General NBA Discussion

[Grimlock]

KD is a POS. Westbrook is the talk of the town today. Can't wait to see them go against each other lol.

WTF? KD has a right to put himself in the best position he can be in. Are you calling Wade a POS today?

OKC hasn't run a decent offense in their history (unless you go back to the Sonics). Westbrook is a talent, but I don't think he's a winner (like Carmelo). OKC had (and has) one of the most talented teams in the NBA, but they consistently underachieve. OKC is a small market, and not one where many NBA stars are going to want to live.

In contrast, the Warriors offer him a much better offensive scheme, better defensive schemes (though it slid a lot last year), a better coach, teammates who work well together and over-achieve, and is located in one of the nicest places in the world to live.




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[Grimlock]

Thunder doesn't need to be rebuilt as they have many great pieces in place. They just needed a few superstars to come in and get them over the ledge. I honestly think, had KD and co not choked Game 6 away, they would have really competed for the title and possibly won. This team is just months from almost winning it all. They lost Ibaka and gained Oladipo (basically a wash). They lost KD which is big. But they kept Russell.

As much as I hate him, Blake Griffin's name is flying around here in OKC over past several months. RW signing today means we probably sign BG as he has been saying he'd like to come home and play for OKC. There are options moving forward. Just remember, Sam Presti is responsible for drafting Kevin Snake Durant, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka, Reggie Jackson, trading for Steven Adams, etc. among other good players. We really have a good GM who will continue to draft excellent players. No need to rebuild at this time. Especially since SA rarely rebuilds.

I'm not saying the thunder will win a title without Kevin. But they don't need to rebuild to try. Keeping RW is huge for our small market.

I think it is a long shot to get All-Star caliber talent to OKC through free agency. It just not a big enough market or a particularly attractive place to live for an NBA star. So I think they will need to get talent through trades or the draft. I don't think Westbrook is a winner, but OKC is stuck. With Westbrook they are probably a 4 seed at best, but more likely 5-6. So they aren't going to win anything in the playoffs (2nd round knock-out at best), and they will have poor draft picks.

So the question is if this is good enough for the fans. It will take some crazy moves for OKC to become a contender, and I just don't see it happening. I would strongly consider trading Westbrook if I was GM (in a vacuum), but that would be a PR nightmare.

Why would Blake Griffon want to go to OKC? He likes being near Hollywood, and he is currently on a better team. So, it would take a trade that would gut OKC of draft picks and talent.


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[Grimlock]

Just to clarify, by "rebuilding" I meant would you rather have had Presti possibly trade Westbrook for assets and then rebuild, not tank now while Westbrook is still on the team.

But your answer speaks volumes, and I'm guessing you're happy that Russ is in the fold for the next three years.

In some respects, I think Russ signing an extension with OKC is almost an F U to Durant. He's from the LA area. He had every excuse to leave. But he didn't. Had he left, KD could have said "See?".

In two years Westbrook qualifies for a max 10 year veteran contact. So Russ gets to be the hero for two years, and then cash out for a huge contract. By the the Lakers may have some good talent and he can get on board then. Moving to the Lakers now hurts their draft prospects and they would still be a mediocre team at best.

I think it was a shrewd move for him, and may be setting up his move to LA.


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[Shawpaw]

WTF? KD has a right to put himself in the best position he can be in. Are you calling Wade a POS today?

OKC hasn't run a decent offense in their history (unless you go back to the Sonics). Westbrook is a talent, but I don't think he's a winner (like Carmelo). OKC had (and has) one of the most talented teams in the NBA, but they consistently underachieve. OKC is a small market, and not one where many NBA stars are going to want to live.

In contrast, the Warriors offer him a much better offensive scheme, better defensive schemes (though it slid a lot last year), a better coach, teammates who work well together and over-achieve, and is located in one of the nicest places in the world to live.


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First off, I'm not the only one who shares this insight and sentiment. Generally, only GS fans or partial fans sympathize with how KD left. Most aren't mad that he left. It's how he left. He left after we traded Ibaka (who Durant didn't get along with). We made moves for him and he decided to take the perceived easy way out.

That being said, how do you know KD is in the best situation? They haven't played a game yet. On paper one would think he can ring chase in GS, but that doesn't always pan out for teams. It's not like wrestling where each individual can accrue points and team wins, it's very much about chemistry and efficiency. Adding KD doesn't automatically improve GS. Who is going to be willing to give up shots for KD??? There's players on GS that have already commented about not sacrificing their game for KD (Thompson, Iguodala). The chemistry GS had, is now different. KD doesn't automatically improve that. It just changes things. Green, Thompson, Curry, are not going to gladly let their numbers slide for KD, given they all have contracts coming up lol. There will be growing pains and it may not even work out.

The warriors offensive scheme only begins to work after Curry and Thomspon shot video game 3s. If they aren't hot, the offense doesn't work. Proof? How many games was GS blown out of in playoffs? For such a good offensive system, that should not statistically happen. Warriors do have a better scheme offensively than most teams, but Kevin is just lazy. I imagine you'll figure that out soon enough. He is not a ball handler (turnovers) or a passer (lower assists). The reason we didn't have a moving offense in OKC is because of one guy: KD. Our team was built around him. He's a catch and shooter type guy. BTW, check Westbrook's assists numbers....

