Playoffs thread

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Yeah, Durant's length in the "modern day" game is even more dangerous because now he can play closer to the basket defensively and put all that length to good use.

Isaac is off the board before 7, no question about it at this point IMO.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Again....the advantage is when you have big/long guys that can play small ball too. Green and Durant are just freakin' perfect in this regard. They can do all of the things wings can do while also having the size to rebound and affect shots at the rim.

[kekgeek]

Again....the advantage is when you have big/long guys that can play small ball too. Green and Durant are just freakin' perfect in this regard. They can do all of the things wings can do while also having the size to rebound and affect shots at the rim.

Yep. Green is one of the best picks in nba history.

He ate a damn good post scorer in LMA alive. Kat would get his points but Draymond would make it so hard on him.

Gourgi is unplayable with KAY and that means belly against Durant.

Issac would be a huge get just don't see it happening

[Coolbreeze44]

Durant's length is an unbelievable weapon for the Warriors. Not only the versatility it affords, but you see him constantly tapping 50/50 balls to his teammates. It doesn't seem like a fair fight so far, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if Cleveland wins the next two games at home.

[BloopOracle]

Fuck Kevin Durant that's what I have to say. He has ruined the playoffs for the foreseeable future with his wimpy move and now we have the news that he is open to taking a small paycut to stay with GSW. I will give him credit for 0.3 rings he wins this year I don't care how salty it sounds it's honestly all he deserves

Meh.

In a basketball culture obsessed with rings... Durant put himself to get his ring(s) with teammates he likes to play with. Or, he could have stayed in OKC and been ripped for not winning rings while playing ISO ball. LeBron James set the course here in a couple of ways.

1. Teaming up with stars. See Miami.
2. People forget... if you win. Think about all the bad will with James' Decision. Yet, he soared up the "all time best player" list while with Miami AND was able to return to Cleveland a fucking hero. What?! That's a far cry from all the negative nancy coverage he had initially.
3. We're victims of the moment in all aspects of life. In 15 years, people are going to think about HOW Durant got those possible rings a lot less than the sheer number of them. Likewise, he would have been labeled "career loser" had he stayed in OKC and didn't win... regardless of the "warrior going down with his team" and context and everything else that might have prevented a title. MOST fans simply don't get that deep into it.

While I prefer stars staying with teams and building champions that way... the cats already out of the bag. So I find it disingenuous to rip Durant but not others (see James) for thinking all-time legacy via rings.

There was a heated 10+ post argument in this thread where I have already ripped apart all 3 of your points as desperate reaches to attempt to match Durant's weak move with anyone else but I don't want to post it again.

[AbeVigodaLive]

Durant's length is an unbelievable weapon for the Warriors. Not only the versatility it affords, but you see him constantly tapping 50/50 balls to his teammates. It doesn't seem like a fair fight so far, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if Cleveland wins the next two games at home.

Agreed. I think Cleveland has plenty to make this a series. I expect the JR Smiths, Korvers, Williams to play better at home. They can't play worst.

[AbeVigodaLive]

Fuck Kevin Durant that's what I have to say. He has ruined the playoffs for the foreseeable future with his wimpy move and now we have the news that he is open to taking a small paycut to stay with GSW. I will give him credit for 0.3 rings he wins this year I don't care how salty it sounds it's honestly all he deserves

Meh.

In a basketball culture obsessed with rings... Durant put himself to get his ring(s) with teammates he likes to play with. Or, he could have stayed in OKC and been ripped for not winning rings while playing ISO ball. LeBron James set the course here in a couple of ways.

1. Teaming up with stars. See Miami.
2. People forget... if you win. Think about all the bad will with James' Decision. Yet, he soared up the "all time best player" list while with Miami AND was able to return to Cleveland a fucking hero. What?! That's a far cry from all the negative nancy coverage he had initially.
3. We're victims of the moment in all aspects of life. In 15 years, people are going to think about HOW Durant got those possible rings a lot less than the sheer number of them. Likewise, he would have been labeled "career loser" had he stayed in OKC and didn't win... regardless of the "warrior going down with his team" and context and everything else that might have prevented a title. MOST fans simply don't get that deep into it.

While I prefer stars staying with teams and building champions that way... the cats already out of the bag. So I find it disingenuous to rip Durant but not others (see James) for thinking all-time legacy via rings.

