KD to GS - Pt III

[JulesWinnfield]

You either have to be a Durant Stan, or woefully uneducated about the history of this game to think Durant has any chance at top 10 all time status. And I say that as someone with great respect for him as a player, independent of the fact that I think he's a coward.

Are you 17 years old?

[te887848]

You either have to be a Durant Stan, or woefully uneducated about the history of this game to think Durant has any chance at top 10 all time status. And I say that as someone with great respect for him as a player, independent of the fact that I think he's a coward.

Are you 17 years old?

He's easily headed for top 10 all-time. Your judgement on the current top 10 must be way, way off base to believe that someone as accomplished as Durant who's set to co-anchor a long term dynasty won't crack the top 10. He's definitely going to do it, and it was only possible because he selected Golden State.

[fa2011]

You either have to be a Durant Stan, or woefully uneducated about the history of this game to think Durant has any chance at top 10 all time status. And I say that as someone with great respect for him as a player, independent of the fact that I think he's a coward.

Are you 17 years old?

He's easily headed for top 10 all-time. Your judgement on the current top 10 must be way, way off base to believe that someone as accomplished as Durant who's set to co-anchor a long term dynasty won't crack the top 10. He's definitely going to do it, and it was only possible because he selected Golden State.

Please tell me who your top 10 of all-time are at the moment. KD is awesome, but I have a hard time fitting him into the top 10 (I realize you're basing this of future projection if championship are won). And you really think joining Golden State is the only way he could achieve that status? I find the latter extremely hard to believe.

[JulesWinnfield]

You either have to be a Durant Stan, or woefully uneducated about the history of this game to think Durant has any chance at top 10 all time status. And I say that as someone with great respect for him as a player, independent of the fact that I think he's a coward.

Are you 17 years old?

He's easily headed for top 10 all-time. Your judgement on the current top 10 must be way, way off base to believe that someone as accomplished as Durant who's set to co-anchor a long term dynasty won't crack the top 10. He's definitely going to do it, and it was only possible because he selected Golden State.

Emojis do not a case make. The assertion that he can possibly crack the all time top 10 reveals a lot about where you're coming from in this, and explain the depths to which you are willing to go to cheerlead this move he just made. You are obviously incredibly biased as it relates to him, and it's pointless to continue this as you furiously reply with Pom Poms in hand. Peace.

As one parting shot: you undermine your whole argument when you say he's going to be a top 10 player, and the only way he had a chance to be one is to hop on the back of a 73 win team... If his road to that status was that narrow, then gtfo telling me he's a top 10 all time player

[saintEscaton]

It's funny that an OKC fan is arguing that Green is better than Durant when Green had probably the worst series of his career against OKC. He was frustrated and harmful for the majority of games. He's a great player, but Ibaka and Adams exposed him.

Back to KD, I think he'll first offensive option. All starter should play less than 30 mpg and Curry/KD/Klay minutes will be scattered so that there's always at least two of them on the floor. Can you imagine KD going off against backup wings?
The regular season should be fucused on playing staters the less possible and be fresh for the playoffs. Chasing the Bulls record was counterproductive.

Cant blame okc fans..The harden trade was devastating, especially after he blew up in hou.
I can only imagine how bad it would be losing a guy like KD and having it compound with the loss of JH.
Then theres the thing about them being contenders for all those years and last years heartbreaker.

I would be pretty upset and irrational about a lot of things. Not saying okc fans are, but I certainly would be. Very understandable

You get called a revisionist for saying he was always a transcendent talent poised to break out, but according to them only Morey thought he was more than a 6MoY candidate

[ils411]

I don't get this "Durant lost respect" thing.
He wants to win rings. went to a team with the highest probability of winning one with. If he wins a ring with the warriors, then he wins a ring and adds to his legacy. Not in the realms of Lebron, Kobe and MJ but something like along the lines of Pippen... you know, the guy who won 6 rings with Jordan and is considered by many as one of the best defenders in his position ever. Great guy, great player, a legend, but not among "THE LEGENDS" something that Jordan has elevated to and something that Kobe tried to attain and Lebron is chasing after.
Winning rings with the warriors wont diminish Durant's achievements and legacy, but his legacy will be below those who are truly great and below those who almost but did not quite reach the peak.

It was never about winning rings. Durant was two made shots and 5 minutes away from competing for a ring and he blew it. If it was solely about rings, he had no rationale for leaving, as the Thunder proved that they were every bit as good as the Warriors, and younger to boot..

