absolute gut punch. I'm about to leave the gym...ain't even finish my workout. Smh, lol. Might as well skip the season and start Cavs/Warriors Finals on Christmas or some shit. DAMN.

----------------------------
Same as it ever was!

Fuck that dude.

They made it all about rings. He's getting a ring.

>
>They made it all about rings. He's getting a ring.




^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

https://twitter.com/WojVerticalNBA/status/749996099700662272

http://i.imgur.com/zVjsSXH.gif

Fire.

Lebron was already a great one.

He was getting cooked crispy for losing when outgunned
for many years.

He didn't stop getting cooked until he won, despite being
ungoldly great.

So being great isn't good enough. ESPN said you have to
win. Durant gonna win.


----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

Your analysis is 5+ years late.

Espn followed lebron lead as did the rest of the nba

>Your analysis is 5+ years late.
>
>Espn followed lebron lead as did the rest of the nba

I said this many, many years ago.

I've said it with regards to why I'm happy ESPN wasn't
dominant in Dan Marino's time, because we wouldn't appreciate
him at all because of "no rings"


----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

You psychic bro!

And the over-emphasis on rings

Not sure why you're mad

----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

He was blasted for losing to orl and not getting TO the finals (after the 1st one).

He went to miami to get rings (his words). He made it about rings.

If he had lost to GS THIS YEAR he would have
been DEMOLISHED

Y'all niggas were in PARYTING HARD on him being happy
with a finals appearance
LMAO

----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

Good grief

He was getting blasted for losing to Dwight and jameer nelson and not trying against the celtics

Then he went to miami and made it about rings

Just like durant didn't get blasted this season for not winning the ring. He got blasted for losing to golden state while up 3-1.

Now he's made it about rings and everyone will judge him according to that standard

KG didn't JOIN Ray and PP...they all came together.

this shit is weak. no way around it.

To get rings in their prime. Lebron made it about rings. Everyone else in the league had to catch up. He did the same thing in cle.

Boston is much different but mostly bc they were not in their prime.

this shit has "difference" all over it.

----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

i was shitting on cen, because when melo had a chance to leave for a better shot at a ring...well, yanno.

>
>i was shitting on cen, because when melo had a chance to leave
>for a better shot at a ring...well, yanno.


----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

i can do this all day....'cause you mad your man just pooped out another weak ass shooting game after that trash 31.

----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

SMH. it's cool. i know now.

That is ALL YOU

I'm just pointing it out



----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

your guy torched steph in the finals
bron made sure people know he's the real mvp
cleveland got a ring

you still got a year to celebrate

don't get all mad now

They bash players for not winning. So when a guy does what he has to do to give him the best opportunity TO win, they bash that too.

Good for KD...sucks for OKC and their fans though

Will be fun to watch

----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

Had no idea this was coming.. Now I'm glad Bron won another one cuz uh...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<---- 5....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlgiritpmfo

=======================================

It was long past time to kill the pretense that famous celebrities were required to vet their narcissism through authorized storytellers. I want every major free agent announcement to break this way, now and forever. Lay that pathos on us, Kevin Durant. And fuck these talentless middlemen. You even made me more or less okay with the phrase "understood cognitively" here.

Sports media and sports media personalities hands/pockets I am all for

It's not sarcastic. There's a pretty uncomfortable cognitive divide between how sports reporting is driven by a limited number of very worn narratives and how little control the actual athletes have over those narratives. Most of the stuff that's churned out by TPT is pretty bad* and mostly needless, but that's also true of conventional sportswriting and I'm equally free to take the good and leave the rest.

At the same time, I'm also pretty comfortable making fun of the tone. I've had five jobs in the past two years, always at least two at a time, none of them remotely well-paying, and all of them with serious flaws. If Kevin Durant wants to describe a job change that will likely net him...

a)more money
b)more titles
c)a nicer city to live in

... with mixed emotions instead of unequivocal fireworks and guitar solos, then that's his right. But also fuck him a little. Still, the fact that he gets to control the message is a good thing.

*though there's some legitimately excellent stuff, like Brayan Pena's story of leaving Cuba that are not only gripping and well-told, but also demonstrate the importance of the site's first-person mission.

Most of the articles on there I can take or leave, there's occasional good stuff on there and 70% drivel like most sites. But it's obvious there's a lot of polishing that goes into everything on there (even if I do agree that it's good for the athletes to control the narratives) and now those guys who do that go from getting meager credit as regular sportswriters to have zero credit ghostwriting it... and that doesn't totally sit right with me even if I don't like the traditional sports media.

Granting the foundation for your argument here, are we sure it's guys who'd be doing conventional writing otherwise that are doing the polishing and not, say, Durant's agents/staff?

Either way, good call. I will appropriately adjust my enthusiasm.

in regards to a passage that William Gibson wrote. I think what Durant is referring to is the difference between knowing in your mind and feeling in your gut...here's Gibson's take on it:


"You “know” in your limbic brain. The seat of instinct. The mammalian brain. Deeper, wider, beyond logic. That is where advertising works, not in the upstart cortex. What we think of as ‘mind’ is only a sort of jumped-up gland, piggybacking on the reptilian brainstem and the older, mammalian mind, but our culture tricks us into recognizing it as all of consciousness. The mammalian spreads continent-wide beneath it, mute and muscular, attending its ancient agenda. And makes us buy things."

And that's the distinction he's using.

That Gibson observation is delightful, even as it bums me out for being so aggressively anti-Incarnational. I'm reading this book (not for fun) called "Emotions in Ancient and Medieval Philosophy" that examines the train-ability of our affective states toward the end of some kind of greater (read as "divine" as we move into the medieval period) and maybe treats the distinction a bit more kindly. Though not nearly as much fun.

Once the sin/grace/God dynamic comes onto the scene, the distinction between emotion and rationality is pretty predictable in the broadstrokes: both are from God and therefore good, but both are fallen, and therefore can only be aligned toward their proper purpose (God) with God's grace.

I think (if I'm reading the above correctly) that Gibson is parting instinct/emotion and reason in a much more durable way than ancient writers, especially pre-Christian ones, would. And that's in large part due to their anthropological optimism on how we can train ourselves to not just overcome emotional response, but to use it in pursuit of the good.

The book, which is by a Finnish writer (Simo Knuutila) that I've never read before, spends just a TON of time on lit review. So if the topic interests you then I'd definitely recommend the book even just for its value in providing an overview of the development of the idea of "emotion." The short take is that Plato and then Aristotle saw emotion as a durable part of the rational human experience and sought to rigorously categorize them in the service of making them useful. Plato divided the soul into a rational, appetitive, and and sprited parts - with the ideal of the rational part governing the entire soul in its love of wisdom. But "love" is an emotion and that ideal isn't dependent on the sublimation of the other two aspects so much as cooperation in pursuit of the good of philosophical wisdom.

I think he over-reads the Stoics in contrasting them to Plato and Aristotle, where I'd rather see them in inheriting the tradition that makes emotions controllable in service of (a different, in their case) good. But the ancient period isn't my specialty at all, so I'm probably wrong about that. Though it also means I've been teaching the Stoics wrong so... oops?

I'm having a really tough time riddling out what he's trying to do with Aristotle and his respondents, outside of detailing Aristotle's tireless cataloguing of emotion. Here's an excerpt:

"Fear is divided into six species. Shrinking (oknos) is fear of taking action; terror (kataplexis) is fear arising from some strong impression; consternation (ekplexis) is fear arising from an impression without precedent; anxiety (agonia) is helpless fear of failure; shyness (aidos) is a fear due to an expected reproach...."

He does his usual due dilligence with the ante-Nicene writers, but everything changes in this field, in Christianity, and in all of the west, with Augustine. Genealogy of emotion folds into genealogy of religion which folds into genealogy of sin which all folds into a careful consideration of human capability. The takeaway is that emotions are good, but since they're ours, they're also fallen. We suffer under cognitive gaps (mis-understanding the good and seeing it elsewhere than God) but they're not as powerful as emotional gaps (loving something besides God) and Augustine piggybacks (somewhat controversially at the time) on the ancient writers categorization of emotion in order to simultaneously:

-describe that they can be aligned toward God (though not a whole lot on how - that's a later medieval development, mostly under the monastic movements)

-lament how little KNOWING this does for us and requiring that God's grace align them toward God for us

In any case, it's a good book for it's overview of all these writers. I'm not fully on board with all of his analyses, but you can't get this much content on the topic packed into 300 pages elsewhere.

And when he does, this gonna be comedy,

it's my turn to be STUPID.

Only one basketball and this doesn't address any of their weaknesses

2017 NBA season if Lebron and the cars win the chip again he goes up there with
Montana, Gretsky, Carl Lewis, Jordan, Ruth, etc etc. The sports mount rushmore.

Russ gonna be lone rangering it out here.
KD/Curry revenge vs Bron.
Bron vs the true kings reloaded.
the Magic Moment esque 30 for 30 down the road called Thunderstruck

The story is the most talented team in sports history.

>KD/Curry revenge vs Bron.

Nah, that isn't revenge. Steph just beat KD. KD
beating Steph would have been "revenge."

This is two guys deciding they can't do it by themselves
and teaming up.

>the Magic Moment esque 30 for 30 down the road called
>Thunderstruck

Now this is a story.

----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

____________

Dallas Cavericks LETS GO!!

----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

and it remains a bitch move. but, i know enough about KD and his talent and fortitude to know he'd SHOW when the shit got real in these games.

and i knew melo wouldn't. 3-10? trash shooting AGAIN

you mad?

"Unprecedented bitch move"

"they got worse on defense with Durant"

"he choked"

"he's a loser"

Nigga you toast!!


----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

>


----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

Makes Bron signing with the Heat look like a brave move.....

you must be the dude at pickup runs complaining that the teams aint "fair" lol

Wade was getting knocked out in round 1s

And Miami didn't just beat him in a game 7 after clowning on his home court

I'm confused
____________

Dallas Cavericks LETS GO!!

Bitch shit

They still don't have an inside presence. Scoring wasn't their downfall. GS was smarting from their loss and Durant is desperate. I'm rooting for westbrook but he's stuck in a small market for now. I think he's gonna score 50 they next time he sees Durant.

Man, if people were starting to hate GSW before?

They just created the death star. You're basically plugging in KD for bum-ass Barnes. As long as they figure out a way to keep most of their key role players?

It's likely a wrap for the title next year.

Also, note the Lebron cock-swaddlers in this post already mad. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

>Also, note the Lebron cock-swaddlers in this post already mad.
>HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Lebron embarrassed a 73 win team with the "MVP" so badly that
they had to add another top 3 player. That's prestige.


----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

but Sev and Bags being real mad is kinda predictable, no?

i mean Dstl1 can be mad cuz that's his team.

>but Sev and Bags being real mad is kinda predictable, no?
>
>i mean Dstl1 can be mad cuz that's his team.

But Lebron fans are smiling like shit.

Lebron is England and just made Germany and France
combine into one country because they scared

England gonna lose, but the debate over which single
country is the most powerful is over with



----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

I'm clownin

A 73 team need more help to beat Cavs

KD being the biggest pussy in the league after years of the media making him the good guy and anti lebron in 2011

I'm good on all of this

I find it funny tho that yal think this is a title lock

Chemistry was a big part in what made yal so good

Someone going to have to take a backseat

They can't play with 3 balls


____________

Dallas Cavericks LETS GO!!

and in all likelihood it'll be Steph taking a few less shots per game.

he'll probably up his dimes and drop his scoring down to 24-26 per game.

the thought of anyone trying to double-team anyone on the Warriors is hilarious though. i literally LOL'd.

Lol naw

>the thought of anyone trying to double-team anyone on the
>Warriors is hilarious though. i literally LOL'd.

Huh?

Wtf u get that from?

____________

Dallas Cavericks LETS GO!!

klay averaged 22.

sip the juice, there'll be enough to go around.

Like I said u better hope this don't fuk with the chemistry

Klay gotta be feeling expendable

Plus yal gotta depend on festis to hold down the paint

I was just clownin when I was saying dubs need more help after the finals

Didn't think they would go and pursue another former MVP because the unanimous 2x MVP can't get it done
____________

Dallas Cavericks LETS GO!!

and thus, they'll slip a little defensively (also because Barnes > Durant defensively).

but why did they lose game 7? cuz they couldn't get a bucket. who built the Dubs a new brick arena in games 5-7 of the Finals? Barnes.

so, addition by addition and subtraction in my book.

cavs will make a move.

we already know bron got KD heart.

we know steph ain't been able to fuck wit ky since ky got in the L.

they have no bigs to fuck wit tristan and love.

this is far from over. cavs EARNED they shit. warriors gon have to EARN this.

all i know is they folded when they got punched in the face. that's what i know about that team.

