NBA Season 2016-2017

Have to agree with DS. Durant was a free agent, which is not just an opportunity to cash in or offer hometown discounts; it's the best opportunity a player has to choose where they go to work each day, given what the market can offer them. It's an opportunity that not every player gets and those that do frequently only get it a couple of times during their career. If that means location, championship opportunity, or a Brinks truck loaded with cash is what the priority is, that's an entirely personal decision. As a fan, be disappointed in a player's choice, sure, but that doesn't change that every player needs to do what makes sense for them and what they want from their career.

Here's to hoping for a fun game 3 tonight!

If I were Durant, I'd be pissed about the Harden trade, too. That was over a few million bucks, and it cost OKC a top 10 guy for 35 cents on the dollar. Those types of decisions matter. Ask Pat Riley if he regrets letting Mike Miller walk.

ubrakto wrote:

Have to agree with DS. Durant was a free agent, which is not just an opportunity to cash in or offer hometown discounts; it's the best opportunity a player has to choose where they go to work each day, given what the market can offer them. It's an opportunity that not every player gets and those that do frequently only get it a couple of times during their career. If that means location, championship opportunity, or a Brinks truck loaded with cash is what the priority is, that's an entirely personal decision. As a fan, be disappointed in a player's choice, sure, but that doesn't change that every player needs to do what makes sense for them and what they want from their career.

Here's to hoping for a fun game 3 tonight! :)

I got bad news for you....

And lets not forget too that it was not a guarantee that Durant would mesh as well as he is in GS. Sure there were indicators and there is always the unselfish play of Clay Thompson and Draymond Green.
I think Durant is kicking himself because I am sure it is night and day playing with those two versus playing with Westbrook.
And I think there I a lot of series left to play. Plus, even with a sweep, it is 2 championships in 3 years which is by no means a dynasty. So lets not get ahead of ourselves. Cleveland can absolutely win these next two games and if that happens, the egg on the face is going to be fast coming and you know it will take a mental toll on the Warriors.

TheCounselor wrote:
ubrakto wrote:

Here's to hoping for a fun game 3 tonight! :)

I got bad news for you....

Yeah, it occurred to me an hour or so after I posted that today is not, in fact, Wednesday.

fangblackbone wrote:

And lets not forget too that it was not a guarantee that Durant would mesh as well as he is in GS. Sure there were indicators and there is always the unselfish play of Clay Thompson and Draymond Green.

Exactly. Hakeem and Clyde won easy. Adding Barkley didn't equal a 3rd ring. There's always risk.

Stele wrote:
fangblackbone wrote:

And lets not forget too that it was not a guarantee that Durant would mesh as well as he is in GS. Sure there were indicators and there is always the unselfish play of Clay Thompson and Draymond Green.

Exactly. Hakeem and Clyde won easy. Adding Barkley didn't equal a 3rd ring. There's always risk.

And Jordan came back with a chip on his shoulder the size of the universe.

Stele wrote:
fangblackbone wrote:

And lets not forget too that it was not a guarantee that Durant would mesh as well as he is in GS. Sure there were indicators and there is always the unselfish play of Clay Thompson and Draymond Green.

Exactly. Hakeem and Clyde won easy. Adding Barkley didn't equal a 3rd ring. There's always risk.

A sports pundit said "Durant meshing with Curry is like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet figuring out how to split a dinner bill".

He took a back seat to Westbrook all the time in OKC. Worrying about that meshing is just the media trying to create a storyline.

This game's been oddly exhausting. Can't believe it's still the 2nd quarter.

Cleveland seems to have figured this game out. Green being in foul trouble doesn't help.

Kyrie is virtually unstoppable when he drives.

Well f*ck if they're not going to call any fouls on Cleveland I guess they will get a rebound advantage.

Kevin Durant, ladies and gentlemen.

Is LeBron the least clutch uber super star ever?

Some people want to hold him to the level of goat but I think I've watched him lose more close games than take over and dominate.

Its do or die and Kyrie is the go to scorer.

Great game. Durant is money. Iguodala with play of game.

jowner wrote:

Is LeBron the least clutch uber super star ever?

Some people want to hold him to the level of goat but I think I've watched him lose more close games than take over and dominate.

Its do or die and Kyrie is the go to scorer.

I'm saying.

Ray Allen got him a ring that he didn't deserve after he choked the 3 to tie.

Plus the whole "afraid to drive late and get fouled" and turn into a jump shooter thing he does.

Saw it was close near the beginning of the 3rd and tuned in. I don't quite understand how that got away from Cleveland with the lead they had late.

Roke wrote:

Saw it was close near the beginning of the 3rd and tuned in. I don't quite understand how that got away from Cleveland with the lead they had late.

You have to be perfect to beat the Warriors. Especially when the Warriors make almost half their 3s.

Stele wrote:
jowner wrote:

Is LeBron the least clutch uber super star ever?

Some people want to hold him to the level of goat but I think I've watched him lose more close games than take over and dominate.

Its do or die and Kyrie is the go to scorer.

I'm saying.

Ray Allen got him a ring that he didn't deserve after he choked the 3 to tie.

Plus the whole "afraid to drive late and get fouled" and turn into a jump shooter thing he does.