I personally think that Durant made this decision from a pure business/monetary standpoint. Or at least his handlers did. All these guys are products to the NBA at the end of the day. Fans attempt to put a human side to all this, but there is really none when you're talking business and money. Durant has 10x more exposure playing in a big market like Oakland and playing next to Steph Curry.. His endorsement deals will increase 10 fold now, cause every fan and their mom will be watching the Warriors, either to see them make history or fall flat on their face. All Durant has to do now is just not pull a Dwight..

Sure, I can see your point but, remember success brings in more fame and more recognition. More fame and more recognition equates to more endorsements which brings in more moneyz. to get the moneyz from endorsements, he needs to be further recognized and more fame. to get more fame and recognition, he needs to be more successful. to be for successful he needs the ringz.

At the end of the day, weather it be personal achievement or for the fame and legacy or just moneyz, the goal is to win ringz wich is the means to whichever end Durant really wants.

[MisterHibachi]

Lmao at any talk of Durant cracking the top 10. He's not one of the ten best talents the league has ever seen. His teammate has a better argument at that distinction than he does. Curry's peak was being talked of as GOAT in the regular season until his weaknesses were exposed by playoff defenses, Durant never earned that.

If the Warriors stay healthy, Durant is gonna have a hard time proving he was needed for any titles they rack up, even if he averages 30 and wins finals MVP because we know the Warriors were getting dynasty talks in 2016 and were favoured even without getting him. The Warriors don't need him, and that is a fact that will stick with him all his career.

[DreDay]

Who cares where kd is gonna rank all time? We all know what kinda player he is..top 3 and mvp candidate

All this talk about top 10 of all time and all that jazz...I wonder if the players actually care about that stuff? I'm sure they do to an extent, but no one is getting pissy that some fans that you never meet or hear regard you top 30 instead of top 20.

[fa2011]

Lmao at any talk of Durant cracking the top 10. He's not one of the ten best talents the league has ever seen. His teammate has a better argument at that distinction than he does. Curry's peak was being talked of as GOAT in the regular season until his weaknesses were exposed by playoff defenses, Durant never earned that.

If the Warriors stay healthy, Durant is gonna have a hard time proving he was needed for any titles they rack up, even if he averages 30 and wins finals MVP because we know the Warriors were getting dynasty talks in 2016 and were favoured even without getting him. The Warriors don't need him, and that is a fact that will stick with him all his career.

[ils411]

Eh, KD = wuss confirmed, much like how Lebron = wuss also.
Though Lebron's wussness is still a level higher than KD's.
But can't blame either for wanting rings. Not everyone is lucky enough to be in a team that got Pippen, grant, kucock (spelling?), rodman etc or got paired with a Shaq or Pau without conniving or jumping ship to do so.

Well, for one thing, Kevin Durant was already lucky enough to be on a team that got Westbrook, James Harden and Serge Ibaka. He went to the Finals with those guys, two of which may end up hall of famers. And LeBron in Cleveland was lucky enough to play with... ??? LeBron's most reliable and dynamic sidekick in Cleveland was probably Larry Hughes (not even an all-star, let alone a hall of famer), and he was so reliable that he missed the 2007 Finals to injury.

But KD was already surrounded with talent in OKC. He was one of those fortunate players that was gifted a GM that could draft real talent (like Jerry Krause did for Michael Jordan). LeBron James did not have that in Cleveland.

Regardless of that, KD still went to a team that:

1) has the reigning 2x NBA MVP
2) just won 73 games
3) has three all-stars
4) has a head coach that just won coach of the year
5) recently went to back-to-back finals
6) won a championship a season ago

Clearly the 2010 Miami Heat were not on the level of the 2016 Golden State Warriors. That Heat team hadn't won a single playoff series since 5 years prior. They weren't a great team. They had D.Wade and literally nobody else. And Chris Bosh? He was completely unproven as a championship caliber player. And Erik Spoelstra? He was also completely unproven at that level.

So there can be no comparison. Durant is joining a championship team with gobs of talent. He can get injured, miss the entire season, and the Warriors can still make the Finals. But LeBron joined an experiment in Miami, and one that was almost completely reliant on him for winning. The Heat absolutely could not afford to lose LeBron. The Warriors are not so reliant on KD, so he can just kind of chill and ride coattails and hope to get a ring. It's a very emasculating decision for Durant, in my opinion.

come now, you're telling me that a Miami team with wade and bosh in 2011 wont make it to the EFC and not win a ring? If LeBron stayed in Clevland, a Miami team with bosh and wade would take him and his calvs out and go to the finals. Could win a ring too as they are just as talented as the spurs and whathaveyou.

point still stands
LeBron is a greater wuss than Durant when he left Clevland than Durant's wussiness now.
But that was then, the now is, Lebron has almost redeemed himself in my eyes and is now just lame but at least not a wuss while Duran is a sissy wussy wuss.