Now you add more elite talent.

I'm mad. But laughing.

prior to the finals.

i thought he was going to the Clippers.

They gonna have to share the ball more now.

Who gets less touches now? Clay?

Going to be interested how this turns out.

anything is possible and this could be an unmitigated dumpster fire in the end.

he took about double the shots that Barnes took so you're right, the math isn't super simple.

that said, if Klay, Curry and Dray were all there courting him then you have to assume everyone is on board they will figure out a way to make it work. Kerr seems like a good basketball mind (minus those last 3 games of the Finals, lol) who probably already has ideas about how to best utilize KD in their system and how to make his rotations.

You got three shooters (four if Draymond keeps that Game 7 flame lit) and a big man, plus a couple distributors off the bench. But what is their bench now? Do they afford to keep Iggy, Livingston and Barbosa? Will Barbosa lose a step by next season (or Iggy, OR Livingston for that matter)? Will this team have any significant depth at all or will it be a poor man's version of that first year of the Heatles?


And then, yea, does this mean Draymond no longer shoots the ball (I'm sure he's cool with that, but will this be the first team ever where 87% of the shots come from three guys?) and does this mean that Durant has to be their slasher since Curry is too lightweight and Klay just isn't about that (plus you always have to be prepared for a 7/11 from three so you want him on the perimeter anyway).