Pretty much this.

I'm not the one to do the research to find out but crunch time turns into ugly shot selection and missed free throws.

He will end up going to probably 10+ finals the way the east is but if he ends up winning 4 titles with some of the series being extremely lopsided it's not exactly a good endorsement.

If he gets blown out its his team's fault/west is too good. If he wins everyone quickly forgets the east has been pretty embarrassing.

Get rid of conferences and don't have half the league make the playoffs. Might help.

I'd say the NBA needs less teams with the amount of talent right now but the odds of that happening are even slimmer.

I'd like to see March Madness with everybody in to see who makes it to the playoffs. (use it to whittle down to the final 8 teams and then run the playoffs from those)
Terrible teams will still be terrible but there will be upsets. Plus teams that have a poor record but played well late in the season will win a few games for at least fan service, at best earn a playoff seed

jowner wrote:

He will end up going to probably 10+ finals the way the east is but if he ends up winning 4 titles with some of the series being extremely lopsided it's not exactly a good endorsement.

If he gets blown out its his team's fault/west is too good. If he wins everyone quickly forgets the east has been pretty embarrassing.

Because of all the other greats who have only won 4 championships?

A lot of people seem to intrinsically expect more of LeBron, and that's the best argument for him being on the GOAT short list. (he is)

If you were drafting any player from history in their prime he'd be top 3 for sure.

bandit0013 wrote:

If you were drafting any player from history in their prime he'd be top 3 for sure.

Which one of the Dream Team would you bench? Magic? Bird? Jordan? Pippen? Maybe Ewing or Robinson or Mullin, but that changes the complexity of the team a lot. Barkley? Malone? Stockton? Drexler? (Laettner doesn't count and what if they had chosen Shaq?)

That being said, I agree with you about the LeBron goat talk. Hell everybody was ready to pounce on Durant if the Warriors had lost. He had one made free throw in the 3rd quarter.

Jordan, Magic, Kareem, Bird, Duncan, Chamberlain, Russell, Kobe, Shaq. Lot of guys that were key on multiple championship teams.

If you want to argue GOAT, here's the latest entry in the sweepstakes: the Washington Post put together a top-40 list since the ABA/NBA merger.

Top 10: Jordan, LeBron, Duncan, Magic, Bird, Hakeem, Shaq, Garnett, Kobe, Dirk.

I heard the author on the radio, and he said a lot of older players (Kareem) fell in the rankings or don't even appear (Russell, Wilt) because he look at stats starting with the 77-78 season.

P.S. If we're talking Dream Team, I'd swap Pippen for James without even stopping to think about it.

Enix wrote:

If you want to argue GOAT, here's the latest entry in the sweepstakes: the Washington Post put together a top-40 list since the ABA/NBA merger.

Top 10: Jordan, LeBron, Duncan, Magic, Bird, Hakeem, Shaq, Garnett, Kobe, Dirk.

I heard the author on the radio, and he said a lot of older players (Kareem) fell in the rankings or don't even appear (Russell, Wilt) because he look at stats starting with the 77-78 season.

P.S. If we're talking Dream Team, I'd swap Pippen for James without even stopping to think about it.

This one is tough to me. On the one hand his teems have been to the NBA Finals 8 times. That's, frankly, amazing. His winning percentage is only okay, but that's a fairly astounding record.

On the other hand I saw Pippen play with my eyeballs and I feel like it's obvious that he was a much better defender than James overall and he significantly contributed to 6 championship teams. I think LeBron James is probably a better individual player. But in a team sport I think I'd draft Pippen over James.

I would still take James, but I acknowledge Pippen is really undervalued (and a top 5 player in his era).

And if I was making my team: (I am only putting people I watched when I started paying attention to hoops, say late 80's, early 90's)

PG: Magic
SG: Jordan
SF: LeBron
PF: Duncan
C: Hakeem

BG: Stockton
BG: Stef
BG: Kobe
BF: KD
BF: Dirk
BF: Pippen
BC: Shaq

Pippen was great, but he isn't an all-time great. He never had a season as good as LeBron's last 10 years.

When I made the top 3 point I'm saying that if you were drafting anyone in their prime, who would you want to build your team around?

Jordan, LeBron, and Shaq are really the only 3 options imho. Shaq you could probably argue, as I do think he was less skilled than Duncan/Dream, but he was far more dominant than either. The guy was unguardable and an excellent passer. I think Lebron is a better version of Magic and Jordan is well... Jordan.

I wouldn't put Pippen in my top 20 tbh. Not a horrible player, but he wasn't going to carry his team. The top 20 for me is reserved for players that could put you into the 2nd round of the playoffs pretty much on their own.

DSGamer wrote:

But in a team sport I think I'd draft Pippen over James.

Yup, although I have to go look back at the games played by the Olympic team(s) LeBron was on. My initial impression is Pippen fits in anywhere on any team and gives solid production and makes them better. LeBron I feel whatever team he is on you have to make room for.
LeBron on a fairly consistent basis makes Kyrie a better player. But has he ever made Love, Shumpers, Korver, etal better? No. Magic Johnson made everybody he ever played with better. Bird did the same including his coaching career.