[JulesWinnfield]

Eh, KD = wuss confirmed, much like how Lebron = wuss also.
Though Lebron's wussness is still a level higher than KD's.
But can't blame either for wanting rings. Not everyone is lucky enough to be in a team that got Pippen, grant, kucock (spelling?), rodman etc or got paired with a Shaq or Pau without conniving or jumping ship to do so.

Well, for one thing, Kevin Durant was already lucky enough to be on a team that got Westbrook, James Harden and Serge Ibaka. He went to the Finals with those guys, two of which may end up hall of famers. And LeBron in Cleveland was lucky enough to play with... ??? LeBron's most reliable and dynamic sidekick in Cleveland was probably Larry Hughes (not even an all-star, let alone a hall of famer), and he was so reliable that he missed the 2007 Finals to injury.

But KD was already surrounded with talent in OKC. He was one of those fortunate players that was gifted a GM that could draft real talent (like Jerry Krause did for Michael Jordan). LeBron James did not have that in Cleveland.

Regardless of that, KD still went to a team that:

1) has the reigning 2x NBA MVP
2) just won 73 games
3) has three all-stars
4) has a head coach that just won coach of the year
5) recently went to back-to-back finals
6) won a championship a season ago

Clearly the 2010 Miami Heat were not on the level of the 2016 Golden State Warriors. That Heat team hadn't won a single playoff series since 5 years prior. They weren't a great team. They had D.Wade and literally nobody else. And Chris Bosh? He was completely unproven as a championship caliber player. And Erik Spoelstra? He was also completely unproven at that level.

So there can be no comparison. Durant is joining a championship team with gobs of talent. He can get injured, miss the entire season, and the Warriors can still make the Finals. But LeBron joined an experiment in Miami, and one that was almost completely reliant on him for winning. The Heat absolutely could not afford to lose LeBron. The Warriors are not so reliant on KD, so he can just kind of chill and ride coattails and hope to get a ring. It's a very emasculating decision for Durant, in my opinion.

come now, you're telling me that a Miami team with wade and bosh in 2011 wont make it to the EFC and not win a ring? If LeBron stayed in Clevland, a Miami team with bosh and wade would take him and his calvs out and go to the finals. Could win a ring too as they are just as talented as the spurs and whathaveyou.

point still stands
LeBron is a greater wuss than Durant when he left Clevland than Durant's wussiness now.
But that was then, the now is, Lebron has almost redeemed himself in my eyes and is now just lame but at least not a wuss while Duran is a sissy wussy wuss.

So you had the heat winning titles without Lebron from 11-14? Lmao. The same team who had enough trouble winning with the best player in the world carrying injured squads in both playoff title runs is winning without him? Remove the leading scorer, rebounder and assist man (and best defensive player) on teams who had little margin for error even when they did win, and they still hoist a trophy? This site needs a negative and 1 feature

[Litany]

I don't understand why we have to keep telling you and others it's not about KD leaving, it's who he left for... You're entitled to your own opinions as others are, too. If you don't like it, that's fine, the majority outside of the Bay Area would disagree with you.

K. I call BS.

Reminds me of the way people constantly said "it's not that LeBron left...it was how he left"

So when a player leaves it's okay for him to leave as long as their teammates are less good than a certain threshold...noted.

So lets make a flow-chart for what players need to follow so that people don't bash them for leaving.
The grid will have information and decisions based on when they were bounced from the playoffs…who their teammates were…it will have information about their coach and GM and ownership…and it will have information about who the other teams are and their contract statuses…prior championships won…and then they can consult the flowchart and get to a decision about whether their move is okay and it isn’t a bitch move. Sound good?

**** that. Players should be able to look at a situation and say okay where can I have the best chance to win? Okay the Warriors provide that based on their talent, my fit with them, GM, Ownership, coach and they can offer me the same money and they are going to pay the tax to make this work in the long haul…hell yes.

Yes people are entitled to their opinion on the matter. Of course. But mine is that people are wrong to expect a player or any person to take a harder road than what is available otherwise they’re a bitch. That’s just smart. I actually kind of feel sorry for people who think it’s admirable to have two choices and they decide on a harder one. It’s illogical.

Cool story, bro, can you tell it again?

That's what I figured. Thanks

[fa2011]

You either have to be a Durant Stan, or woefully uneducated about the history of this game to think Durant has any chance at top 10 all time status. And I say that as someone with great respect for him as a player, independent of the fact that I think he's a coward.

Are you 17 years old?