It could very easily be one of those paper tiger like teams we all can name off the top of our heads, there's way more problems for Kerr to solve than I think hot takes are ready to address just yet.


~~~~~~~~~
"This is the streets, and I am the trap." � Jay Bilas
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/archive/contributor/517
Hip Hop Handbook: http://tinyurl.com/ll4kzz

"Do you want to get paid *and* be a part of the best team in basketball?"

How can a player say no to that?

Had a phone call with KD talking about all the finals he lost and how it still eats at him. Imo that truly personal experience is what really speaks most to people, especially to a guy like KD.

Nothing but love for Jerry. What a career, from player to Lakers management to Warriors management.

Which I get, because Myers does a damn great job, but West really seals the deal for them. Players always give him respect.

Mr. NBA, Mr. Laker...I will never hate on anything he is a part of. Incredible eye for talent but also understanding the bigger picture. Tells it like it is 100% of the time, and I will never forget when he was our GM, he wouldn't be able to watch the game bc he was that nervous (actually one of the reasons he stated for leaving)...that's how much the franchise and teams meant to him. I love that dude and his son, Ryan, is currently our assistant GM and in line to take the reigns once Mitch calls it.

I mean it's not going to happen cause teams are self serving and Bogut can still play, but they do have to still clear out the cap space.

bitchassness going to Miami could be surpassed but this nigga here!!!!! You go to the team that eliminated you and for a two year deal. Straight bitch shit.

have you ever worked the same job for 9 years with no problems. have you ever left a good job for a better job.

When a nigga just left a team just as good for similar money.

it's just fuckboy shit though.

Not sure what you'd get for one year of Russ but what are the odds that he sticks with the Thunder next year?

Not that they could replace Durant but, at this point, who is left to sign to fill the SF spot?

>Not sure what you'd get for one year of Russ but what are the
>odds that he sticks with the Thunder next year?

I figure they figure this lights a fire under Westbrook and makes him ball-out this season. They still have enough pieces to get the 4 or 5 seed in the West this year (still don't know how everything shakes out or what rosters are going to look like). Then pitch him that next year the free agent class as is even better, and they'll get him even more help.

>Not that they could replace Durant but, at this point, who is
>left to sign to fill the SF spot?

Well, they could always outbid Dallas for Barnes...

just off of pride.

Perfect


Download my new mixtape featuring Lecrae, Andy Mineo, Christon Gray and more. Positive Hip Hop: http://www.noisetrade.com/wadeoradio

Kanter, Adams, McGary, Sabonis, Ilyasova

If McGary is on a satisfactory improvement path and Sabonis can contribute, they could flirt with 50 wins and look to make a major move in the summer

his response will let you know right away what his future intentions are. If he balks, he was leaving after this year and you immediately start fielding trade offers. That simple for me.

And they came really close to back-to-back.

It's obviously a home run move, and it's one you really have to make if you have the chance... but it *does* change the team chemistry in a huge way, and it's gonna eliminate much of the Warriors' vaunted depth. And it might result in Bogut and Ezeli *both* leaving, when really I thought if they just added some depth in the interior they'd have been fine for another run. Now they get KD but lose all that interior play... who replaces them? Who sacrifices shots for KD?

It'll obviously almost certainly work out, because talent wins games, and one shouldn't overthink it (I'd bet on them in Vegas if the odds weren't going to be absurdly public)... but it will be a very different team in a lot of ways next year, and it'll be interesting to see how Kerr keeps the ship on course.

i mean, what's the likelihood he re-signs in free agency after this year?

if you're OKC, wouldn't want to get SOMETHING for Russ instead of just letting him walk?

If Thunder beat the Warriors and make it to the Finals, is there any way Kev leaves?

I hope he sounds mad when he invented this shit.

>I hope he sounds mad when he invented this shit.

Niggas blaming espn lol

____________

Dallas Cavericks LETS GO!!

Lol cmon

I kno it's a hot take but it's no comparison with Bron leaving to Miami

Miami wasn't no rival and Bron wasn't playing on a title contender with another top 5 player
____________

Dallas Cavericks LETS GO!!

Bron wasn't playing on a title
>contender with another top 5 player

^^ This seems like a good deflection, but the East has been so bad for so long that any team with two top 5 players would be a #1 seed, and thus there would be no reason for Lebron to have left. In the West, it's a different story - you can have two top 5 players and solid depth but still only be the #3 seed due to how stacked the conference is with elite talent.

So while it's true that Lebron's Cavs weren't even close to as stacked as the Thunder, and the Heat with Bosh and Wade weren't even close to as stacked as the Warriors...relative to the rest of the competition in the East, it's at least a worthy debate.

And basically had just created the blueprint to how to beat the warriors and had the pieces to do it

I'm not even knockin him for leaving

Hell the Clippers r stacked too

GO to them

Not the squad that just owned u




____________

Dallas Cavericks LETS GO!!

He can leave and they bet not say shit!

http://i.imgur.com/boFZVve.jpg


This is who the NBA is going to see this fall.

----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

Mods, preemptively ARCHIVE this greatness because I'm mad.

Thoughts:
None of the Warriors deserve to win MVP as long as KD is on the team. Matter of fact, fuck his brand ol bandwagon ass nigga.

The league has to step in for basketball reasons. Someone send Silver a DM requesting a veto because basketball reasons.

Don't come in here with facts talking about some "one was a trade and this is a free agent signing". Nah, fuck facts, b. The only fact that matters is KD crawled to the team that beat his team's ass.

The Warriors have to win 62 games, lose no more than three games before the NBA finals, and win in a sweep in order for this to be a successful signing.

This is far worse than the decision because the Thunder lost in 7 to the team KD joined.

That humble superstar shit is over for both Steph AND KD.

This nigga Steph gets more passes than anyone ever. Now KD is there along with Klay and Draymond to carry even more of the load.

Bron needs more help as this turns into the Cold War. Fuck the other side.

KD and Steph are not Hall of Famers off his bullshit, right today as long as I'm MAD.

Steve Kerr is still overrated as fuck and does not deserve coach of the year as long as KD is on the team.

What's the next superstar that crawls to the conference champions after losing in seven games?

How in the fuck do you go sign with the team that beat you in the WCF?!?! And you were up 3-1 and YOU fuckin failed. YOU. That should be all the motivation in the world to come back and handle your business. OKC was on the come up too. Great trade on draft day. Adams maturing. Still got Russ. They had a nice core there. This is some next level ho shit.

____________

Dallas Cavericks LETS GO!!

and you are telling no tales either.

And didn't let the Warriors get the cap space they need to sign Durant.

That being said, I wouldn't mind if the Celtics offered a 2nd rounder or something for him. Bogut/Horford frontcourt could be fun.

i mean, i guess it's a no brainer so maybe "genius" is a stretch.

the reason why it's so smart is it gives the Dubs flexibility in the long-term. Assuming Steph stays healthy most of his remaining career, Steph is a GSW lifer.

But let's say the finances say they can't pay someone in a few years. They can lose Dray or Klay down the road and still have enough bullets in the clip to win a title with Steph, KD and some other pieces.

Your "star" is weak and your 73 win team can't
beat Lebron.

There's nothing "genius" about it.

Add a top 3 player.


----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

I mean, that'll take a team from the lottery straight to contention!

Obviously signing KD is an obvious move no matter what but their flexibility came from two things completely out of their control that were perfectly timed -

1) Steph's ankle issues earlier in his career allowing them to sign him to a contract WAY BELOW market value - if he had a max contract like he deserves they'd basically be stuck with the same roster decisions the Clippers have right now

2) The cap jumping just at the right time

Obviously they get a ton of credit for picking Steph/Klay/Dray all outside of the lottery in the first place and being persuasive enough to convince KD to abandon any goodwill he's had with general NBA fans but I don't want to hear anything about them being "LIGHT YEARS AHEAD" as far as flexibility.

making up quotes and shit.

we know HOW the cards fell to put GSW in this position. that wasn't the point.

the point was how it positions them going forward. they are now better prepared to "withstand" (for lack of a better term) a major loss like a Klay or Dray moreso than most teams would.

*points* YOU GUYS ARE COMPLAINING?

http://gph.is/1l9sBBt

A 73 win team needs to get over the Bron hump

I know some like to pretend '15 didn't happen or didn't coun, but it did.

Only people who should be mad at this are OKC fans.

all this talk about they signed Durant because they needed to get over the Bron hump is a non sequitur.

I kno u trolling but let's be real

And no we ain't complaining

I wanted him on the Clippers

Not knockin him leaving at all

But to join the team that beat u after being up 3-1 and clowned u on ur home court in is a Ho ass move

No respect




____________

Dallas Cavericks LETS GO!!

Nigga this is the hoest of hoest shit on an NBA basketball playing level. I'm not trying to hear shit about the Warriors being an all-time team ever after this. That conversation is over permanently. This nigga Steph is out of the MVP conversation.

How Bron left was fucked up, literally the decision itself. He had/has every right to leave any team but he did not lose to the Heat in seven games and join them less than three months later.

.

Or did he lift it after the fact?

If you granted a curse stick with it, goddamn.

He had to make this move but with it the Dubs Vegas odds just got even shorter.

That ghost of that Greek doofus in Chicago knows this is some amateur shit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QT9tREync0o

but more power to him

This guy went from the MVP of the league to choking away that Game 6 that would've led him to the promised land to joining the Warriors.

We saw a lot of Donovan's influence as the year went on, particularly for that stretch against SA and GS when they were executing down the stretch of games. Obviously we know they reverted but there were some huge steps with that team and that was in year 1 under Donovan...would have been really exciting to see the team's development in year 2.

I love you dummies.

But ok. If that's how you wanna try and sell it.

.

...then I would have many pennies (c) Ogie.

second contract? Everyone talked about how he was "different," "classier" and "team first", unlike that selfish asshole Lebron? Because they thought a second contract and a third contract were the same thing?

*smiles*

Mr. Doing it the right way

And he played up to that shyt too


____________

Dallas Cavericks LETS GO!!

https://twitter.com/h00pinati/status/750014550359945216

Jay-Z still making them mad.

.
.
.

Damn shame. *smh*
And fuck all the "business" bullshit talk behind it.

I know its about the rings but man GSW just beat you in a 7 game series and you were up 3-1. I guess pride never factored in for KD. I hope the same people that was critical with Lebron "decision" will be just as critical with KD's.

It's fuck everyone else. Let the players write their own future.

Sucks for OKC but the Stephen A Smiths are frothing at the mouth like idiots despite helping to create this type of stuff.

...pisses people off. People are fine with owners moving them around like they see fit. But if they decide to go where they want, all of a sudden it's crying about betrayal.

he puts himself in a better position to win rings and people shit on em.

Fuck em & go get back-to-back rings KD..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<---- 5....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlgiritpmfo

=======================================

but George and Izzy had him on....like 5 minutes after me, lol...and he and I are in lock/step on this one. He made it clear (cuz Sedano was trying to go at him) that it's not about Kev leaving...or positioning himself to win rings...that's his right and he should. But going to the team that JUST ended your season. A team who you had THREE straight games to knock out and couldn't. You were 48 minutes from the Finals, three different times and couldn't get it done...and YOU were arguably part of the reason it didn't get done, due to your play in Game 6 in YOUR building...and then you run off and join them? Nah, man. Nah.

I may even change my stance on that at some point...right now, I'm admittedly emo about it.

Not trying to debate - but yeah dude I get you're going through it right now of course.

If they can retain durant and curry plus whoever for years smh

Lol and folks in here thinking this move is 'unprecedented.' No, it's been done plenty of times in the past and most notably with Bron going to Miami. I got no vested interest in this agenda war, but lol at Bron stans acting like what Durant is doing is any different than Bron going to Miami.

The sticking point does seem to be joining the team he beat and not simply joining a super team but yes - I agree it's not THAT much different than what Lebron did. Ultimately it's the best move for KD so I ain't mad. Also I'm happy it wasn't Boston.

are currently active NBA players, if ESPN is any indication.

if you've made THAT many people mad, chances are you made the right decision when it comes to sports.

NFL players appear salty too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ow2XbcsMuA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<---- 5....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlgiritpmfo

=======================================

.

Bronistas flaming KD for this, Bron haters defending him...No honesty.

But Bron supporters who cheered that move and are gunning for KD now are suspect.

Exactly
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<---- 5....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlgiritpmfo

=======================================

It's not even comparable, or in the same stratosphere

People are slightly annoyed at KD

Lebron was ROUNDLY hated for it by almost everyone
who isn't a real ass dude

What a lame.

damn...I ain't expect this post to do numbers at all. But, yo...after putting shit back in perspective and realizing life is still going on...it is what it is. It absolutely SUCKS that it's GS, though. I won't even try to front. Like I said this morning on ESPN radio (yes, I called in to the Dan Lebatard show (being hosted by Geroge Sedano and Israel Gutierrez today)) and said I would have been pissed if he went to Boston, or the Clippers....but GS. Man I must have died 5 times during the WCF, hanging on every shot...and it fuckin crushed me when they couldn't get over the hump. But, like a week later...I was excited about next season. I felt like we had something special. Another full year with Donovan at the Helm, guys knowing how those high stakes moments felt, knowing that they could beat that team....and that was BEFORE the Oladipo deal. Now, a third guy who could score on his own and super young, to boot. Then dude leaves for the very team that kept us from getting to the finals. That's like MJ signing with the Pistons after the 1990 season. FUCK, man!! All that said....I get it. KD is one of the best to do it...and thus he's judged differently. Shareef Abdur Rahim can have a cool career, retire and be remembered as a nice player. KD will be remembered only for how many rings he has...fair or not. So, dude is going after rings and that's his right. So, what's next? Try to negotiate an extension with Russ? If he has his mind made up to bounce after the 16 season already, they prolly will have to end up trying to move him. I'm about to be done rooting for teams. Fuck it. Tired of being invested. Fuck OKC, fuck the Cowboys. I'm just gonna root for Lebron to get as many rings as possible before he retires. I don't give a shit who he plays for while gettin em, either. Dude could go on a five-year tour of five, 1 year contracts with 5 different teams. Just get rings. I'm done.

