Russell Westbrook is showing you what Kevin Durant had to put up with for 8 years.

[johanliebert]

Clown thread.

The Thunder had a great run with Westbrook and Durant and Durant was undeniably great by the time he was 21 years old.

Durant led the league in scoring 4 out of his 8 Thunder seasons and was already a Hall-of-Fame lock before he ever joined the Warriors.

Westbrook held Durant back.. like what the **** does that even mean?

Some of you just love to **** on players for reasons that make absolutely no sense.

I blame nba Twitter and sports media for these takes. You don’t see these narratives in any other sport.

[bbms]

Quite obvious OP never saw a single Thunder game 2008-2016.

[Lalouie]

are all youz guyz going to start an online petition when westy gets into the hof on the first ballot?

[BallerTalk]

Dude OKC was the 6th seed, Westbrook doesn't come close to winning MVP if he doesn't average a TD.

Harden isn't top 3 MVP candidate that year if he doesn't average double digit assists. What is your point? Westbrook was the best player that year during the regular season with some historical feats and absurd one liner doesn't change it.

Like you put it. Make Westbrook average 1.7 rebounds less and 1.4 assists less and he doesn't win it: Make Harden average 29/6.4/9.8 and he doesn't win either. To make your team be 3.5 points worse on average scoring makes your team significantly worse. Rockets aren't probably even 6th seed if Harden loses that amount of playmaking you project Westbrook to lose.

Just the rebounds would be enough for WB to not be MVP, and just to pre-empt you let's make this clear: WB averaging 1.7 less rebs doesn't mean OKC averages 1.7 less rebs.

WB only got MVP that year because of the triple double gimmick, give it a rest.

Not sure how that's even debatable anymore when the voters themselves have acknowledged as much.

Obviously Westbrook's MVP is a matter of record now, but it's quite telling that his fans still feel compelled to try to legitimize it.

[Ontario]

Harden isn't top 3 MVP candidate that year if he doesn't average double digit assists. What is your point? Westbrook was the best player that year during the regular season with some historical feats and absurd one liner doesn't change it.

Like you put it. Make Westbrook average 1.7 rebounds less and 1.4 assists less and he doesn't win it: Make Harden average 29/6.4/9.8 and he doesn't win either. To make your team be 3.5 points worse on average scoring makes your team significantly worse. Rockets aren't probably even 6th seed if Harden loses that amount of playmaking you project Westbrook to lose.

Just the rebounds would be enough for WB to not be MVP, and just to pre-empt you let's make this clear: WB averaging 1.7 less rebs doesn't mean OKC averages 1.7 less rebs.

WB only got MVP that year because of the triple double gimmick, give it a rest.

Not sure how that's even debatable anymore when the voters themselves have acknowledged as much.

Obviously Westbrook's MVP is a matter of record now, but it's quite telling that his fans still feel compelled to try to legitimize it.

It's quite telling that his fans still feel compelled to try to legitimize it...

It's a mystery to you lol, could it have something to do with the random trolls online who still feel compelled to try to delegitimize it?

So telling... dude you're so deep.

[BadWolf]

I, too, remember those OKC games. Every choice game it was the same game plan for last minutes. Give the ball to KD and clear out.

Also, Russ to KD was the top assist each year, for whatever its worth.

Also, Russ not a great passer?

[WHITE_HOT_HEAT]

What a clown thread... But I guess it isn't surprising considering..

[Optms]

KD left a stacked roster and a MVP player for the team that spanked his rear in the playoffs. Leaving Russell by himself on a depleted OKC team and remaining loyal. He then left that stacked GS team because he couldn't escape Curry's shadow.

If anything, the thread title should be changed to "Kevin Durant is showing us what Russell Westbrook had to deal with for 8 years"

[levon]

Kevin Durant is a great basketball player who deserves 0 sympathy. He's had basically every advantage a basketball player could have throughout a career.

[Asianiac_24]

The irony of these Westbrook detractors loving to proclaim he never played winning basketball, is that Russ has been further in the playoffs as a teams best player than many of the other players they say do.

Like, where do you get the audacity to say that? As if he's been the only prestigious player with flaws that have hurt the team from time to time. A lot of stones get thrown in glass houses when it comes to Westbrook.

