NBA 2015/16 thread

Baron Silas Greenback

OKC will be shitting brick now. Looks like Durant might be heading out of town.
 
If he goes to Warriors, I will think a lot less of him. Just seems to be showing a quitters mentality.
Is legacy would take a hit, as would his bank balance.

barbarian

Seems like it's now a decision between GSW and OKC, though I haven't seen anything solid to suggest he's leaving.
 
Not sure how him leaving OKC would be a 'quitters mentality'. He'd be chasing rings, pure and simple. And that in itself would define his legacy - if he wins said rings then the move will have been the right one. If not, he looks like an idiot.
 
Unlike Lebron, Cleveland and 'the decision', KD doesn't have the 'home town' thing hanging over him, which gives him a little more freedom and means the backlash won't be as strong if he leaves.
 
My money is still on him signing a one-year deal with OKC and giving it one last shake with a stronger roster.

mariner4life

dudes are getting paid this year. Some outrageous sums being thrown around at average players.

Baron Silas Greenback

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="barbarian" data-cid="593891" data-time="1467608247">
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Seems like it's now a decision between GSW and OKC, though I haven't seen anything solid to suggest he's leaving.
 
Not sure how him leaving OKC would be a 'quitters mentality'. He'd be chasing rings, pure and simple. And that in itself would define his legacy - if he wins said rings then the move will have been the right one. If not, he looks like an idiot.
 
Unlike Lebron, Cleveland and 'the decision', KD doesn't have the 'home town' thing hanging over him, which gives him a little more freedom and means the backlash won't be as strong if he leaves.
 
My money is still on him signing a one-year deal with OKC and giving it one last shake with a stronger roster.
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I think it is showing that cannot be the guy to lead a contender to the title. He would be quitting on his team, a team that was within touching distance of the title.
I dont have an issue in this way with him leaving for Boston, going to GSW is just a low move IMO. I think he is getting bad advice if he does goes to GSW. But that will be proven in years to come. He wins a title? So what? They won a title without him, and they have the best regular season ever. 
 
It is a pro game, but this is just a bullshit move, I think you underestimate how the PR of this would go down. The backlash would be worse in long run. Le Bron didnt leave to a championship team, he contributed to building it.

barbarian

The carrot with GSW is to be a part of an all-time great team (well that's how it would be pitched to him, anyway). He could start an extended title-winning run, and finish with three or four rings to go on top of his MVP title. 
 
He goes, he gets into the Finals. Regularly. He stays, and he might get to the Finals, but it will be harder. But the pay-off would undoubtedly be greater if he does. It's a real trade-off.
 
I think there will be backlash, but it won't nearly be as much as Lebron. Because KD just doesn't inspire the same level of passion as Lebron, for better or worse. He's not tied to Oklahoma City in the same way Lebron was tied to Cleveland.
 
The backlash will be more broadly directed at the NBA, and the creation of another 'super team' despite a salary cap designed largely to prevent such a thing from happening.

ACT Crusader

KD will no doubt be wondering if his window to lead a team and win a ring is still open. There's not a whole lot out in the player market to add to this year's OKC squad that will make up a "BIg 3" to make another tilt at it.
 
Next year when the money will be even more ridiculous with the cap changes, he is going to get paid whether he stays or leaves this year.
 
If he goes to GSW, I don't think it will be so bad on his rep. GSW will need to offload 3 players with 2 of those being guys that get good minutes in order to seal a deal. 
 
On Lebron going to Miami, they had won a championship only 5 years prior with two of the main guys (Wade and Haslem) still there when Lebron. A key part of the move was securing other important pieces at the same time - Bosh, Illgauskas, Miller. Combine all those factors and the fact they were in the East, they became automatic contenders. IMO they became a championship ready team with all those signings.

Baron Silas Greenback

An MVP has never jumped ship from a contender to join his biggest competitor. That would cause a massive backlash, but time may be the only prover one way or other.
 
Would Curry have moved to OKC if the roles were reversed? Draymond? Westbrook? Nah....
 