Everyone else just unreasonably mad.

It's fine, I've made a few MAD posts today but it's fine, I'll be fine about it in two days.

Just saying if you're completely fine with your favorite athletes making their choices and flipping cities and whatever off a business decision (which is a freedom I 100% support), you can't get on random fans for flipping whatever loyalties or arguments they had 5 years ago based off emotion which is all they have to invest, anyway. If someone wants to make a business decision to choose a new stance that gives them more entertainment, more power to them.

It's all wrestling anyway and there's no life or death decisions here.

had no idea but should've known it was you when you said you were from St. Louis and never had a hometown basketball team so you became a Thunder fan. that was a good call, pretty impressive you could stay so rational calling in to a sports radio show under the circumstances.

I was on the incline bench listening to the show when my ESPN alert went off...stopped mid set and grabbed my phone out of my bag and read it. Got off the machine and went in the basketball court (Gold's Gym) and just sat in the corner patiently til they got me on the air, LOL.

Luckily I'm not an OKC fan, so I was able to continue with my HITT sprints and not get too bothered.

Haven't read the rest of the replies yet, but it's only fair to fry Durant in the same fashion LeBron got fried for going a stacked team like he did with Miami, no? Dude should rock the PE logo for this next sneaker line because he's public enemy number one in Oklahoma City for years upon years to come.

Remarkable this thread has so many replies on a 4th of July holiday.

Now to read the replies to this thread...


**edit**

My main question from Golden States perspective: how much will Golden States bench have to get gutted in the present for Durant? But much more importantly, how much in the future will Golden State have to get gutten to sign Curry, Klay, and Durant to max deals in the future?

How in the holy fuck does Oklahoma City attract key free agents going forward? I feel for you DST1 from that perspective. Absolute gut punch.

>Haven't read the rest of the replies yet, but it's only fair
>to fry Durant in the same fashion LeBron got fried for going a
>stacked team like he did with Miami, no? Dude should rock the

the Warriors are a 73-win team that was 1 quarter away from winning it's second straight title. this would be like if LeBron went to the Celtics or Lakers in 2010.

also, the Heat didn't eliminate the Cavs a month and a half before LeBron decided to go there.

it's SO not the same thing.

and 100% about bron being an icon.

kevin durant was never the next jordan. kevin durant isn't in these commercials. no one ever gave a fuck about kevin durant's hair or headband or personal life.

kevin durant barely gets over as the guy in a duo, and bron has ALWAYS been the guy in a big 3.

it's about personality and a little bit about physical transcendence.

it's tim duncan and shaq.

http://www.slamonline.com/nba/okc-thunder-say-goodbye-kevin-durant/#Sd7Sr1MeqaBibIhI.97

bennett's young for an owner and rich so he's gonna be okay. presti owes durant a decade of checks too.

okc is lucky to have bennett for an owner, as much as he fucked over seattle. without his stability, they'd be in real danger of losing the franchise to another city in a few years.

Ameer Abdullah talkin' about it


https://twitter.com/Ameerguapo/status/750015244106248192


yes it was a trade vs. FA ....but wasn't the argument about balance of power?

.

the league owned one of the teams involved in that transaction

they don't get involved in stopping normal transactions

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<---- 5....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlgiritpmfo

=======================================

I can't stop laughing:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CmiJOCnVUAIRTRo.jpg

..lol @ the shock & awe reactions.


*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

hope it doesn't blow up in their faces but it still drives the rest of the league to get better.

trotting steph, klay, iggy, durant, green is as close as we'll ever see to the platonic ideal of a small ball lineup.

especially if barnes and bogut are who we think they are in dallas.

The greedy owners and league allowed this to happen again. No more superteams. This is a whole other beast tho.

For the last three days them mofos have been caking up 2nd and 3rd team players who don't move the needle at all pretending to be building something. Now it's basically a two team league for the forseeable future. LMAO

The Mavs are picking up scraps and happy to help out. 20 other teams probably called about russy. The league is not rigged, just poorly stacked. And no great player wants to be caught with out a ring. So russy ends up with the spurs right. And OKC can relocate back to seattle.

Good luck trying sell any other non-GSW/Cle games as meaningful LOL


----------------------------
Same as it ever was!

i love kd and i love the spurs, and it would have been nice to see, but i'm way more about pop turning russ into a physical manifestation of his essence on the court than plug-and-playing the servant on the wing.

i miss bruce bowen.

i want pop to renounce team u.s.a. and spend the next few summers telling 0 to use his anger and let the hate flow through him. fuck that phil zen shit.

Pop puts a lot of value on character so he isn't one to foster relationships w/ self-centered ego maniacs ala Larry Brown/Iverson or Feel/Kobe.

Pop could help CP3 by managing his minutes & forcing him to be more of a scorer rather than passing up shots to be a facilitator ala Boris Diaw.

>Pop puts a lot of value on character so he isn't one to
>foster relationships w/ self-centered ego maniacs ala Larry
>Brown/Iverson or Feel/Kobe.

What's the basis for this Westbrook is more of an egomaniac than CP3 judgment call from?

>What's the basis for this Westbrook is more of an egomaniac
>than CP3 judgment call from?

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/files/2012/06/Durant-Westbrook-GIF.gif

did when they lost to the Warriors; is he an ego maniac too?

>did when they lost to the Warriors; is he an ego maniac too?

No problem with the decision because it's his to make and no problem with trying to win championships. The only reason I'm disappointed is because he chose the easier route and I would have loved to see him continue to challenge himself and grow as a player and leader in order to get the team over that last hump.

In Lebron's case, he went back to Cleveland and did just that...the leadership and growth he showed by taking this squad to the finals was absolutely incredibly, so much respect for it.

have to pull for an Oklahoma team. I wish he would have went to the Spurs(with Russy joining next year) but we can't always get what we want. Sucks for the Spurs though, I don't want to see Kawhi's next 3-4 years wasted, but he'll still be in his 20's after that.

There are typically only 3-5 teams each season with a realistic chance to win the title in the NBA, everyone else was always just playing to play, or playing to build for the future, that's just how basketball works at the pro level.

Almost everyone here on this board has always hated or shortchanged Durant so I hope he makes you so mad you quit watching basketball. Why are y'all so mad at a player with a "ceiling of Rashard Lewis" signing with another team???

I really thought the Thunder had all the pieces in place to have next(length, youth, defensive intensity when needed). Maybe KD knows that Russy is bolting??? There is all sorts of behind the scenes stuff that we have no clue about.

they should have beat g.s. it was right there.

if it's not something with russ or something within the team, then my only thoughts are the bay is a better fit culturally for him, or nike convinced him they needed in on that marketing.

I think those guys legitimately like each other but Russ has become great enough to legitimately think he can be the best player in the league and wants to do it with other people, somewhere else. I think if those guys sat down and said, hey we're gonna ride this out, OKC for life, no way he leaves.

it's pretty clear to me one aspect to Durant leaving was the fact the OKC front office must have done a shit job to convince Durant to stay and help them stay the course.

Wonder what promises they made to Durant in those closed door meetings in terms of improvements for the team.

Their bad habits reared up again but it was clear (and the reason why they beat SA and got to that point vs GS) that Donovan had Russy and KD moving in the right direction in terms of trusting the system and each other. It takes time to break these habits though but I thought Donovan did such a good job in year 1, would have been really interesting to see their team growth if KD sticks around.

>Their bad habits reared up again but it was clear (and the
>reason why they beat SA and got to that point vs GS) that
>Donovan had Russy and KD moving in the right direction in
>terms of trusting the system and each other.

KD/WB were making boneheaded mistakes against the Spurs during crunch time but the Spurs could make 'em pay especially in Gm 2.

but OKC lost the series and Durant is gone. Perhaps close but so far would have been a better phrase to use in my original response. I'm mainly saying this because Durant made the emotionally tougher decision to leave a familiar environment and put himself in line to get some amount of criticism. I dunno if he felt OKC was close if he decided to make such a monumental move. Monumental for himself, Golden State, and the Thunder as well.

he wouldn't have left OKC to tool with said Warriors.

kevin joining the warriors is about making them even better, that's not part of your equation.

If he did his part they would have won

----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

So fucking scary.

It's almost worthy making a whole separate post since there are some dynamics if that move were to go down. What would the Spurs be willing to give up to pull the trigger on that move? I'd have to think the Thunder would some modicum of leverage in those negotiations, depending on how publicly Westbrook responds to wanting to stay in OKC.

I've said it a million times, the PERFECT point-guard for the Spurs is Chris Paul.

Aldridge and Pau gonna run and fun w/ the Warriors?

nah b.

run and fun don't got room for Aldridge's turnaround 17 footers.

you know who you are



if you were Durant you'd have done the same thing. The opportunity to play with fast paced, 3 point shooting small ball lineup AND with a point guard who will actually look for him when he's open? He couldn't pass it up

>you know who you are
>
>
>
>if you were Durant you'd have done the same thing. The
>opportunity to play with fast paced, 3 point shooting small
>ball lineup AND with a point guard who will actually look for
>him when he's open? He couldn't pass it up
>
>

Just so you are aware, Westbrook averaged more dimes than Curry last year.

>you know who you are
>
>
>
>if you were Durant you'd have done the same thing. The
>opportunity to play with fast paced, 3 point shooting small
>ball lineup AND with a point guard who will actually look for
>him when he's open? He couldn't pass it up
>

NO, I would not do the same thing. Not only me literally every superstar in NBA history outside of KD would not lose to the winningest team up 3-1 then join them months later.

Oh yeah my team, WORLD CHAMPION CLEVELAND CAVALIERS, are doing great enjoying the summer. Y'all getting fried if you don't win the title in five games.... AGAIN.

you give Russ his props...several comments about his heart and all that shit, now that KD is coming there, you take the opportunity to backhandedly shit on him...once again. You're all over the place.

when he reverted back to his old ways


there are a lot of dumb trolls in here for their own stupid reasons. You're not one of them. You're clearly a fan of the Thunder. And this sucks. I can't imagine the feeling I'd have if STeph did this



but even you know deep down that Curry is a wayy better point guard for KD to play with. KD knows it too thats why he's coming here

for not staying in OKC and trying to "overcome" is a fucking joke.

let's say he did do that, and they never made it over the hump. now Durant is a failure who gets critiqued as such as well as being second guessed for not getting out when he had the chance. no one is like "well, you gotta give him a lot of credit cuz he stayed and tried to tough it out for a title." FOH.

if this move is a failure, he'll get critiqued, sure. but it's the right move because he has a better shot at winning. period. plain and simple. and if he does win a ring (or more) he'll go down as an all-timer and NBA champ. not some "too bad he never got it done" story.

and then all these cubicle jockeys talking about what they'd have done? when you actually are in those shoes come talk to us about what you'd do.

Going to a team that was already going to win without
you is definitely questionable.

Got the right to do whatever he wants, obviously

But title was Golden State's anyway


----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

Bwahahahahaha

Btw, I'm rooting for Golden State, because Mike Brown
gets a ring, and it will be proof that Kerr can't win
without an assistant who is smarter than him

----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

i'm not even sure why you've inserted yourself into this conversation btw



but now that you have - it will not end well for you

>Btw, I'm rooting for Golden State, because Mike Brown
>gets a ring, and it will be proof that Kerr can't win
>without an assistant who is smarter than him

and watching your guys FINALLY get punched in the face and go out like the bitches i knew they were all along.

bron OWNS kd,

steph will have to see ky again.

i look forward to watching your fake shoulder-shrug plea cop bullshit next summer.

But what about your boy Klay?


Do the cavs have an answer for Klay?

and he scored the last bucket for your bitchmade team in game 7, when your FRAUD was launching his horseshit push shot and hoping for the best.

at least the world know your FRAUD ass franchise player can't do it for real. he needs LOTS of help.

I'm actually convinced Klay will be the reason we win another ring more than any other player on the team. Long as he keeps working on his game. Improving his handle and ability to finish at the rim.



>and he scored the last bucket for your bitchmade team in game
>7, when your FRAUD was launching his horseshit push shot and
>hoping for the best.


You're going awfully far with this fraud thing. This won't end well for you bro.




>at least the world know your FRAUD ass franchise player can't
>do it for real. he needs LOTS of help.


Maybe so. Maybe not. But he has PLENTY of help now and no team in the league is going to be able to stop fuckin Steph, Klay and KD out on the break once they gel.


No one.

you partied like shit for beating Bron and 6 guys who gave their fucking all just make it respectable last year. that was YOU, dogg. partying like shit instead of KNOWING y'all got gifted a fucking title and shutting the hell up.

then, you giggled like a clown all year like kyrie and love ain't matter. like...they ain't MATTER?

so, before you even have a chance to settle into your summer of humility, here you are talking shit once again about what's GON happen.

aight. bet.

we'll see what's GON happen.

the cavs will have a full year to lock in with their COACH and their ROTATION and the BEST PLAYER and a nigga who is not only better at 24 than steph was at 24, but he better than steph NOW. and a motivated all-star PF who finally has accepted his role as a 16-12 guy. And a Young Big who is better than ANY big you have. y'all gettin destroyed on the boards. You can't resign all that bench that was so crucial in your wins.

so, please continue.

Hiiii

----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

way more

Bwahaahhahahahahahahahahahahah

NOW it ain't about who is best!? !

Bahahahahaha

----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

-->

Dude said "Pat Riley would have smacked the shit out
of Lebron if he stepped out of line"

And was dead serious

----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

I just want him to know we're here for him if he needs to talk.

-->

but Vex loves Bron


Love Stinks

Mad?

----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

just added Kevin fucking Durant


once these guys gel its going to be quiet for yall

seems like a good reason not to dance.

Only dancing that was being done was Kyrie dancing all over Steph's face.

-->

I can't even reply to you seriously


get back to your underwear modeling shoots

>
>and watching your guys FINALLY get punched in the face and go