He's easily headed for top 10 all-time. Your judgement on the current top 10 must be way, way off base to believe that someone as accomplished as Durant who's set to co-anchor a long term dynasty won't crack the top 10. He's definitely going to do it, and it was only possible because he selected Golden State.

Emojis do not a case make. The assertion that he can possibly crack the all time top 10 reveals a lot about where you're coming from in this, and explain the depths to which you are willing to go to cheerlead this move he just made. You are obviously incredibly biased as it relates to him, and it's pointless to continue this as you furiously reply with Pom Poms in hand. Peace.

As one parting shot: you undermine your whole argument when you say he's going to be a top 10 player, and the only way he had a chance to be one is to hop on the back of a 73 win team... If his road to that status was that narrow, then gtfo telling me he's a top 10 all time player

Don't mind them, man, they just don't get it.

[ils411]

Well, for one thing, Kevin Durant was already lucky enough to be on a team that got Westbrook, James Harden and Serge Ibaka. He went to the Finals with those guys, two of which may end up hall of famers. And LeBron in Cleveland was lucky enough to play with... ??? LeBron's most reliable and dynamic sidekick in Cleveland was probably Larry Hughes (not even an all-star, let alone a hall of famer), and he was so reliable that he missed the 2007 Finals to injury.

But KD was already surrounded with talent in OKC. He was one of those fortunate players that was gifted a GM that could draft real talent (like Jerry Krause did for Michael Jordan). LeBron James did not have that in Cleveland.

Regardless of that, KD still went to a team that:

1) has the reigning 2x NBA MVP
2) just won 73 games
3) has three all-stars
4) has a head coach that just won coach of the year
5) recently went to back-to-back finals
6) won a championship a season ago

Clearly the 2010 Miami Heat were not on the level of the 2016 Golden State Warriors. That Heat team hadn't won a single playoff series since 5 years prior. They weren't a great team. They had D.Wade and literally nobody else. And Chris Bosh? He was completely unproven as a championship caliber player. And Erik Spoelstra? He was also completely unproven at that level.

So there can be no comparison. Durant is joining a championship team with gobs of talent. He can get injured, miss the entire season, and the Warriors can still make the Finals. But LeBron joined an experiment in Miami, and one that was almost completely reliant on him for winning. The Heat absolutely could not afford to lose LeBron. The Warriors are not so reliant on KD, so he can just kind of chill and ride coattails and hope to get a ring. It's a very emasculating decision for Durant, in my opinion.

come now, you're telling me that a Miami team with wade and bosh in 2011 wont make it to the EFC and not win a ring? If LeBron stayed in Clevland, a Miami team with bosh and wade would take him and his calvs out and go to the finals. Could win a ring too as they are just as talented as the spurs and whathaveyou.

point still stands
LeBron is a greater wuss than Durant when he left Clevland than Durant's wussiness now.
But that was then, the now is, Lebron has almost redeemed himself in my eyes and is now just lame but at least not a wuss while Duran is a sissy wussy wuss.

So you had the heat winning titles without Lebron from 11-14? Lmao. The same team who had enough trouble winning with the best player in the world carrying injured squads in both playoff title runs is winning without him? Remove the leading scorer, rebounder and assist man (and best defensive player) on teams who had little margin for error even when they did win, and they still hoist a trophy? This site needs a negative and 1 feature

its nice how bosh was considered great before going to Miami and how wade was the awesome in Miami alone but put them together and they suck balls without LeBron.

yeah, this site really needs a -1 feature.

[Sark]

If Curry, Klay n Dray all get injured for numerous years, and KD carries Iggy + Zaza to multiple titles, he'll start making a case for top 10 or top 20. But that's pretty much the only way. Getting carried by a stacked team won't get you into the top 10.

[Litany]

You either have to be a Durant Stan, or woefully uneducated about the history of this game to think Durant has any chance at top 10 all time status. And I say that as someone with great respect for him as a player, independent of the fact that I think he's a coward.

Are you 17 years old?

He's easily headed for top 10 all-time. Your judgement on the current top 10 must be way, way off base to believe that someone as accomplished as Durant who's set to co-anchor a long term dynasty won't crack the top 10. He's definitely going to do it, and it was only possible because he selected Golden State.

Please tell me who your top 10 of all-time are at the moment. KD is awesome, but I have a hard time fitting him into the top 10 (I realize you're basing this of future projection if championship are won). And you really think joining Golden State is the only way he could achieve that status? I find the latter extremely hard to believe.