This is the list of players that Westbrook has played with over his career:

Kevin Durant
James Harden
Paul George
Carmelo Anthony
Pre-injury Victor Oladipo
Bradley Beal
LeBron James
Anthony Davis

I mean at some point when almost every year in your career except a few you have a legitimate superstar or superstarS on your team and still lose, there’s a clear common denominator right? If Westbrook really is a top 75 all time, high positive impact player, he would have at least 1 by now. Replace Westbrook with someone like Dame and he would have at least 3. Hell, replace Westbrook with a Jeff Teague and I still think he makes at least 1 Finals with that list of players. At least Teague knows he’s not good enough to shoot 30 FGs while Durant/Harden/etc shoots 20 or less

[homecourtloss]

Clown thread.

The Thunder had a great run with Westbrook and Durant and Durant was undeniably great by the time he was 21 years old.

Durant led the league in scoring 4 out of his 8 Thunder seasons and was already a Hall-of-Fame lock before he ever joined the Warriors.

Westbrook held Durant back.. like what the **** does that even mean?

Some of you just love to **** on players for reasons that make absolutely no sense.

OP was just trying to slight Lebron and prop up KD.

[Insanity91]

Clown thread.

The Thunder had a great run with Westbrook and Durant and Durant was undeniably great by the time he was 21 years old.

Durant led the league in scoring 4 out of his 8 Thunder seasons and was already a Hall-of-Fame lock before he ever joined the Warriors.

Westbrook held Durant back.. like what the **** does that even mean?

Some of you just love to **** on players for reasons that make absolutely no sense.

OP was just trying to slight Lebron and prop up KD.

Lmao you should’ve been able to tell that from his name. More like Salty Heat Fan. I remember this dude posting on the Heat board and has been so mad since LeBron left the Heat. Check his post history take a turn since 2014

[JShuttlesworth]

KD left a stacked roster and a MVP player for the team that spanked his rear in the playoffs. Leaving Russell by himself on a depleted OKC team and remaining loyal. He then left that stacked GS team because he couldn't escape Curry's shadow.

If anything, the thread title should be changed to "Kevin Durant is showing us what Russell Westbrook had to deal with for 8 years"

What a laughable take.

[OfficialRef]

Yep. I'm not even buying the narrative that Westbrook from 5 years ago is THAT much different than current Westbrook. His athleticism is still there and he can put up numbers if he is by himself (see the last few laker games without Lebron)

Problem is that he needs the team to revolve around him. The Thunder were built for Westbrook which is why he looked good while Durant had no spacers aside from Ibaka. He struggled in Houston before the Rockets got rid of their Center and played ultra small ball. His case in Washington was a bit up and down but I attribute that mainly to injury.

Durant has never really had a team formed around him. Thing is, he could have joined a team that would happily have done that but chose to go GS and the Nets. Its pretty much his fault.

[picc]

The irony of these Westbrook detractors loving to proclaim he never played winning basketball, is that Russ has been further in the playoffs as a teams best player than many of the other players they say do.

Like, where do you get the audacity to say that? As if he's been the only prestigious player with flaws that have hurt the team from time to time. A lot of stones get thrown in glass houses when it comes to Westbrook.

This is the list of players that Westbrook has played with over his career:

Kevin Durant
James Harden
Paul George
Carmelo Anthony
Pre-injury Victor Oladipo
Bradley Beal
LeBron James
Anthony Davis

I mean at some point when almost every year in your career except a few you have a legitimate superstar or superstarS on your team and still lose, there’s a clear common denominator right? If Westbrook really is a top 75 all time, high positive impact player, he would have at least 1 by now. Replace Westbrook with someone like Dame and he would have at least 3. Hell, replace Westbrook with a Jeff Teague and I still think he makes at least 1 Finals with that list of players. At least Teague knows he’s not good enough to shoot 30 FGs while Durant/Harden/etc shoots 20 or less

See? This is exactly what i meant. Sincere, un-ironic, kindergarten level critical analysis of Westbrook. Asking why he hasnt won with melo, playoff p, and beal when he was out of his prime, asking why he hasnt won with harden when they went to the finals together, asking why he hasnt won with kd when they got to multiple conference championships, and asking why he hasnt won with ad and bron 3 games into a season thats 3 years removed from his prime. Its like a caricature of typical internet message board hate.

Fortunately, most westbrook detractors make it easy to not take them serious by saying stuff like this, or other bunk like his triple doubles and rebounding hurting his teams.

By all means, continue to think westbrook is a losing player because he’s only been within one round of a championship three times. By extension you are placing that title on a whole bunch of other players you probably blow on a daily basis.

[jokeboy86]

Clown thread.

The Thunder had a great run with Westbrook and Durant and Durant was undeniably great by the time he was 21 years old.