>out like the bitches i knew they were all along.
>
>bron OWNS kd,
>
>steph will have to see ky again.
>
>i look forward to watching your fake shoulder-shrug plea cop
>bullshit next summer.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CmiBdKUWEAA1Q6i.jpg

I do find it lame, but that willingness to team up and importance of rings is what today's NBA has become. Strange how LeBron stans are hating on this the hardest. Bron prolly chewed off all his fingernails today.

.

for Westbrook would agree to a sign and trade with Minnesota.

the lakers don't take the gamble of a trade because they want their cheap assets and westbrook might sign there anyway next year.

team like minne might make a trade because there's no way he'd sign with them on their own, and the WORST case scenario is they lose him AND a pg prospect but can find someone as good as what they got now in fagency next year.

and no one's doing a sign and trade under this cba until somebody ends their career on an injury during these one year deals.

I guess they could trade D'Angelo/Randle for an established star ala Wiggins & sign Westbrook to a 1-&-1 deal then give him the 5 yr max in 2018.

What a short-sighted response. OKC has no leverage with him entering free agency right now, makes no sense to deal away multiple key cost-controlled pieces (for the next 6+ years mind you) just to acquire his bird rights when you can try and entice him with a talented and growing supporting cast in his hometown.

The risk/reward there is flat-out silly.

Carmelo forced a trade to the Knicks when he could have signed as a free agent.

.

.

https://www.facebook.com/Nba2k4Life/videos/1004362456337738/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBQ2mjkvYY8

(h/t to @dannyleroux)

Kevin Durant will be a Golden State Warrior. Now we have to figure out exactly how the team will make it work.

Amazingly, despite all of the changes in the league landscape since Sporting News first laid out the possibility back in November, the mechanics of bringing him into the fold are pretty similar to what they were then.

We now know that Durant will make $26,540,100 this season with a player option worth $27,734,405 for 2017-18, according to multiple reports. That’s his maximum salary for the next two seasons with any team other than the Thunder, and it is likely that he will opt out to renegotiate that amount after the season.

The Warriors already have most of their core under contract, though — including Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, of course — and salary cap space is tight. Here, we will attempt to break down what they need to do next.

(Note: Many of the contract figures for this piece came from Basketball Insiders’ indispensable salary guide by Eric Pincus.)


The choices already made

In effect, the Warriors could only retain one of Andre Iguodala, Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut. While Barnes looked like the favorite to stick around in November, Iguodala’s presence in Durant’s pitch meeting made it clear he would be the continuing member of that group.

Golden State moved quickly and agreed to a trade with the Mavericks, sending Bogut into their cap space in exchange for a future second round pick. The trade can become official when the league moratorium lifts on July 7 — as is the case with all of these moves, including Durant’s contract.

Over the weekend, the same Mavericks reportedly were prepared to offer Harrison Barnes an offer sheet at his maximum salary worth approximately $94 million over four years. When Durant committed to Golden State, the Warriors withdrew Barnes’ qualifying offer and opened the door for Dallas to sign him as an unrestricted free agent instead of going through the offer sheet process.

At the lower end of the salary scale, the Warriors had to decide between veteran guard Shaun Livingston, under contract for $5.8 million for 2016-17, and talented restricted free agent center Festus Ezeli. Immediately following the news, Golden State also withdrew its qualifying offer on Ezeli, making him an unrestricted free agent. He is expected have plenty of options in free agency.

This series of moves means the Warriors have already laid the main groundwork for bringing Durant in via cap space.


Remaining steps

In order to squeeze in Durant, the Warriors also have to renounce veterans Leandro Barbosa and Marreese Speights because their higher cap holds take up too much space. Both could return either for their minimum salary or the room mid-level exception.

The more interesting machinations come in the rest of the roster spots. Golden State decided to make both James Michael McAdoo and Ian Clark unrestricted free agents, but they have Early Bird rights on McAdoo, meaning they can go over the salary cap (and his minimum hold) for a contract could be worth as much as the estimated average player salary ($6.191 million for this season) that must run at least two seasons. The Warriors cannot do that for Clark because he only has one year with the team but can with veteran swingman Brandon Rush, who started part of last season while Barnes was hurt.

Signing both to the maximum allowable for the first season with a team-friendly non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed second season would give the Warriors two additional quality bench players on serious raises who are also potential contracts to trade by the February deadline or next summer if the right situation presents itself.

In order to have exactly enough space, the Warriors can only keep two of these holds, meaning McAdoo and Rush are the clear choices. They also have 2015 selection Kevon Looney on the books, 2016 first round draft pick Damian Jones at his rookie-scale price and 2016 second-round selection Patrick McCaw on a two-year minimum contract.

Here is a visualization of what the books look like in that case:

http://images.performgroup.com/di/library/sporting_news/49/6c/current-cap_1pmco06txpa2v1jkvqfbeh8vp5.png?t=-1206116923


Filling out the roster

If they follow that structure exactly, the Warriors would have eleven roster spots spoken for. There would be a $543,471 roster charge for the 12th spot until they signed someone.

Golden State would only have two options remaining to assemble the remainder of the team: minimum contracts and the room mid-level exception. A minimum deal can be any player at his lowest possible salary as long as the contract runs no longer than two seasons.

The room MLE is worth $2,898,000 and can be used to sign one or more players for 1-2 seasons. Since center stands as the largest need for the Warriors at the moment, it would follow that they would try to use the room exception on a single big man, but the right player — perhaps bringing back Barbosa, a valuable bench contributor and a favorite of coach Steve Kerr— could easily change that assumption.

Here is what the 2016-17 Warriors roster could look like:

http://images.performgroup.com/di/library/sporting_news/c0/85/final-roster_12uzm5omzd7vy1kns7yn7ekcwi.png?t=-1206117891


2017’s quandary

The Warriors need to keep an eye towards next summer, as well, because Durant probably will be a free agent then too. It first must be noted that these rules could change by the 2017 offseason because either the owners or players can opt out of the collective bargaining agreement, which opens the whole set of rules to negotiation and adjustment.

Assuming things stay largely the same and Durant opts out, he will have two main pathways to staying on the team. First, he could choose to come back under the non-Bird exception. This would allow him to get a 20 percent raise on his 2016-17 salary, meaning $31,848,120 in 2017-18. Using Non-Bird, they could ink a deal from anywhere from 1-4 seasons with 4.5 percent annual raises.

However, that path does not allow Durant to get his maximum salary, which is currently projected at approximately $35.2 million with the most recent $107 million cap estimate. If he wants that full amount, the Warriors would need to clear cap space yet again.

Thompson, Green, Curry’s still-low cap hold and Durant at that number would combine for $87.6 million on the books. At $107 million, that would leave about $19.4 million for the remaining members of the team. If they wanted to retain both Iguodala and Livingston (who will be unrestricted free agents then), one or both would have to agree to take less than their cap hold, $16.7 million and $11 million, respectively. Presumably they will retain obligations to recent draft choices Looney, Jones and McCaw. The Warriors owe their 2017 first-round pick to Utah as the final piece of the trade that cleared cap space for Iguodala back in 2013. No matter how it happens, that group and any other signees must make $19.4 million or less at current estimates.

Either path works, but Durant taking a small sacrifice would make it much easier to bring back key contributors on the roster now and signed over the next twelve months. Durant could sign a second one-year deal worth that $31.8 million, then sign a four-year max deal in 2018 — or hold out until 2019 and land a gargantuan five-year max deal at age 30, if he wants.

Of course, he also could leave. There is nothing saying he has to stay in Golden State beyond next season. Either way, the Warriors have pulled off a massive free agency coup and put themselves in position to not allow it to damage everything else they have built.

http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/news/kevin-durant-contract-warriors-salary-cap-signing-free-agency-golden-state/1pjr53ldjp74d1lj455zv9tn8o

bob myers was straight surgical w/ this offseason. zaza @ the room exception is a heist, that guy's a really solid player.

All the best laid plans coming together...the structure and organization from Lacob down to Myers to Kerr to West is just incredible, so many great but open minds willing to work together. In terms of organizational culture, it really is a masterclass.

Obviously we are trying to mirror that in LA and with Kobe leaving + Luke, it really is the chance for a re-boot.

i've heard bob myers speak at length on a few podcasts, that guy seems great to work with.

Hi

----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

Mike Brown is one of the best X's and O's guys in the league, he will be great for that team and for Kerr's knowledge base. On the flip side, Mike Brown will learn a lot from how Kerr manages the communication and personal aspect of things. Will be a very symbiotic relationship.

plus Durant can play big in those small ball lineups... Not bad at all...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<---- 5....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlgiritpmfo

=======================================

So just like mr_hood intimated during the regular season when this was rumored, the bench pretty much has to get gutted to get him. Makes sense, but I didn't realize the team could potentially have none of the bigs that were originally on the team get moved to make space for Durant.

Huge small ball gamble there on the defensive and rebounding aspect.

Warriors are going to look so different since the depth was such a huge aspect to their prior success, but I'm certain all the folks in the front office considered this when the made the multiple moves for this to go down.

the breaks.

barnes? bye.

them other cats were nice off the bench, but they can get that elsewehre. keeping iggy was key.


peace & blessings,

x.

www.twitter.com/poetx

=========================================
I'm an advocate for working smarter, not harder. If you just
focus on working hard you end up making someone else rich and
not having much to show for it. (c) mad

yes they have to purge a lot of peripheral pieces this year but that was written about during the season. next year they will almost certainly face losing iggy and livingston and may have to trim somewhere else unless those guys and durant all make substantial and unlikely sacrifices.

but on the flip side, they got him for nothing and ezeli is the only guy they would have paid otherwise (and perhaps foolishly given his likely cost).

Shooting and age. They make this monstrous new superteam, this juggernaut that just decapitated its biggest long-term threat in the West, unlike any that came before.

Shooting makes every fit easier, because great shooters do damage even when they don't have the ball. This isn't the 2011 Miami Heat, with two ball-dominant wings who couldn't spread the floor when the other guy took his turn.

These aren't the 2004 Los Angeles Lakers, or the later Steve Nash/Dwight Howard version, either. The Golden State Warriors now have four All-NBA players between 25 and 28 years old. The LeBron James-era Heat had three stars, not four, and one of them -- Dwyane Wade -- was older in their first year together than any of Golden State's current stars.

The collective shooting on this team is outrageous -- perhaps the two greatest shooters ever, with a seven-foot gunslinger about to enjoy the cleanest catch-and-shoot looks he's ever had. Only three guys had a larger gap than Kevin Durant between their actual field-goal percentage and the mark we would have expected based on the difficulty of those shots, per SportVU data provided to ESPN.com. One of the three was reigning two-time MVP Stephen Curry. Things are about to get much easier for both of them.

Defenders have to be inside the jerseys of Curry, Durant and Klay Thompson at all times. Do you know how powerful that basic reality is? Even if the Warriors changed literally nothing about their offense -- if Durant just played the role of Harrison Barnes -- they could be the greatest scoring team in history. The lane will be wide open for cutters. They can generate open 3s at will just by running everyone off picks until some defender falls behind.

But the offense will be different. That's the point. As great as they are, the Warriors over the past two seasons found the going much tougher in the playoffs. The whole league watched Oklahoma City and the Cleveland Cavaliers ugly up their respective offenses by switching everything on Curry. A healthier Curry would have exploited that more often this past postseason, but it still felt at times like the Warriors were dancing around the 3-point arc, waiting for some event -- a defender screwing up a switch, or Curry launching step-back fire.

It was hard work, and it happened far from the basket. The Warriors now have more ways to enter the teeth of the defense. Durant can drive, and run a nice pick-and-roll. He shot 61 percent on post-ups last season, per Synergy Sports, and honestly, that number kind of makes you want to cry. He has a ton of experience screening in the pick-and-roll, only his old dance partner, Russell Westbrook, is a so-so jump-shooter teams are generally fine leaving open; they'd try to go under and stick with Durant. Curry's main pick-and-roll partner, Draymond Green, is a so-so jump-shooter teams are generally fine leaving open.

What are you supposed to do with a Curry-Durant pick-and-roll? You can't leave either party open, even for a millisecond. You can't switch -- unless you hide your point guard on Thompson so that a bigger wing has Curry, and probably not even then. The Warriors' offense was beautiful and intricate. It will still be beautiful, but now it can also be simple: Dump the ball to Durant and get the hell out of the way. Simple is really useful during the playoffs, when defenses focus hard enough to track the intricate.

There will be fit issues; Durant will not get to hold the ball and jab step for five seconds as often as he did in Oklahoma City. The Heat's Big Three and those great Lakers teams were not nearly as good in real life as they looked on paper, at least not right away.

But again: shooting. Curry is fine playing away from the ball; he might be the most dangerous off-ball player in the league. Thompson may never have to dribble again.

The Warriors have limited resources to fill out a bench and acquire large humans, especially since they apparently chose Shaun Livingston over Festus Ezeli as the mid-sized salary to keep while squeezing in Durant's max money. Six months ago, Golden State brass prefered Ezeli, but they have no confidence left in his knees or his game. The Warriors have only the minimum salary and room exception, worth about $2.9 million, left to fill the roster. That buys you nothing in a world of infinite cap room. Jon Leuer is making eight figures.

They need some competent size to cinch up their rebounding; Chris Kaman and JJ Hickson aren't getting it done. That is a real problem. Then again, there are a ton of leftover big men, and very few cap room teams with a need up front. But Durant fits their switchy defensive scheme, and he showed a new frenzy on that end in the postseason -- better effort, smarter reads and scary rim protection. He can guard every position in a pinch and provide more length and rebounding than Barnes in the revamped Death Lineup.

