybe he can rotate with Whiteside to form an adequate center rotation.

Don’t know what KD is whining about.
Looks like he Nets are in good shape to compete, on paper.

[TheNetsFan]

Some are speculating that this is still a way to get Kyrie a max extension. I doubt it. On paper, if KD walks back his trade demand, this team is already a bit improved moving from Brown to O'Neale. I think it's a combination of the Nets wanting to be rid of Kyrie, Tsai getting a little cost conscience (I can't really blame him for not wanting to pay crazy tax for a fringe playoff team), and KD feeling a lot of pressure to win another one after the Warriors beat the Celtics for the title after the Celtics swept the Nets.

[ecuhus1981]

If Kevin would have put 1/10th the animus toward his friend ("git yer head outta yer... let's go win a chip!") that he puts toward Nets front office for not backing up the Brinks truck, his friend would not be in this position in the first place.

But no, he shirks leadership responsibility, then leaves when the troubles that he as a leader should have spoken out against come to a head.

No animosity, I'm just done with both of them.