Durant led the league in scoring 4 out of his 8 Thunder seasons and was already a Hall-of-Fame lock before he ever joined the Warriors.

Westbrook held Durant back.. like what the **** does that even mean?

Some of you just love to **** on players for reasons that make absolutely no sense.

I blame nba Twitter and sports media for these takes. You don’t see these narratives in any other sport.

Another reason I’ve come to appreciate baseball. Baseball doesnt lend itself to hot takes

[Effigy]

Lol KD still a cupcake

If you mean going to GSW, he simply out-Lebron'd Lebron, who formed a superteam in Miami, CLE, and LAL.

Lotta cupcakes in the league then.

2 is a lot? And no, joining a 6th seed isn’t the same as joining the team with the best record ever and had made 2 straight finals and won one without you. That’s just saying the game is too hard and switching to easy mode.

[bbms]

Yep. I'm not even buying the narrative that Westbrook from 5 years ago is THAT much different than current Westbrook. His athleticism is still there and he can put up numbers if he is by himself (see the last few laker games without Lebron)

Problem is that he needs the team to revolve around him. The Thunder were built for Westbrook which is why he looked good while Durant had no spacers aside from Ibaka. He struggled in Houston before the Rockets got rid of their Center and played ultra small ball. His case in Washington was a bit up and down but I attribute that mainly to injury.

Durant has never really had a team formed around him. Thing is, he could have joined a team that would happily have done that but chose to go GS and the Nets. Its pretty much his fault.

Lol at narrative. Check Westbrook's playoff tape from years like 2012, 2014 and compare even to his playoffs tape in 2018.

Also, check stats.

The dude had a stretch from 2015-2018 where he had 3 seasons with almost 40% USG by the design of Thunder's roster composition. It's almost like a RB had a stretch of 3 out of 4 seasons with 350-400 carries. The last bit of his prime was spent on his 2017/18 season. He's been a shell of his former self for almost four years now.

It's obvious that he's still athletic, but nowhere near the dominant all-time athlete he used to be.

[LakersLegacy]

For years, when KD was young, I said Kevin Durant is the only player I see that could legitimately challenge Michael Jordan's career. He could do it all. Almost a 7 footer, who can handle the ball like a guard, elite shooting from anywhere on the court, could drive to the basket at will, he could do it all. But year after year, I kept repeating that Westbrook is handcuffing Durant's greatness. I kept saying Westbrook is a terrible team player and needed to be traded to allow Kevin Durant to shine and cement OKC as "his team" and let him take off.

Instead, Sam Presti was stubborn, Westbrook was selfish, and Kevin Durant, back then, was way too nice and passive to admit it. The Thunder staff had one of the GOAT's in Kevin Durant imo, and they ruined the first half of his career by allowing Westbrook to stay for so long. Durant could have had a magical career, like Jordan did. KD has been the best player in the league for a long time now, but he was held back by Westbrook, and then took a lot of hate when he went to GSW. Even though Durant played well in GSW and showed up his opponents, nailed dagger 3's in the Finals with Lebron guarding him, people don't give him enough credit for his talent.

When I think of what could have been, with KD.... his career should have been much different, and for that, I lay the blame on the OKC front office, and secondly, on Russel Westbrook.

Now that you see who Westbrook is, since leaving OKC, and how bad the Lakers are imploding, everyone should consider what Kevin Durant had to put up with for eight years, and be given a new perspective on his career.

KD is more of a shooter like Bird and Dirk. MJ started as more of slasher with a freakish vertical and defensive force like Giannis. Before getting really into fade aways as time went on.

Coach Steve Kerr told KD what held him back before left the Warriors was KDs o obsession with social media. Specifically that MJ, Kobe, and several other players would let their game speak for themselves instead of wasting time that could be used on practice playing on social media.

KD is great and absolutely puts work in. But not as much as I think other OGOATS put in. And let’s be real about the difference of joining the 73 previous champion Warriors. LeBron is now dealing with Westbrook. We can absolutely compare how LeBron and KD play with Westbrook. I think we will see both some things in common, but we will see some different tactics used. Let’s examine what they do the same and what they do differently after 20 games once they get a bit of a feel for each other as teammates

[Letsgokings]

Glad he isn't on my team. Even if Westbrook scored 100 points in a single game he'd still be garbage. Least impressive "superstar" to ever play the game.

thats for kongs are

15 years playoff drought and counting

enjoy the lottery

hehehehehe indeed