Every contender builds with one eye on LeBron James, and Durant is a much better one-on-one option against him than Barnes. That is crucial in preserving Andre Iguodala's body.

This team will be top-heavy -- and thin. They will need to find a couple of Richard Jefferson ring-chasers. That is the price you pay for loading up on stars. They'd have eventually faced the same general money crunch anyway, with Barnes and then Curry on max contracts. This price is a little steeper, since they lose rotation players and access to the full mid-level exception, but you get Durant and figure the rest out.

Most championship teams are top-heavy and thin. No matter how deep you are, if a star gets hurt in May and June, you are probably sunk.

In the end, that is the best reason for choosing Durant over Barnes, Ezeli and Andrew Bogut: He is a hedge against an ill-timed injury to Curry, Thompson or Green in a way no seventh or eighth guy ever could be. The cruel irony is that the post-James Harden Thunder know better than anyone the importance of a hedge against superstar injuries. The Warriors can engineer depth when things really count by keeping two of their four stars on the floor at all times.

This star-hoarding is only possible because of an unprecedented spike in the salary cap, and both the league and players union must reckon over what they have wrought here. We have spilled a ton of Internet ink over Curry's absurd below-market extension, but the cap leapt so high that the Warriors could have fit Durant's salary even had Curry signed a max-level deal back in 2012. The only extra cost would have been Livingston.

In the end, the Warriors were the only team that really drew his interest. Durant's reps at Nike love the idea of him stationed in the Bay Area, even playing with Under Armour's signature star, league sources say. Executives from another team that met with Durant said he spent most of the meeting silent and didn't ask any questions. Without the cap spike, the Warriors would have had to make more painful sacrifices to get in the conversation.

And the cap will jump so high again in a year that Golden State will have plenty of room to re-sign Durant for his full super-max -- though it may cost them Iguodala, depending on the precise cap figure. The league proposed smoothing the cap increase to prevent this exact scenario, but the idea emerged too late, and the union rejected it out of hand. It all felt perfunctory, almost for show. With collective bargaining talks ongoing, enraged owners might push for a deeper discussion about scrapping the ceiling on individual player salaries.

So now, we have another super-team. Durant will get ripped for this, and it will mostly be stupid. It was stupid how the media lionized him way back in 2010 for tweeting about his extension with Oklahoma City while James rushed into a ridiculous television show. Durant was a restricted free agent then, and few things are as predictable as a superstar restricted free agent re-signing for the maximum salary at the first moment possible. LeBron was unrestricted in 2010, and Durant, in his first shot at the the free market, changed teams after a whirlwind courtship.

Staying didn't make him a humble hero then, and leaving doesn't make him a villain now. He left a job he held for nine years in favor of another job. His route to the championship is easier, and if he stays long-term in Golden State, he may never be indisputably the greatest player on a championship team.That could be interesting in sussing out his place in history. He also might win three Finals MVPs. Who knows? Everyone hated James for joining his friends in Miami -- until he won a ring. No one ever hated Larry Bird for playing next to Hall of Famers all over the damn court.

The Warriors will enter next season as massive favorites in the Western Conference. They didn't just sign Durant; they gutted the only Western Conference team they feared. They do not fear the San Antonio Spurs. After losing in San Antonio in March, Golden State's players talked in the locker room about how the Spurs had no chance against them in a seven game-series, per several team sources -- about how San Antonio could only manage 87 points even with Iguodala and Bogut in street clothes that night.

They were right to fear the Thunder. Golden State's road win in Game 6, down 3-1, will live forever as a comeback that changed the foundation of the league. That game makes Thompson an NBA immortal. He saved the Warriors' season, ultimately nudging Durant away from Oklahoma City.

It was a performance so remarkable that Warriors general manager Bob Myers went back and rewatched the final five minutes right away -- the first time has done so for any Golden State game. "I never do that," he told me during the Finals. "I just wanted to see what happened. I didn't understand it. I still don't."

Coach Steve Kerr was in such disbelief after a Thompson 30-footer with about five minutes to go that he scanned the crowd, locked eyes with a Thunder fan seated courtside, and exclaimed to her, "How the heck does he do that?"

"I just had to say something to someone, and she was the first person I saw," Kerr said during the Finals.

Those shots are the margin between the Thunder making the Finals and this complete franchise devastation.

Thunder GM Sam Presti prepared Oklahoma City for Durant's departure as best he could. Steven Adams and Victor Oladipo are real building blocks; perhaps the Thunder will invest a little more time in Dion Waiters. Scouts love Domantas Sabonis, the other core piece Presti wrangled from the Orlando Magic in the Serge Ibaka deal.

If Westbrook re-signs next summer, the Thunder will be feisty enough to soften the blow of Durant's departure -- and of Harden's presence elsewhere on a below-market extension that runs through 2018. But these Thunder without Durant aren't title contenders, and Westbrook's eyes will wander. Other teams will start calling.

The Lakers, Westbrook's hometown team, have a gleaming city, several interesting young players and a timeline for recovery hanging over the neck of team executive Jim Buss like a guillotine. In theory, the Lakers should simply wait for Westbrook to hit free agency, stink badly enough to keep their pick yet again and sign him without dealing away any assets -- the road not taken with the New York Knicks and Carmelo Anthony.

In practice, that is a risk, especially given the Lakers can no longer get star free agents to pick up their calls. Everyone will have cap space again next summer, including the crosstown Clippers. Unless you know for sure -- wink, wink -- Westbrook is in, there is value in picking him up ahead of time and securing the right to offer him more years and more cash.

The Lakers still have enough cap room to extend Westbrook's contract on the spot if they nab him. Any team (including the Thunder) with the requisite space can bump his 2016-17 salary up from $17.8 million to his new max, about $26.5 million, and tack on three more years from there with 4.5 percent annual raises. Westbrook by signing an extension would forfeit free agency under next year's mega-cap, but the huge raise this season makes it closer to a wash than expected over the next four years.

Presti doesn't want to trade Westbrook, but if he feels backed into a corner, he will chase young players and draft picks. The Phoenix Suns reportedly talked with the Atlanta Hawks about Paul Millsap, and they come armed with prospects galore, extra point guards and two future Miami picks. The Denver Nuggets had the Hawks biting on a package of picks and players, including Kenneth Faried, for Millsap, per several league sources, but it's unclear if Denver would chase Westbrook. Both teams have enough cap space left to renegotiate and extend Westbrook, though he may not have any interest in sticking around either place.

The Magic, a trade partner just 10 days ago, have a bunch of interesting young guys and a win-now mandate. Boston can throw all their unused trade assets at Oklahoma City.

Presti would call everyone with a young stud, just as he did in dealing Harden: the Milwaukee Bucks with Jabari Parker, the Minnesota Timberwolves with Andrew Wiggins and a few other possibilities. The Lakers threat will depress the trade market, barring some hush-hush advance agreement from Westbrook's camp.

Either way, the Durant-Westbrook Thunder take their place as the NBA's great dynasty that wasn't. They made one precocious Finals run and never returned, undone by injuries, bad luck, the rise of Golden State and one trade that reduced their margin for error. If Westbrook stays, they will rebuild from the middle, and we will see if Presti can appeal to free agents who might take them from 40-plus wins back into the 50s. If he leaves, the climb will be long and painful.

Golden State has reached the top, and the Warriors are primed to seize the throne back from Cleveland. It's too soon to pencil in a dynasty. They have no bench right now, and crazy things can happen -- just ask the Thunder. But the Warriors will enter next season as favorites, with the chance again to be an all-time team.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/16766273/the-warriors-makings-all-super-team-addition-kevin-durant

.

laying it out... floor space is going to be exceptional for cutters, dribble penetration. No more leaving Harrison Barnes. That's KD out there... KD/Curry pnr... yikes.

Also, KD playing 4 or even 5 in some small ball lineups... yikes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<---- 5....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlgiritpmfo

=======================================

Not that he had much accomplishments anyway

>


----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

if this rift will simmer down if and when this current Olympic team stands on the podium with those gold medals around their necks.

Losing and might I add choking a 3-1 series lead and then joining them just doesn't have a good look at all.

such a simple, false equivalent.

Bron joined the Miami Heat - who just got swept in the 1st round of the playoffs in 2009 when Wade was their Alpha. Bron had to build that dynasty from the ground up with Wade, & Bosh - and an entirely new supportive cast.

That was a monumental renovation.

KD is moving into an already renovated mansion - championship team; historic all-time great team - that *just* gutted him in the WCF (despite KD being up 3-1 and choking).

KD was assimilated by GS - Bron built a dynasty with his own bare hands in Miami.

Bron pioneered the modern Players Rights movement; KD is riding in the afterglow of that bravery.

Have you apologized to Lebron James yet?

-->

Continue pushing this transparently false narrative, by all means.

People pointing this out don't even have to embellish at all. Just stating facts. KD is joining an already made HISTORIC squad. Had them down 3-1. Not to mention that OKC made moves to give them an even deeper team. Billy D had them goin. Another year and they would probably be right back facing the same Warriors team that wouldn't have upgraded but would have just had a grossly overpaid Barnes. So you can try and ignore this shit all you want to but it is what it is. KD decided to take the path of least resistance and that's fine but we gotta call it what it is. It's nothing like LeBron in 2010. LeBron was playing with role players and has beens and had a shitty front office and no one was coming there. KD left a CONTENDER to go run with a team that was a made shot away from winning the Finals. And to dead your bullshit even more. If the Warriors win do you honestly think there is any fuckin way KD goes there?

and they diiiid suck before he went there.





www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

-->

in the East. And got swept. He had a decent year in 2011 - but was nowhere near top 10 in the league in 2012 & 2013. And Bosh was a fine player - sure.

Point still stands: It's nothing like KD going to Golden State. Bron didn't join the team that was his arch-rival stacked with 3 Hall-of-Famers and 4 all-stars (Boston). He built a dynasty from the ground-up and was *the guy* who made it happen - and he deserves all the credit for doing so.

-->

>in the East. And got swept. He had a decent year in 2011 -
>but was nowhere near top 10 in the league in 2012 & 2013. And
>Bosh was a fine player - sure.

didn't get swept & was the best player on the court by miles against a championship pedigree team with 3 hall of famers + an all-star that went on to game 7 of the Finals and was 15 minutes from winning the championship. and LOL @ "decent year" and "fine player" - shame you feel that you need to add so much spin to the Lebron narrative to make him look good.

Thanks for clearing that up.


-->

and so you weren't following basketball during that stretch, but Wade led the Heat to a championship before Bron joined him in Miami and learned how to win from him.

i will stop pestering you with the facts.

the *only* difference is that lebron didn't go to boston after they beat him the way KD did. i don't think that motivated durant in any way, he went to the best possible situation/organization, just like lebron did. he could have chosen san antonio and it would have been the same thing lebron did without any qualifications whatsoever. to me spurs or dubs, six in one, half dozen in the other.

Regardless, you're wildly off-base and conveniently withholding truths. Yes, there are some who still persist on hating Bron (which is really a stretch), but they are now few and far between now. You shouldn't, however, feel compelled to tirelessly fabricate how bad his teammates were/are. He didn't "revolutionize" this new age of 'players rights' you speak of. He didn't have to overcome any insurmountable odds to win 2 championships with a stacked Heat team. He just had an incredible championship run which should be praised. It doesn't however, give you the right to rewrite history in an effort to propel his legacy. Bron will be okay without your constant fluff pieces.

>such a simple, false equivalent.
>
>Bron joined the Miami Heat - who just got swept in the 1st
>round of the playoffs in 2009 when Wade was their Alpha. Bron
>had to build that dynasty from the ground up with Wade, & Bosh
>- and an entirely new supportive cast.
>
>That was a monumental renovation.\
>
>KD is moving into an already renovated mansion - championship
>team; historic all-time great team - that *just* gutted him in
>the WCF (despite KD being up 3-1 and choking).
>
>KD was assimilated by GS - Bron built a dynasty with his own
>bare hands in Miami.
>
>Bron pioneered the modern Players Rights movement; KD is
>riding in the afterglow of that bravery.
>
>Have you apologized to Lebron James yet?
>


This is going too far.

There was a 6 time champion in the front office and a finals MVP/scoring champion still in his prime on the team. Even LeBron knew it was "Wade's team"... that's why it was so important that Wade was humble enough to realize that even though it was, LeBron was ultimately the bigger talent and they needed LeBron to realize his true potential for them to win it all. He and Riley motivated LeBron to fully realize his potential.

Also, arguably, the only thing LeBron pioneered was franchise players leaving teams in their prime to chase rings. They're usually held captive (with golden handcuffs) by the expectations that they remain loyal to the teams that drafted them and made them the cornerstones of their communities.

LeBron broke ranks and made it a little easier for the likes of Carmelo, Howard, Aldridge and now Durant to break hearts and move on.

On second thought, Shaq did that over a decade earlier to Orlando... so really, what has LeBron pioneered in terms of Players Rights? The whole colluding-with-friends-to-play-on-the-same-team thing was probably orchestrated by Wade as well if you really think about.

The only direct impacts that LeBron has on Durant's decision or how he shared it is that 1) the Cavs are now the standard by which teams are measured... if you're not building a team to beat LeBron and the Cavs, you're wasting time 2) LeBron set the low bar for announcing a move with "The Decision".

Im excited cuz if they lose maaaaan


the expectations are far greater than 2010. Back to back finals team already, 73 win team now adding 2nd best player in league. It would be more like if Bron joined San Antonio instead back then. I wonder if the backlash would have been as much tho, would have been played as a great move by Pop, Buford and team. Im sure Bron still would have got shit tho, especially if still had Decision.

>It would be more like if Bron joined San Antonio
>instead back then. I wonder if the backlash would have been as
>much tho, would have been played as a great move by Pop,
>Buford and team. Im sure Bron still would have got shit tho,
>especially if still had Decision.

.
.
.

People don't watch sports for the capitalism. Else ERRYONE in this motherfucker would be Joe Johnson and Harrison "SouthTexasMan" Barnes fans. Or fans of the owners.

Either you root for players, for teams, or you got agendas.

