Lattimer wrote:fahqu2011 wrote:Lattimer wrote:
Yes KD is a ring chaser...so is every other winner ever. I wouldn't want a non-ring chaser on my team. I want a guy who wants to win it. Shaq "chased rings" and it was the right move. Barkley ring-chased forever and to this day has to deal with the fact that he didn't ever get one. He gets clowned for it (yes it's mostly playful, but I know it eats at him). So I can't ever fault a guy for "chasing a ring." Good on em. It's the right move.
So, in the recent past, Jordan, Bird, and Johnson were ring chasers? When did Shaq chase a ring? His ego chased a paycheck and the dreams of being star in Hollywood. You do realize that the Lakers had a fire sale to make room for Shaq and they really had no semblance of a team really even before then? Kobe Bryant was a snot nosed unproven rookie that was traded for on Draft Night. And the Miami move he was traded for.
Additionally, Barkley was traded to the Suns and Houston and never signed a FA offer sheet to move teams. There are very stark contrast between KD's situation. He WAS the team and left for a record breaking 73-9 to nearly guarantee some title hardware.
I think at the crux of this discussion we agree that KD is ring chaser. But regarding your example(s) of a ring chaser I cannot.
You're making my point for me.
Shaq left for a situation he viewed as better for himself. Going to LA, a storied franchise known for winning after coming off an incredible times with Kareem, Magic, and Worthy. The cherry on top was him getting the hollywood dreams fulfilled.
And you're kidding yourself if you think that Magic, Bird, or Jordan don't look elsewhere if they don't get surrounded with talent. Bird had McHale and Parrish...MJ had Pippen, Rodman, etc.
All the greats have always thought the same way. The only time that a great has stayed put is when he's had talent around him that he thought was enough to be able to win it. Some have been right (MJ, TD, etc) some have been wrong (Stockton, Malone).
The one's who've been wrong are beloved by their team, but people can't help but bring up the fact that they never won it all. I see it ALL the time when people talk about the Jazz. It's one of the first things people talk about when mentioning Malone and Stockton is their lack of a championship. As two incredible players...you know that eats at them.
KD wants a ring.
He chose the EASIEST path to get one. No idea how that's wrong. I keep going back to this. ANyone who says they wouldn't take the path that has the highest chance of helping them reach their dreams is only kidding themselves.
So I guess what I'm saying is, the team needs to do everything they can to surround a great with talent so that they can win it all.
The Jazz should have spent the money during that Stockton and Malone era to get one or two more pieces and they didn't and 20 years later...no ring still. They shouldn't have skimped on their center and another bench player/complementary player to Stock and Malone.
I think OKC is well run...but I think they've made some costly mistakes including what everyone points to which is the Harden trade.
You don't break up a championship level team the summer after they just got to the finals. That's insane. It's walking over dollars to save pennies. They should have retooled and brought Harden back and gotten back in there.
They blew those years they had KD and WB by waiting for Steven Adams to get where he is. YES YES I know Injuries played a role and that sucks...but they spent too much time looking for complementary pieces to KD and WB and it cost them a ring and now they are looking at a reset.
It sucks for OKC...and hindsight is 20/20...but they could have done things to prevent this by having better talent and having won one at some point during the KD and WB era.
Like I said, OKC is well run...but when you have all-time talent like KD and WB...you need to spend the money in those years and just deal with the cost of it at a later time.