There was a heated 10+ post argument in this thread where I have already ripped apart all 3 of your points as desperate reaches to attempt to match Durant's weak move with anyone else but I don't want to post it again.

Meh.

I vehemently disagree. Simple as that. Especially #3. I don't even know how that one is arguable or why anybody would argue that one. There's too much NBA history (and examples of all kinds in modern-day life) to support it.

[BloopOracle]

Fuck Kevin Durant that's what I have to say. He has ruined the playoffs for the foreseeable future with his wimpy move and now we have the news that he is open to taking a small paycut to stay with GSW. I will give him credit for 0.3 rings he wins this year I don't care how salty it sounds it's honestly all he deserves

Meh.

In a basketball culture obsessed with rings... Durant put himself to get his ring(s) with teammates he likes to play with. Or, he could have stayed in OKC and been ripped for not winning rings while playing ISO ball. LeBron James set the course here in a couple of ways.

1. Teaming up with stars. See Miami.
2. People forget... if you win. Think about all the bad will with James' Decision. Yet, he soared up the "all time best player" list while with Miami AND was able to return to Cleveland a fucking hero. What?! That's a far cry from all the negative nancy coverage he had initially.
3. We're victims of the moment in all aspects of life. In 15 years, people are going to think about HOW Durant got those possible rings a lot less than the sheer number of them. Likewise, he would have been labeled "career loser" had he stayed in OKC and didn't win... regardless of the "warrior going down with his team" and context and everything else that might have prevented a title. MOST fans simply don't get that deep into it.

While I prefer stars staying with teams and building champions that way... the cats already out of the bag. So I find it disingenuous to rip Durant but not others (see James) for thinking all-time legacy via rings.

There was a heated 10+ post argument in this thread where I have already ripped apart all 3 of your points as desperate reaches to attempt to match Durant's weak move with anyone else but I don't want to post it again.

Meh.



I vehemently disagree. Simple as that. Especially #3. I don't even know how that one is arguable or why anybody would argue that one. There's too much NBA history (and examples of all kinds in modern-day life) to support it.

yes we're all prisoners of the moment but that only helps Durant right now with people trying to say just enjoy the greatness etc. I think he will only look worse, with comment from former players attacking him saying things like Durant is the kid who joined his bullies so they would stop picking on him. There is zero NBA history supporting your point no top 3 player has ever jumped ship and joined the best team in the league we have no playbook for that. You can't make inaccurate comparisons and then try to claim there is evidence that applies to both, you posted a bunch of lesser scenario's like others did trying to compare the two and then build your points on the assumption that what he and Lebron did is identical but no one has ever topped what Durant did and basketball historians will remember that.

[Monster]

Fuck Kevin Durant that's what I have to say. He has ruined the playoffs for the foreseeable future with his wimpy move and now we have the news that he is open to taking a small paycut to stay with GSW. I will give him credit for 0.3 rings he wins this year I don't care how salty it sounds it's honestly all he deserves

Meh.

In a basketball culture obsessed with rings... Durant put himself to get his ring(s) with teammates he likes to play with. Or, he could have stayed in OKC and been ripped for not winning rings while playing ISO ball. LeBron James set the course here in a couple of ways.

1. Teaming up with stars. See Miami.
2. People forget... if you win. Think about all the bad will with James' Decision. Yet, he soared up the "all time best player" list while with Miami AND was able to return to Cleveland a fucking hero. What?! That's a far cry from all the negative nancy coverage he had initially.
3. We're victims of the moment in all aspects of life. In 15 years, people are going to think about HOW Durant got those possible rings a lot less than the sheer number of them. Likewise, he would have been labeled "career loser" had he stayed in OKC and didn't win... regardless of the "warrior going down with his team" and context and everything else that might have prevented a title. MOST fans simply don't get that deep into it.

While I prefer stars staying with teams and building champions that way... the cats already out of the bag. So I find it disingenuous to rip Durant but not others (see James) for thinking all-time legacy via rings.

IMO well said.

[AbeVigodaLive]

Fuck Kevin Durant that's what I have to say. He has ruined the playoffs for the foreseeable future with his wimpy move and now we have the news that he is open to taking a small paycut to stay with GSW. I will give him credit for 0.3 rings he wins this year I don't care how salty it sounds it's honestly all he deserves

Meh.