But the money making? If it ain't attached to one of the above, it's bullshit. You gonna feel SOME type of way.

I ain't mad at the people who are mad. I ain't mad at the people who are happy. But damn all this "man changes jobs" shit (what up Nick).

Kevin Durant didn't quit his job at Schnucks to pursue a 6-figure salary in some destination city. He left one team for another in an industry where someone gettin the "Fuck You".

That being said, after a day, Fuck Golden Shower in the goat ass; I'm gonna laugh when LeBron, Young Mamba and em take another fundamentally flawed team deep and disrupt all that beautiful basketball I don't give three drops of Kylie Jenner piss about.

GOLF WANG.

I'm tired especially of media cats coming in like "Grown man switches job, big whoop grow up". Bitch your entire job is to make people care about shit that doesn't matter, it's not like your thinkpieces or listcles are helping people raise their kids better, goddamn.

It's not like people ran to the Internet when Kobe retired like "Grown man quits job, happens all the time, what y'all sad about?" Trying to shame people for caring about shit that doesn't matter WHEN LITERALLY ALL OF SPORTS IS CARING ABOUT SHIT THAT DOESN'T MATTER is tired.

Your whole post is why I fucks with you, Doc.

"yo people mad Trump out here getting his bread! they need to get their dollars up!!"

k.

-->

And he could've signed the same deal in OKC.

.

are now mad that KD is playing by his own rules.

but the bottom line was lebron took less money to team up with 2 other top players in their prime to win rings(one of whom already led his team to one)

That was an unprecedented move.

Similarly, Durant joining a team that lost in the finals and just won 73 games after winning a ring the year before, and the team durant lost to after leading 3-1 to win rings.

Also, unprecedented.

Principle is the same though...Both made unprecedented moves to join superteams for the pursuit of rings.

You were (and still are) butthurt about Bron's move in 2010 - while you're noticeably indifferent about KD's move in 2016.

-->

my issue was the clown fashion that he did it and the foolishness he said afterward.

And for the record, I'm not necessarily even a fan of him going to golden state.

But as a i stated in my post, the principle is the same. Despite your personal barb, you failed to show how i'm wrong.

https://twitter.com/KDTrey5/status/18688294600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

KD did it to himself...

and whats hilarious is it's going to backfire.

directed at lebron, but even if you think it was my point still stands.

I'm not saying people shouldn't bash durant for the move. I don't understand how you absolve lebron and criticize durant when they both made unprecedented moves to get rings.

its one thing to build a dquad to beat the bully on the block but KD joined the gang that kicked his ass.

he bitched up.

its gonna be fun watching him lose in GS. There arent enough basketballs for all those shooters.

like lebron did.

You can say Lebron bitched up by joining/forming a big 3 after losing to dwight and not showing up at times against the celtics in the 2nd round

from the outside looking in the Celtics built a super 3 with KG and Allen joining Peirce.

Dan Gilbert wasnt willing to go that route so Bron went to Miami to do it.

Gilbert realized the error of his ways and gave Bron what he needed to win a chip in Cleveland.

I could see if Bron had a GM building a real contender around him bit that wasnt the case.


...and I was on here saying Bron needed to stop playing GM. lol

other in their prime.

ARe you claiming that dan gilbert wouldn't have ok'd signing bron wade and bosh if they had the cap flexibility??? lmao please...he did every other move that lebron wanted.

a big 3 and Bron went to Miami to beat them.

thats totally different than what KD just did but maybe this is GS building their supersquad to beat Bron amd Kyrie since they cant beat Bron when he has help.

as far as Gilbert goes, he didnt make any agressove moves for a superstar(if you want to call Love a star) until Bron came back.

circles and still haven't shown what i said was wrong.

>yet no other superstar in history "built a squad to beat the bully""
like lebron did

If you don't see how taking less money to play with other players in their prime is a factor i don't know what to tell you.

http://www.nbadoctors.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/karl-malone-gary-payton-lakers-2003.jpg

KD isn't clutch, he is a gunner and with only 1 basketball it's going to be hilarious watching them jacking up 60 3ptrs a game.

All that chemistry in GS is gone, they went Luke Skywalker to Annakin in less than 30 days.

It'll be interesting of the other top tier teams in the West will figure out how to beat them in a seven game series next year.

Kerr and the coaching staff have their work cut out for them in terms of making them stronger on the defensive end.

curry, klay, iggy, durant, dray >>>>>>>curry, klay, iggy, barnes, dray on offense and defense.

You are correct that the Warriors would finish games with the small ball line-up, but having Bogut/Ezeli/Speights gave Igudola and Livingston time on the bench to rest up for those fourth quarter finishes. Being forced to use that small line up heavily shortens the bench and puts pressure on Draymond and Durant to clean up the defensive glass.

they'll likely have 2 more vet minimum bigs on the roster when its all said and done.

Dude is cooked IMO and he was more of an impact on the offensive end from what I remember; I don't see him solving the holes the Warriors have in the defensive end.

They will throw big bodies out there when needed just like they've been doing for the last 2 years.

the Warriors had the options of either playing their bigs or going small. With the Durant addition, they aren't as flexible as they were in the past and are forced to go small all the time.

Will remain to be seen if the Spurs or Clippers can take advantage of that limitation in a playoff series.

even without bogut in the last few games of the finals, they threw ezeli, Varajeo and speights out there and they were all ineffective. It wouldn't have hurt so much if curry and klay weren't off OR if barnes and Iggy weren't sucking or hurt as well.

The bigs are still a weaknesses(i'll give you that they got weaker) but their small ball lineup got that much better on offense and defense.

-->

i'm being serious btw


we are not the NBA darlings of 2 years ago. We're embracing the dark side now

So if i understand this correctly, owners wanted to slowly roll the cap up as opposed to the huge jump we are going to see this and next year. Of course, players wanted their money now and would have made zero sense for them to roll the cap up slowly for the players. Now majority of owners are likely pissed at the strong getting stronger.

Wouldn't it have made sense for the owners to offer rolling the cap up last season, even though that would have resulted in them having to pay the players more money last year 'unnecessarily'. What the hell am i talking about, the owners woulda never agreed to that. So i dont wanna hear them complaining.

Next cba/lockout should be fun.

In the end, it's going to make it tough for the league to maintain it's momentum when 1/2 or more of the teams (small market) just can't keep up with the crazy numbers and champions-on-paper mega teams that can be put together now without anyone sacrificing significant money. The league, as a whole, pretty much shot themselves in the foot by artificially keeping the cap so low for so long and then inflating it as violently as they did when they couldn't justify why it was where it was. Screw the Thunder or Bucks, what does it say about the league when major markets like Atlanta or Brooklyn or Chicago or Dallas are just chalked up as "also rans" before a ball is even tipped and the draft so fucked up with pick hoarding vs cap space?

It really sucks to be a GM...unless you have a squad with 2 prime superstars already, you don't have a shot at competing against Cle or GS. Heinkie mighta been on to something ...lol

>In the end, it's going to make it tough for the league to
>maintain it's momentum when 1/2 or more of the teams (small
>market) just can't keep up with the crazy numbers and
>champions-on-paper mega teams that can be put together now
>without anyone sacrificing significant money.

What's the difference? Very little has changed. The cap jump allowed GS to add KD, but they were already sitting on top of the league. Perhaps KD would have stayed in OKC but for how long? The impact on small market teams is minimal because they weren’t attracting anyone to begin with.

>The league, as a
>whole, pretty much shot themselves in the foot by artificially
>keeping the cap so low for so long and then inflating it as
>violently as they did when they couldn't justify why it was
>where it was. Screw the Thunder or Bucks, what does it say
>about the league when major markets like Atlanta or Brooklyn
>or Chicago or Dallas are just chalked up as "also rans" before
>a ball is even tipped and the draft so fucked up with pick
>hoarding vs cap space?

The cap jump isn’t the reason those teams were chalked up as also-rans.

-Chicago is the result of nagging injuries resulting in the decline of their two former stars and a coach nobody is excited to play for. What exactly do they have to sell free agents aside from Butler?

-Brooklyn is the result of a deal for aging stars that cost them their draft picks. What exactly do they have to sell free agents?

-Atlanta has been a longstanding playoff team in a weak conference for how long now but has never been a significant title threat. What do they have to sell anyone in free agency?

-Dallas has been striking out for several summers, including the summer they got fleeced by Parsons and have shown a propensity to not pay their veterans when the time comes unless they’re Dirk. What have they had to sell free agents?

This doesn’t say much about the league overall but it does say plenty about the ineptitude of the management of those teams.

.

I miss the days when players weren't emotional ass weak minded, hypocritical bitches...

>I miss the days when players weren't emotional ass weak
>minded, hypocritical bitches...

Last year was GREAT. This coming season will be GREAT.

Trust me, half of the league back in the day was no different than what you see now. The game was different, but let's not act like everyone on the floor was Mo Lucas or Wes Unseld.

you'd think the entire history of western civilization was just a huge downward curve.

the bench won them at roughly 2 finals games, right?
and they lost, ultimately, due to a lack of inside d, no rebounding, and no one being able to put the pressure on the heart of the Cavs D when they needed a bucket. In short, they lacked toughness from their starters.

HOW does Durant fix any of that? ESPECIALLY considering LeBron kinda already owns him?

This just makes the Warriors more of what they already were.

and you are right, they got more of what they already were..which was a 73 win team. Their offense should be even better and it was pretty great as it was.

They still need to put it together on the court just like lebron in miami, but once it clicks...smh

HOW did they lose those games?
HOW did they almost lose to OKC?
I mean, it SHOULD work, but...i'm skeptical

and all of golden state's main supporting cast either got hurt, suspended or suck.

They were down 3-1 to OKC bc OKC length made it impossible for GS to do what they normally do...but then klay and curry happened and curtains.

was eaten alive on pick n rolls...

OKC size was a problem, cuz they absolutely devoured rebounds

game 7 against CLE, Gstate had no Bogut meant no boards, and no inside presence, which was HUGE in the tight moments of the game

And the bench was HUGE for gstate. HUGE.

The bench got worse, they got even less big bodies, and all they got in return was a BIGGER jumpshooter who shies away from contact.

I'm pretty certain they're not breaking any win records this year, and that's not even important really.

I'm just curious about how this is gonna work come a tight WCF game 6 on the road when you need a tough bucket, and the threes aint dropping.

who gonna get that for you on this squad?

are exceptional at scoring. The do other things mediocre to pretty good but their strength is that they can score the ball especially bc they have arguably 2 of the best shooters in the nba on their team.

When both of those dudes struggle to score they will have a hard time winning, much like when any other team's top 2 scorers struggle


>
>I'm just curious about how this is gonna work come a tight WCF
>game 6 on the road when you need a tough bucket, and the
>threes aint dropping.
>
>who gonna get that for you on this squad?
>

fam they just added one of the top 3 scorers in the nba depending on how you rank em.

shit, in the series against the warriors this yeah he nutted up repeatedly

steph did the same against the cavs.

Shooters go cold. It happens. IT JUST HAPPENED WITH EVERYBODY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, lol

Like i said, we'll see...but the construction of this team is still flawed

>shit, in the series against the warriors this yeah he nutted
>up repeatedly
>
>steph did the same against the cavs.
>
>Shooters go cold. It happens. IT JUST HAPPENED WITH EVERYBODY
>WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, lol
>
>Like i said, we'll see...but the construction of this team is
>still flawed


and when Curry, Thompson and KD are forced to play D in the half court it fucks up their rhythm on offense. None of them are good defenders and the Cavs nust exposed how to beat them. KD...well, all it takes is a must win game for him to come up short.

I dont think this KD signing helps GS thay much. It prolly kills chemistry IMO.

when Bogut went down Promo said it actually helped GS.

I knew it was a big loss because Bogut set the tone early in 2 or 3 finals with early blocks that forced Bron and Kyrie to stop driving as much.

I knew without Bogut the lane was wiiiide open.

I also agree 100%. When the game is tight KD always nuts up. His game 6 first half was a prime example of what we will see in GS.

it will be fun when its regular season but once the playoffs start KD is going to revery back to his usual self.

in this league. Top 4 at worst.

I mean how many players would you add to Golden state that would make them better than adding durant??? i seriously wanna know.

they are pretty much the Phoenix Suns from the 90's right now.

They dont need more scoring, they need an inside presence and some beef on the boards.

KD is top 5 but he has avoided a shit load of scrutiny. Dude has some games where he is 8 of 35 and people think its OK.

Cavs are going to eat these dudes up inside again and GS may have a problem getting out of the west this year. On paper its a great team but they are going to have problems in the paint

they pointed to all the flaws, lack of shooting, rebounding, bench, coach, etc.

i said after the decision...its lebron and Wade lets not overthink it....

And i'll say it again....its KD, Klay and Curry, lets not overthink it.

its a wrap, dont over think it... they got this...

we will see but again, they havent addressed thwir biggest flaw last year and thats offensive rebounding and protecting the paint

Miami had Bron who could rebound, defend, score, dish, etc... so while ESPN and company had that off season chatter you already knew how thew would do it.

deal or anything close it. I'm not even saying that about this WArrior team.

What i am saying is that the players they have will mesh and they'll be better with durant than without him. Every nba team has flaws. The point is to be so great in other areas that you mask your flaws. So now they have 2 of the top 4 players in the game and 4 of the 20 at worst. They'll be great. Of course, that doesn't mean they are guaranteed to win a finals. I do think that we'll be looking back after 4-5 years and GS will have success similar to what the heat had over those 4 years in miami.

Nah...he's right for the most part...GS' bench stumbling AND lack of rebounding and interior D contributed to those L's...

On paper, adding Durant is pretty fucking scary. But the real world basketball isn't NBA Live...

It's going to be interesting to watch GS outscore their opponents....Because that's what the game plan will be...Go small and fill it up...

But defensively and rebounding wise the jury will be out on GS....

the last 2 seasons. They are fine giving that up bc of what they can do on offense. ANd their small ball lineup got better with durant over barnes.

I agree that that titles aren't won on paper and this doesn't guarantee anything but what team do you think has a better chance of winning a chip last years team returning or the one they are assembling with Durant. Unless ya'll choosing last years squad ya'll aren't saying anything lol

