2017 NBA Playoffs

[tynopik]

So did he ride the Dubs' coattails, or are they riding his?

neither, they're all working together. as a team

 

[manly]

neither, they're all working together. as a team

I know, I forgot to add a sarcasm tag.

I'm not a big Warriors or KD fan (rooting for the Cavs, even though it looks hopeless now) but I don't begrudge him making a decision he felt was best. As a fan of another team, do I like seeing a superteam that could potentially go to the next 3-4 Finals after this one? No, not really. But fuck SAS for blasting KD or applauding old-timers who had more loyalty but never tasted a championship.

 

[tynopik]

fear not, after winning with Golden State, Durant can jump ship to Cleveland to prove that he can be the difference maker

 

[tynopik]

Bucci Mane @Buccigross
I'm telling you, the Cavs are one Kevin Durant ejection/4 game suspension from getting back in this series.

LaChina Robinson @LaChinaRobinson
The Warriors have home court advantage...in Cleaveland. Just disrespectful shooting at this point. #NBAFinals

 

[tynopik]

cavs up 5 with 1 quarter to go

 

[DesiPower]

Pure evil, lucifer in flesh, cant win the game fair and square, lets take out another guy from this team too, eunuch green pulls kevin's shirt and takes him down for good, officials conveniently ignore once again. FUVK NBA

 

[tynopik]

welp, that's that

 

[WaTaGuMp]

Great fucking game, Kyrie was just a pleasure to watch.

 

[Ackmed]

So did he ride the Dubs' coattails, or are they riding his?

Its clearly obvious they are riding Durants. He's an amazing player, with that length, quickness, and range its not very common. Warriors couldn't beat a healthy Cavs team before, I don't think they would have this time. Pretty good game, lots of hard fouls and plays. From the replay, looks like James was fouled on the last chance 3, no call. Never showed a different angle. I have no idea how Kyrie makes those plays he does, all game long. Makes very hard shots look easy.

KD will get his ring, not much respect from lots of players/people. Jumped to a championship team, unable to make his own team and win. But he will get his ring, and that is what people remember most and judge players by.

 

[Bird222]

Pure evil, lucifer in flesh, cant win the game fair and square, lets take out another guy from this team too, eunuch green pulls kevin's shirt and takes him down for good, officials conveniently ignore once again. FUVK NBA

Can you post a clip?

 

[Muse]

Steph isn't gimpy and KD makes Harrison Barnes look like a high schooler.

I saw a post game show interview in which Steph wasn't even mentioned after last night's bizarre outcome, which left me in shock. ~2.5 minutes to go, down 6, ball in LeBron's hands, the Warriors, well, you could stick a fork in them for game 3, they were done. Yeah. Then they had a stop and scored 2 and I realized it was still a game.

In truth, Steph was fantastic last night. At least 6 three-pointers and he was deadly on those. He made 3 pointers that looked impossible... again and again. Klay was great. KD, well, he disappeared in the 3rd offensively, but he had it in the tank at the end and shocked the world with that tre over LeBron in transition. Nothing but net, and it was in the center!

Steph's free throws at the end, they didn't even draw iron. He has free throw shooting contests with Steve Kerr and if Steph draws iron, his shot doesn't count! Nothing but net is a great mantra for a shooter!

What impressed me the most was the Warriors demeanor at the end. They were acting like it was just another game. No grandstanding, no in your face celebrating, you wouldn't know it was even a playoff game. They stayed in character, and they have character to spare.

Fact is, LeBron and Kyrie were fantastic, but I saw it coming in the first half. I thought to myself that it was a close game, the Cavs weren't pulling away, there were so many lead changes (which continued in the second half). I thought to myself in the first half that the Cav's main weapons were these two guys going one on one to the basket. Fine and dandy, but can they keep that up the whole game? Doubtful. And indeed, in the last 2-3 minutes they had tired, their shots were not going in. I couldn't believe my eyes when LeBron, in a drive right to the basket around Klay didn't even draw iron on a layup. The great LeBron was tired. Steph had fresh legs, Kyrie couldn't drive past him. Andre poked the ball out of LeBron's hands, the call was Warriors' ball. It was over.

 

[digiram]

Great f'ing game. Demoralizing defeat for Cavs. It was interesting seeing Curry and Durant in the bench for so long in much of the 2nd half. Looks like Kerr were saving them for the end, and it worked out to perfection.