If Durant does it... he will look like bad. And that is how reputations and narratives are born.

canefan

Perception is helped by the fact that GSW lost this season. Durant can be the missing piece to get them back on the winner's podium. The smart money says he goes back. OKC gives him a better chance to win than last season with the moves they've already made. If he tags them along long enough to let Harrison Barnes escape to Dallas that would be an extremely cunning move

Baron Silas Greenback

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Perception is helped by the fact that GSW lost this season. Durant can be the missing piece to get them back on the winner's podium. 
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That argument wont convince anyone. Does it convince you?

ACT Crusader

Karl Malone, a two time MVP at the Jazz, got close but no ring and then "sold his soul" (according to some Jazz fans) and went to WC rivals the Lakers to try and get a ring. Got to the finals when the Lakers went all out to get him and Payton to join Shaq and Kobe. 
For Durant it's 9 seasons at the one franchise and no ring and an outside chance to get close again given no big moves in the offseason look likely.

canefan

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Baron Silas Greenback" data-cid="593945" data-time="1467625068">
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That argument wont convince anyone. Does it convince you?
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No one can convince you of anything!! If he wins the narrative is only positive. Just like LBJ in Miami

TeWaio

Durant signs with Warriors. 
Booooooooo. <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/04/sport/kevin-durant-nba-free-agency/'>http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/04/sport/kevin-durant-nba-free-agency/</a>

canefan

Wow. I guess the whole starting 5 (minus the now outgoing Harrison Barnes) made an impression. Like LBJ before him KD clearly wants to win now. While nothing is guaranteed if they stay fit you can almost start engraving the trophy now. Who does OKC get now? Offer Dwayne Wade a deal? There's no one of Durant's calibre and if they want to keep the window barely ajar they need some fire-power

Baron Silas Greenback

His legacy will take a massive hit from this, he will be known as that guy for awhile. Rings wont really change that much. A rig is expected now, it wont be seen as much of an accomplishment. 
He wont be loathed, but his brand has taken a massive knock that will be hard to recover from. What exactly does brand KD stand for now? Giving up? Coat tailing? Being a massive talent that never really backed himself?
 
I like these quotes about it
 
â€œHeâ€™s the ultimate competitor, in that his ultimate objective is to have no competition.â€
 
â€œYouâ€™re not beating us, so you might as well join us.â€ And KD fell for it.
 
"LeBron saw something that could be special with him in Miami, and took it. KD saw something that was already special in GS, and jumped on"

Baron Silas Greenback

Also KD's decision has likely ensured there will be a lock out next negotiations.. next year. Owners are going to go for a hard cap this time and not take no for an answer.
 
That of course isn't directly KD's fault.
 
Anyone seen the tweet that he posted in 2010 ripping into stars forming super teams? Way to make yourself look a hypocrite. That tweet is just going to get repeated and repeated and repeated...

Sneakdefreak

Weak.........
 
Kevin Durant concedes that he just isn't good enough to lead a team to the title. That's how myself and most will read him signing with GSW.
 
Be interesting to see how Westbrook takes this. Is OKC his team now? Oladipo and Waiters are not bad scoring replacements (they're not Durant-type scorers but still not bad replacements).
 
No idea who plays the small forward role.

Baron Silas Greenback

lol...
 
That's a Robin move. Durant is forever a Robin now. He can win 10 rings. Still a Robin.

canefan

I wonder if the league will be compelled to make changes. The current rules, which allowed for a player's team to pay them considerably more than anyone else did not work in the Miami situation and now here as players who make shitloads more from endorsements don't see the size of the contract as the most important factor when weighing up where to play. The NBA has often had super teams and been very profitable at the same time. But if enough owners get jealous just like last time they might choose to alter the rules again

canefan

This new generation of players doesn't really care. In my youth no way magic teams up with Larry or Barkley with MJ. I'm sure KD will take his money and a ring if they win, and Nike will kill it in shoe sales again

Sneakdefreak

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I wonder if the league will be compelled to make changes.</blockquote>
 
Don't forget pressure coming from the NFL and NHL owners - they won't be impressed to see these major contracts. After the first day of free agency, a bunch of NBA bench-warmers now make more money than 11 of the NFL's starting QBs. Tbf, the NBA players are just better at negotiating their terms around the various TV deals.

The Silver Fern

NBA 2015/16 thread