you could assemble a dream team of cp3, klay, bron, durant and Drummond with your favorite bench and a chip still wouldn't be guaranteed and there'd still be weaknesses lol

If the Cavs and GSW face off again, who will Durant guard?

Lebron?
Irving?
Love?
Tristan?
JR?

Ok, let's say it's JR, then who does CURRY guard?

I get it, they will get massive star power, but they obliterated their bench....to be fair a lot of their bench was probably on the way out.

Unless they play with 2 basketballs it feels like AT BEST you get 3 guys that average about 25 per. And to me the one prone to an off night the most is KD. He didn't/couldn't share an offense with 1 player in Russy, but now he's got two guys? I dunno, some guys don't want to be the man. Let's see what happens, but I would have LOVED to see him with the Clippers.

.

Ibaka defends.
Adams defends.
Waiters defends.

When they would have played the Cavs you would have hidden him on the OKC line up.

But for GSW? You can't hide him AND Curry. They tried to put Curry on Irving and you saw how that worked out. Maybe you could sneak him onto JR, but nonetheless, I don't think this move = automatic win.

they played Cle?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFIS375p75A

In this clip I see him guard Lebron, Love, Thompson, and Richard Jefferson.

Love: 29-11-4
Lebron: 25-7-11
Thompson: 14-14
Jefferson: 15-16

Final 115-92 Cavs

Not to say that they ALL scored on KD, but just saying, adding him to GSW only means that now that similar scoring threat will be defended by the likes of Klay, Curry, Draymond, and KD.

Klay and Draymond I'm not worried about. But KD and Curry? Can't hide them both.

But we will see. Maybe with less of an offensive load he can commit himself on the defensive end more. He could turn into a very very good role player in their system.

KD was being hidden on defense.

kd is a better defender than barnes.

>If the Cavs and GSW face off again, who will Durant guard?
>
>Lebron?
>Irving?
>Love?
>Tristan?
>JR?
>
>Ok, let's say it's JR, then who does CURRY guard?
>
>I get it, they will get massive star power, but they
>obliterated their bench....to be fair a lot of their bench was
>probably on the way out.
>
>Unless they play with 2 basketballs it feels like AT BEST you
>get 3 guys that average about 25 per. And to me the one prone
>to an off night the most is KD. He didn't/couldn't share an
>offense with 1 player in Russy, but now he's got two guys? I
>dunno, some guys don't want to be the man. Let's see what
>happens, but I would have LOVED to see him with the Clippers.
>
>

why he couldn't continue to get better when he's not going to have to worry about scoring most nights.

steph's deficiencies aren't a reason to not sign a potential mvp.

>And to me the one prone
>to an off night the most is KD.

LOL


>If the Cavs and GSW face off again, who will Durant guard?
>
>Lebron?
>Irving?
>Love?
>Tristan?
>JR?
>
>Ok, let's say it's JR, then who does CURRY guard?

Why would Durant guard JR? for that lineup Curry guards JR, Klay guards Irving, Durant guards Love. not that complicated.


>Unless they play with 2 basketballs it feels like AT BEST you
>get 3 guys that average about 25 per.

and that's a bad thing?

>He didn't/couldn't share an
>offense with 1 player in Russy, but now he's got two guys? I

OKC was I think last in passes per game last season (either last or 2nd to last, they were last for a good chunk of the season), Golden State was first. That was supposedly a major reason Durant wanted to play there. Steph and Klay can play off the ball, Westbrook can't, or rather won't.


>dunno, some guys don't want to be the man. Let's see what

you mean like Lebron in 2010? Lol.


>happens, but I would have LOVED to see him with the Clippers.

yeah that would've been great too, I mean he would've been great in a lot of places. But if he's on the Clippers and they make the Finals and face Cleveland, who does he guard then? Lebron? no fit is 100% perfect but GS is as good as any if not better.

who will think contributing to winning a title will get them paid and bigs who are trying to get that last shot at a ring who'll be willing to come to G-State for a shot at it.

David West might retire but G-State is PERFECT for him right now and he'd have a bigger role than he did in San Antonio.

Others on the market:

David Lee
Anthony Randolph
JJ Hickson
Cole Aldrich

Trade options:
Taj Gibson
Spencer Hawes

I also think they'll bring Barbosa back on the cheap too.

>the bench won them at roughly 2 finals games, right?
>and they lost, ultimately, due to a lack of inside d, no
>rebounding, and no one being able to put the pressure on the
>heart of the Cavs D when they needed a bucket. In short, they
>lacked toughness from their starters.
>
>HOW does Durant fix any of that? ESPECIALLY considering LeBron
>kinda already owns him?
>
>This just makes the Warriors more of what they already were.

I think this undersells things a bit. Their bench got their offense MOSTLY from Livingston (still there), Iggy (still there), Barbosa (probably still there) and a few chip ins from Mo Speights. Festus wasn't scoring like that. So the offensive punch from their bench is still there.

The biggest loss for them will be defensively with Barnes and Bogut gone. I don't think Barnes is THAT much better of a defender than KD when he's locked in. KD showed during these very playoffs that he's a capable defender and when he uses his length, can be formidable.

Any of the bigs mentioned above can provide rebounding and scoring. If I'm G-State, go hard after David West and barring being able to convince him to move to Cali, Taj Gibson (3 way deal, give up draft picks and maybe a young prospect). I'd bring back Lee and try to convince Hickson to add to his value as a back up big trying to get a ring.

^^^All possible and you have a complete transition without losing anything IMO. Taj or West are defensive upgrades and they don't really NEED their offense yet both guys are competent scorers.

In the end, Durants addition makes their offense unstoppable, even with the strategies employed by Clev and OKC because holding Curry around screens won't matter because KD can create his own shot. Dray and KD both rebound well and Zaza ain't bad there either.

And with their offense, it'll be impossible to key in on anyone and expect results...outside of somebody killing you.

>David West might retire but G-State is PERFECT for him right
>now and he'd have a bigger role than he did in San Antonio.

They need rim protection/rebounding & lets just say that's not his forte. Speight can space the floor just as well & is a better rebounder.

>David Lee
Probably their best option

>Anthony Randolph
I guess. Beasley is still in the league

>JJ Hickson
Dude is terrible

>Cole Aldrich
He already signed w/ the Wolves

>Trade options:
>Taj Gibson
>Spencer Hawes

They have nobody to trade & don't have the cap space to absorb the salaries.

>I also think they'll bring Barbosa back on the cheap too.

Otherwise Jarrett Jack is another option.

>They need rim protection/rebounding & lets just say that's not
>his forte. Speight can space the floor just as well & is a
>better rebounder.

They need a goon with heart AND some ability. Speights was a 6'10" poor man's Sam Perkins. They don't need a big shooting 3's. They have 4 shooters on the court, they need interior muscle. Granted Speights might be a tab bit better on the boards, he's a worse defender and he's definitely not goon material. D-West provides that.

>>David Lee
>Probably their best option

And this will likely happen but he's soft as poo on defense.

>>Anthony Randolph
>I guess. Beasley is still in the league

Beasley might cost more but if he's willing to take the min. Go for it. He's another bench scoring option. Randolph (when healthy, BIG when) blocks shots and rebounds.

>>JJ Hickson
>Dude is terrible

Better than Randolph. And rebounds. Which is what the Warriors need now.

>>Cole Aldrich
>He already signed w/ the Wolves

There goes that.

>>Trade options:
>>Taj Gibson
>>Spencer Hawes
>
>They have nobody to trade & don't have the cap space to absorb
>the salaries.

They have draft picks and a few young, recently drafted prospects. I said 3 way deal so that they don't have to absorb more salary to make it happen. It would require work but a team that sucks now and wants to compile draft picks (and needs to meet the cap floor) could eat the salary (and send back cash to g-state to cover the salary...Taj has a year left at like 9 mil and Hawes makes 6 mil with a player option for 17-18). Both contracts are trade friendly and both of their franchises are looking to move them for assets.

>>I also think they'll bring Barbosa back on the cheap too.
>
>Otherwise Jarrett Jack is another option.

Definitely. I don't see why people think the Warriors won't have a decent bench when it's all done. Give it 30-60 days. That roster gonna be filled out and probably better than last years.

Chemistry will be the biggest issue. Even then, I doubt that too.

>They need a goon with heart AND some ability. Speights was a
>6'10" poor man's Sam Perkins. They don't need a big shooting
>3's. They have 4 shooters on the court, they need interior
>muscle. Granted Speights might be a tab bit better on the
>boards, he's a worse defender and he's definitely not goon
>material. D-West provides that.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2647952-david-west-reportedly-to-sign-with-warriors-latest-contract-details-reaction

got his 3rd ring... beat a 73 win team.

oh and now that same team added a top 5 player...

so if lebron wins he further adds to his legacy... if he loses well he lost to a team that had four top 15 players on the same damn team. not a bad look imo.

Whole league had to re-wire itself to beat him

Shit is hilarious


----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

like it could be billed as "Durant playing with his friends"

but still.

it takes THIS to challenge LeBron James and a talented, but heavily flawed Cavs team. Peak Miami Heat was more formidable; only health and NyQuil were their foes.

LMAO. a team with that much elite talent vs. LeBron James.

LMAO!!!

that just further solidifies what he did this past season.

GOAT Finals win.

in any case, FUCK Donkeylips Green

Wo isn't a top 15 player in that mix?

.

being just outside 15 but they are top 20 at worst so there isn't a need to act incredulously lol

Such a tremendous move and the reactions, on the 4th of July no less, should be saved so they can be read for years to come. Looking to see how wrong the predictions are with this season is over, mine included.

Not really...

Do I have to send someone an inbox to make a formal request?

.

Joining teams with other superstar players is not new.

but seeing a top 5 player jump from a top 5 team to a top 2 team I believe is a first. I thought it was weak at first but after some thought, understand it.

Barkley tried to join some stacked teams to beat MJ and get a ring, didn't work. That is the move most wanted KD to do if not stay with OKC, join Clippers or Spurs and try to beat the Warriors and Cavs. Durant took easier route, join the already great Warriors and be a pretty much sure thing for making the finals and getting rings.

Lebron joined DWade and had Bosh join them to create a pretty dominant team out of a team that had been struggling, which is still quite a bit different.

This would be like if MJ's contract was up after getting beat by the Pistons twice and then joined them instead of making himself better and then beating them. It still seems weak, but if he gets one or 2 rings out of it even, its probably worth it for him. And of course for the Warriors, it was a no brainer to recruit him, just like every other team was out there trying.

cuz OKC had a pretty strong case as the best team in the west until KD left.

Think about that:

He broke up his team to join a team that his prior team pretty much dominated in the playoffs. AND he was a BIG part of why his original team didnt win.

Pretty unique situation

when I went to bed on May 24th, we were up 3-1 in the WCF and had just beaten the defending NBA Champion/73 win team by 24 points. Today, IF Westbrook stays...we may be 7 or 8 seed. My mind cannot reconcile these two things.

If anything, we remember champs by the adversity that they face to get there. Showtime vs the Celtics. MJ getting over the Pistons, then taking on all comers. Shaq & Kobe vs each other. The Pistons vs the Super Team. The Spurs vs being able to keep it together. Lebron vs his own hype (in Miami). Lebron vs the entire disastrous history of Cleveland.

Assuming that the Warriors do win next year and Durant does get a ring, it's going to be the equivalent of born on 3rd base and thinking you hit a triple. It'll be an accomplishment, but it won't be beloved. The last Warriors championship team was beloved because it was sort of a miracle that everything did come together the way it did. This... would be different.

There's a reason why Lebron's Cleveland championship feels like he won 3 rings, not one.

if i were a hot take sports writer, i'd be working on a piece about how next season is the start of the post-ringz era

.

After Bron went to Miami, there was no downtick in terms of how important rings are, in fact it probably became even stronger, especially in the media (which drives a lot of popular public thought obviously). The same thing will happen here with KD and the Warriors.

Rings are rings, that's the first thing the general populations thinks of when they think of a player....it's a black or white framework which is how 98% of sports fans think, how many championships did he win?

The funniest part to me about all of this is the media and general public creating this environment where there's no consideration of context but only on if you won a ring or not.....but now when players leave to go win rings, the instant hot-takes are that context matters. lmao

IF kd somehow gets a ring next year people will shrug...

This would be like Ovechkin going to the Pens to play with Malkin and Crosby and finally getting to hoist the cup.

It won't be the same

>
>The funniest part to me about all of this is the media and
>general public creating this environment where there's no
>consideration of context but only on if you won a ring or
>not.....but now when players leave to go win rings, the
>instant hot-takes are that context matters. lmao

I think people give more credit to context than you think. No one gives Jordan a hard time about not winning in 95 cause everyone knew he was still working his was back from retirement. Everyone gave Kobe a hard time about not being able to win without Shaq until he won 2 without him (and now younger kids are like 5X CHAMPION KOBE and act like Shaq was a complimentary player then). The Lebron Miami championships are forever a mark against him versus Jordan (though the Cleveland one now overshadows that) and no one has ever tried to argue against Tim Duncan's greatness by going "But what about those 14 seasons that he lost???"

I'm sure if/when the Warriors win the media narrative will change to "Look at how unselfish Durant was by giving up money and touches!" but you can see some people sharpening the asterisks now. Hell I can see people putting the asterisks on even if they win the next 10 titles in a row. Dumb and wrong people will argue that Dirk Nowitzki, an inferior player to KD in basically every way, is greater than Durant because he won a title his way, and they'd have at least a bit of a point.

I don't know what things will be like or how the next gen will see it cause no one is really on the clock for a chip right now like Lebron was or Shaq was before they won (CP3 is only on the clock to get out the 2nd round, lol), but we'll see what happens... the Warriors team may be great but KD himself might forever have an asterisk to me.

https://instagram.com/p/BHhMKIEDO3n/

half of his instagram posts got 1000 word captions

I thought it worthy to kick this post up to the first page. I was wrong on some things regarding the Warriors it seems.

getting whiteside than Durant loloz.

Lol

He been great for team chemistry and been their best plAyer all season.

and I still think Khawi Leonard was going to expose the fuck out of them in the WCF but he got hurt.

I still think Bron and them will pull this out.

Did you think my chemistry comment meant they wouldn't make the finals? I still think the Cavs will regroup and win this.

I will take my L if they win it all.

.
.

"The unexamined life is not worth living." - Plato

bragging and shit.

Let us hate in peace dammit.

Got durant. And lol atthey didn't have Mcgee back then. This nigga

U serious dog?...lol

Who has length and can alter shots and scrape a few rebounds

Y'all act like we didn't just watch GS win 73 games without KD last year.

Role players play a big part in team chemistry.

That same guy?

Just checking.

..got that ring, tho.


*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...