I think Cavs did what they needed to do, and got what they needed for the most part, and still too much firepower for the dubs. Crazy ass shit.

People can hate on what Durant did all they want, regarding his jumping to a super team, but Lebron, KG, Ray Ray did the same things, and now they're remembered for their rings.

Aside from Durant, the rest of the dubs core was homegrown anyhow.

 

[Muse]

People can hate on what Durant did all they want, regarding his jumping to a super team, but Lebron, KG, Ray Ray did the same things, and now they're remembered for their rings.

Aside from Durant, the rest of the dubs core was homegrown anyhow.

I have no respect for anyone hating on Durant for signing with the Warriors. He did what was best for him, what else can you expect from a guy? I don't think he's ever had any doubt in his mind that it was the right thing for him to do. He's a great great person, period. And he's probably going to get series MVP, and that will be the cherry on top for him, additional vindication.

 

[child of wonder]

I have no respect for anyone hating on Durant for signing with the Warriors. He did what was best for him, what else can you expect from a guy? I don't think he's ever had any doubt in his mind that it was the right thing for him to do. He's a great great person, period. And he's probably going to get series MVP, and that will be the cherry on top for him, additional vindication.

But it does diminish the value of any championships he'd win with the Warriors.

I'm sure Bird could have fled Boston to play with Magic and they would have dominated the 80's together, but those guys had too much pride to do anything like that.

Different generations.

 

[Muse]

But it does diminish the value of any championships he'd win with the Warriors.

I'm sure Bird could have fled Boston to play with Magic and they would have dominated the 80's together, but those guys had too much pride to do anything like that.

Different generations.

Comparing Oklahoma City to Boston is absurd. Boston is a great city, a great sports city. I don't think there's a better sports city in America. Of course, Bird wouldn't have dreamed of going to another team, why should he? The Celtics had a legacy of greatness. OKC? Come on... What are they famous for? A bombing that destroyed the federal building. KD had to move on. He's in a great place now, literally and personally. He's grown personally, professionally and athletically by virtue of his going to the Warriors.

You can say that Durant's accomplishment is "diminished." But that's only in your mind. In my mind, he's untarnished, a great athlete and a great person. I've seen and heard nothing to make me think otherwise.

 

[Muse]

This suddenly came to mind:

"America has only three cities: New York, San Francisco and New Orleans. Everywhere else is Cleveland." --Tennessee Williams

 

[child of wonder]

Comparing Oklahoma City to Boston is absurd. Boston is a great city, a great sports city. I don't think there's a better sports city in America. Of course, Bird wouldn't have dreamed of going to another team, why should he? The Celtics had a legacy of greatness. OKC? Come on... What are they famous for? A bombing that destroyed the federal building. KD had to move on. He's in a great place now, literally and personally. He's grown personally, professionally and athletically by virtue of his going to the Warriors.

You can say that Durant's accomplishment is "diminished." But that's only in your mind. In my mind, he's untarnished, a great athlete and a great person. I've seen and heard nothing to make me think otherwise.

There's something to be said for building your own legacy and that of your team and city, not fleeing to someone else's. I leveled the same criticism at Lebron when he left Cleveland.

 

[purbeast0]

There's something to be said for building your own legacy and that of your team and city, not fleeing to someone else's. I leveled the same criticism at Lebron when he left Cleveland.

There's also something to be said for knowing when it's time to move on because you've reached the ceiling. And he realized that he was as high as he could go with OKC so he wanted to move on.

I'd much rather go get some rings with other great players than stay in the same old tired job not getting any rings after it's all said and done. Do you really think that he (or anyone else) is going to care in 10 years, when he has possibly a hand full of rings vs. not having any at all, that he got them by making a smarter career move and going to what is going to be argued as one of the best teams ever? Doubtful.

Also bring up Larry Bird into this conversation isn't the same. He was on a championship winning team, as was Magic Johnson. He would have been leaving a championship team to go to another one. Durant left a team that after almost 10 seasons wasn't capable of winning a championship.

I bet you Karl Malone and Dan Marino both wish they knew what it felt like to win a championship. And you know Barkley does too, even thought he didn't stick to one team his whole career.

 

[tynopik]

Does anyone say Shaq's legacy is tarnished because he left Orlando?

 

[child of wonder]

There's also something to be said for knowing when it's time to move on because you've reached the ceiling. And he realized that he was as high as he could go with OKC so he wanted to move on.