In a basketball culture obsessed with rings... Durant put himself to get his ring(s) with teammates he likes to play with. Or, he could have stayed in OKC and been ripped for not winning rings while playing ISO ball. LeBron James set the course here in a couple of ways.

1. Teaming up with stars. See Miami.
2. People forget... if you win. Think about all the bad will with James' Decision. Yet, he soared up the "all time best player" list while with Miami AND was able to return to Cleveland a fucking hero. What?! That's a far cry from all the negative nancy coverage he had initially.
3. We're victims of the moment in all aspects of life. In 15 years, people are going to think about HOW Durant got those possible rings a lot less than the sheer number of them. Likewise, he would have been labeled "career loser" had he stayed in OKC and didn't win... regardless of the "warrior going down with his team" and context and everything else that might have prevented a title. MOST fans simply don't get that deep into it.

While I prefer stars staying with teams and building champions that way... the cats already out of the bag. So I find it disingenuous to rip Durant but not others (see James) for thinking all-time legacy via rings.

There was a heated 10+ post argument in this thread where I have already ripped apart all 3 of your points as desperate reaches to attempt to match Durant's weak move with anyone else but I don't want to post it again.

Meh.



I vehemently disagree. Simple as that. Especially #3. I don't even know how that one is arguable or why anybody would argue that one. There's too much NBA history (and examples of all kinds in modern-day life) to support it.

yes we're all prisoners of the moment but that only helps Durant right now with people trying to say just enjoy the greatness etc. I think he will only look worse, with comment from former players attacking him saying things like Durant is the kid who joined his bullies so they would stop picking on him. It doesn't matter how many years pass, there is zero NBA history supporting your point no top 5 player has ever jumped ship and joined the best team in the league. You posted a bunch of lesser scenario's like others did trying to compare the two but no one has topped what Durant did and basketball historians will remember that.

No. You seem to be going by your own personal opinions. I'm going with actual NBA history.

In the end, titles matter more than context. They have in the past... and there's no reason to think that's changed. If anything, it's cemented in how things work even more now.

Basically, I think you're looking at it on a very micro level (no player this good on a team this good)... vs. me looking at it on a more macro level. I'm not saying you're wrong for that. Only that we do have case after case after case in NBA history when the micro view of a situation is swallowed up by the macro view.

- James ditches Cleveland. NO!!! LeQUIT!!!! ... time passes, he wins... James is an all-time great and can return a hero.
- Kobe Bryant angles for LA... petulant high schooler is a punk... time passes, he wins... Kobe Bryant is one of the all-time fiercest competitors.
- The 2002 WCF is a sham... and the Lakers title is a farce! ... time passes... Nobody is taking that title away from them despite Game 6.
- Miami wins a title as a flawed team in 2006 amid more swirling officiating controversies... time passes... nobody cares. A title is a title.
- Nash's bloody nose in Game 1 and the suspensions for Game 5... the Suns were screwed! ... time passes... the Spurs won the 2007 NBA title with ease. Nash and D'Antoni in Phoenix failed.
- Houston only won titles because Jordan was gone... time passes... Olajuwon led back-to-back championship teams.
- Len Bias died... Kevin McHale broke his foot... the Rockets fell apart via drugs and injuries... the entire West sucks balls... the Lakers were gifted the title... time passes... the '87 Lakers were inarguably one of the greatest teams ever and Magic is >> Bird because of the extra titles he had via that series.
- Laimbeer did NOT foul Kareem! And why were fans on the court!!! The Pistons were screwed in the 1988 Finals. The Lakers title is fraudulent... time passes... the Lakers had one of the greatest runs in NBA history in the 1980s.
- Kareem Abdul Jabbar demands to be traded... basically to the Lakers or Knicks and nobody else. Time passes... what? Who cares! Look at those extra rings!

NBA history is littered with interesting nuggets about how teams were formed/created/destroyed. In the end, most are either forgotten... or discarded when considering the individual legacies of each player. We still see Bill Russell's 11 rings and don't put too much stock that free agency wasn't around and there were only 8 teams for some of those seasons. He was the ultimate winner regardless.

Like so many other "never happened before!" events that precede Duncan's move... there will be another one right around the corner that will occupy our time, scorn, frustration and attention. Meanwhile... people will look at Duncan's stats and then count his number of rings when comparing him to other all-time greats.

They won't be giving him 0.3 credit for that title... any more than people give James only 0.743 credit for winning a title in Miami. It's simply not what we've seen historically.