The Warriors lost in the finals last year and there are plenty who wonder if they would have won the year before if Kyrie and Love were healthy so to say they don't need him is failed logic as well. They got the ring the year before and nobody can take that away but it's fair to think they do need him and this rut will allow them to compete with a top 3 player all time (Bronny)

[JulesWinnfield]

come now, you're telling me that a Miami team with wade and bosh in 2011 wont make it to the EFC and not win a ring? If LeBron stayed in Clevland, a Miami team with bosh and wade would take him and his calvs out and go to the finals. Could win a ring too as they are just as talented as the spurs and whathaveyou.

point still stands
LeBron is a greater wuss than Durant when he left Clevland than Durant's wussiness now.
But that was then, the now is, Lebron has almost redeemed himself in my eyes and is now just lame but at least not a wuss while Duran is a sissy wussy wuss.

So you had the heat winning titles without Lebron from 11-14? Lmao. The same team who had enough trouble winning with the best player in the world carrying injured squads in both playoff title runs is winning without him? Remove the leading scorer, rebounder and assist man (and best defensive player) on teams who had little margin for error even when they did win, and they still hoist a trophy? This site needs a negative and 1 feature

its nice how bosh was considered great before going to Miami and how wade was the awesome in Miami alone but put them together and they suck balls without LeBron.

yeah, this site really needs a -1 feature.

So your reading comprehension is poor in addition to your evaluation of championship caliber basketball teams... That's not what was said. What I did was push back on your ridiculous notion that Miami is winning titles between 11-14 without Lebron, especially when Wade and/or bosh was hurt in every postseason during that span outside of 2011. That team had little margin for error even with Lebron. They were down 3-2 in series during both title runs in the playoffs. The assertion is absurd

Awesome as Wade was too, even prime Wade hadn't been out of round 1 in near half a decade before Lebron (bosh never was). And Lebron did not have that version of Wade for most of his time in Miami, especially in postseason

[NothingButLuck]

So you believe that he is saying is 100% emotion free and he is being sensible and rational to suggest KD would be lucky to be the 3rd option on this Warrior team?

That isn't the question. The question is did your remark sound belittling and snarky. It did, at least to me.

Both things can be true. Bondom can be speaking from emotion, and your remark can be belittling and snarky.

There's no false choice here.

It's not a big deal to me, that's just what I felt when I read what you wrote. I say things on here that are belittling and snarky all the time. That's probably why I know it when I see it.

Of course Bondom is upset. I think we all understand that.

I would agree with you that Durant is more likely a 1A/1B option rather than #3. But we'll see. I understand what Bondom is saying as regards Green's role, too.

When you do lose a great player you tend to lash out and jump to the other side. When the Lakers traded Shaq it cut like a knife. I should have taken more time away, it did get better. Getting away certainly helps.

Now if we can all agree with that we are then stuck discussing how Dray and Durant suddenly leap frogged each other from the biggest OKC fan on this board.

Now, I am not a fan of either team, like at all. But to suggest that Durant is now a 3rd option I have to call BS on that. It's just not true.

I have read that Bondom would bet his account Durant wouldn't leave to the Warriors. I have seen him squash every notion that Durant would leave OKC all season. I have seen him lash out at posters talking about " Today is not a good day" when Durant made his decision. I have read a couple posts ago in this thread where he rants how much Durant changed in his eyes. So yeah, maybe he needs more time. Or he can continue to spin things. I am over it.

Since there's a Thunder fan's accusing people defending Durant as working for Durant's PR team, I'm gonna put the next sentence out.

I REALLY wouldn't be surprise if someone is working for the Thunder PR team.

[Johnny Bball]

If durant is going to moan about Westbrook and the quality of his shots and the lack of passing it just screams one thing to me. Kevin Durant is no leader. He lived with what he perceived to be a problem. Doesn't fix it, doesn't tell management how much it bugs him (enough to leave and he never did say that). Makes excuse another the fact. Just terrible leadership. Maybe he needs to be on a team where he's not the man. That would at least explain a few things.

[RingsDontLie]

Lmao at any talk of Durant cracking the top 10. He's not one of the ten best talents the league has ever seen. His teammate has a better argument at that distinction than he does. Curry's peak was being talked of as GOAT in the regular season until his weaknesses were exposed by playoff defenses, Durant never earned that.

If the Warriors stay healthy, Durant is gonna have a hard time proving he was needed for any titles they rack up, even if he averages 30 and wins finals MVP because we know the Warriors were getting dynasty talks in 2016 and were favoured even without getting him. The Warriors don't need him, and that is a fact that will stick with him all his career.

Actually they did need Durant in the finals. He presents a lot of mismatches. Remember all those shots that Harrison Barnes missed? Those are going to be makes by Kevin Durant.