I'd much rather go get some rings with other great players than stay in the same old tired job not getting any rings after it's all said and done. Do you really think that he (or anyone else) is going to care in 10 years, when he has possibly a hand full of rings vs. not having any at all, that he got them by making a smarter career move and going to what is going to be argued as one of the best teams ever? Doubtful.

Also bring up Larry Bird into this conversation isn't the same. He was on a championship winning team, as was Magic Johnson. He would have been leaving a championship team to go to another one. Durant left a team that after almost 10 seasons wasn't capable of winning a championship.

I bet you Karl Malone and Dan Marino both wish they knew what it felt like to win a championship. And you know Barkley does too, even thought he didn't stick to one team his whole career.

Some people have more pride than to turn on "God Mode" and abandon their team to join one that was 73-9 that they just blew a 3-1 lead against. I prefer defeating opponents in real competition, not fleeing to join them.

Will history hold it against him? You're right, it probably won't and it's a travesty that he'll be compared to many all time greats that didn't enter a cheat code to win. It's just a reflection of the times. Pride and honor don't really exist anymore. I wouldn't feel good about ditching my team to win a tarnished championship. That's no different than the assholes that play city league ball and purposefully play in the division with guys who suck, are old, or don't care just so they can dominate them all and circle jerk each other with a trophy at the end of the season.

As for some of the other examples people have brought up like Shaq or KG, Shaq didn't sign with a powerhouse. The Lakers were 56-26 the year before with Devin Harris as coach and Cedric Cebalos and Nick Van Exel as its best players. If anything, the argument could be made he moved to the West to flee the Bulls, but he didn't join a super team.

KG played his heart out for us here in MN but finally agreed to be traded as the team wanted to move on from the cap stranglehold they put themselves in through bad choices trying to surround him with talent. He was also 32, a 13 year veteran, and past his prime.

 

[purbeast0]

You're right, it probably won't and it's a travesty that he'll be compared to many all time greats that didn't enter a cheat code to win

Are you saying that if he stayed with OKC and didn't get a title, and was compared to the greats, it would be okay? But since he's on GS now and is going to win some titles, it isn't okay?

 

[child of wonder]

Are you saying that if he stayed with OKC and didn't get a title, and was compared to the greats, it would be okay? But since he's on GS now and is going to win some titles, it isn't okay?

I'm saying his accomplishments with GS aren't equivalent to what other star players have done without fleeing to a super team. If a person held up one version of Durant that won, for example, 3 championships during his time in GS vs another version of Durant that won 2 championships staying with OKC (not saying he would have) I'd consider those 2 OKC championships worth more than the 3 in GS.

Like I said, fleeing your championship contending team to join the 73-9 team that beat you is like entering a cheat code. Yes, you win, but it just isn't the same as winning without the cheat code.

 

[purbeast0]

I'm saying his accomplishments with GS aren't equivalent to what other star players have done without fleeing to a super team. If a person held up one version of Durant that won, for example, 3 championships during his time in GS vs another version of Durant that won 2 championships staying with OKC (not saying he would have) I'd consider those 2 OKC championships worth more than the 3 in GS.

Like I said, fleeing your championship contending team to join the 73-9 team that beat you is like entering a cheat code. Yes, you win, but it just isn't the same as winning without the cheat code.

That's not really what you said at all in the quote I quoted of you.

But I get that viewpoint and disagree strongly with it.

 

[Red Storm]

KD is well within his right to do whatever he damn well wants to. But it doesn't change the fact that - in his prime - he took the easy way out and joined a team that was already a title favorite. He didn't have to stay in OKC, but you would think an athlete in his prime would have the competitive desire to be the best, by beating your peers, not joining them. Lebron did it, and now KD has done it as well. Sure the casual basketball fan and Warriors fans are loving this, but for any serious fan of basketball it's boring seeing how lopsided things are.

I wish neither team was in the finals, but it's funny seeing Lebron get beat down by a super team.

 

[purbeast0]

Things have been lopsided in the NBA for a long time. There's never really been true parity like people are claiming there has been. It's just that the top 2 teams right now are on another level, with GS being on even another level. But I mean let's be real. The lakers dominated a decade, the bulls dominated a decade, the Pistons for years, the Celtics for years, etc. People need to stop pretending like the NBA was this big parity filled league before these "super teams" we have today came into play.