Golden state does NOT offer a better defensive scheme. That's just a biased claim. OKC, Portland, and CLE broke that scheme down all season and in playoffs. GS's only defense is to shoot more threes than the other team. Spurs have best D in west. OKC is #2. GS is # 5-6.

You come off as extremely biased yet casual fan in that last paragraph. Steve Kerr is a better coach? Um how long has his coaching career lasted vs. Donovon? Put down the homer juice and be reasonable about this. Most of your posts are your opinion without any substance (e.g. Blake Griffin's preferences).

Also, GS is also a small market team that caught lightning in a bottle as well. Don't kid yourself lol

 

[Grimlock]

First off, I'm not the only one who shares this insight and sentiment. Generally, only GS fans or partial fans sympathize with how KD left. Most aren't mad that he left. It's how he left. He left after we traded Ibaka (who Durant didn't get along with). We made moves for him and he decided to take the perceived easy way out.

That being said, how do you know KD is in the best situation? They haven't played a game yet. On paper one would think he can ring chase in GS, but that doesn't always pan out for teams. It's not like wrestling where each individual can accrue points and team wins, it's very much about chemistry and efficiency. Adding KD doesn't automatically improve GS. Who is going to be willing to give up shots for KD??? There's players on GS that have already commented about not sacrificing their game for KD (Thompson, Iguodala). The chemistry GS had, is now different. KD doesn't automatically improve that. It just changes things. Green, Thompson, Curry, are not going to gladly let their numbers slide for KD, given they all have contracts coming up lol. There will be growing pains and it may not even work out.

The warriors offensive scheme only begins to work after Curry and Thomspon shot video game 3s. If they aren't hot, the offense doesn't work. Proof? How many games was GS blown out of in playoffs? For such a good offensive system, that should not statistically happen. Warriors do have a better scheme offensively than most teams, but Kevin is just lazy. I imagine you'll figure that out soon enough. He is not a ball handler (turnovers) or a passer (lower assists). The reason we didn't have a moving offense in OKC is because of one guy: KD. Our team was built around him. He's a catch and shooter type guy. BTW, check Westbrook's assists numbers....

Golden state does NOT offer a better defensive scheme. That's just a biased claim. OKC, Portland, and CLE broke that scheme down all season and in playoffs. GS's only defense is to shoot more threes than the other team. Spurs have best D in west. OKC is #2. GS is # 5-6.

You come off as extremely biased yet casual fan in that last paragraph. Steve Kerr is a better coach? Um how long has his coaching career lasted vs. Donovon? Put down the homer juice and be reasonable about this. Most of your posts are your opinion without any substance (e.g. Blake Griffin's preferences).

Also, GS is also a small market team that caught lightning in a bottle as well. Don't kid yourself lol

The SF Bay Area is 7.5 million people. The population of Oklahoma (the state, not the city) is just 3.8 million. So the Bay Area has over twice the population of the state of Oklahoma. So don't even try to tell me that the Bay Area is a small market. It's one of the most populated areas in the country. OKC is TINY in comparison.

Kerr was coach of the year. So, plenty of experts consider him a great coach, and a Popovich disciple. Walton went to the Lakers as a Kerr disciple. Donovan did prove himself as a good coach in the playoffs (at times out coaching the Warriors), but his offensive execution was still very similar to the Brooks system (lack of movement, isolation ball).

The Warriors absolutely do not depend on "video game 3s". Look at Curry's points in the paint during the season. He was injured during the playoffs and this limited his interior game.

The Warriors in 2014-2015 had the number one rated defense in the league. This slid in 2015-2016 (as I noted), but it slid to only 4th in the league. That being said, OKC was rated 12th. Isn't 4th better than 12th? So how is this a biased claim? https://www.espn.com/nba/hollinger/teamstats/_/sort/defensiveEff

You are reading too much into Thompson's recent comments. If you know the GSWs, they are possibly the most unselfish team in the league. They are probably too unselfish if anything.

KD will get less shots with the GSWs, but they will be higher quality shots. The Warriors now have three top-tier shooters on their roster. This makes defending them nearly impossible and opening up driving lanes due to defensive spacing. Teams will have to gamble and slack off Draynond (and whomever starts at center). Draymond will make them pay for that.

The only question I have for the Warriors will be about on the defensive end. Can KD match Barnes on the defensive end? And can they make up for Bogut's rim protection? The bench doesn't bother me because Kerr can keep one of the three Splash Trio on the court with Iggy.

This isn't like Miami with Wade and LeBron. Neither is a good shooter. And both need to drive/have the ball. So this made them meshing an issue. The Warriors won't have meshing issues on the offensive end (but possibly defense). Of course in the NBA, offense always trumps defense.

And yes, I am definitely giving my opinion, but so is everyone else. Otherwise this would be a stats and metrics only thread.

Who will have a better record next year, OKC or or LAC?

What do you think is attractive about OKC to free agents? Why would they want to go there over the Spurs? Clippers? Cavs?



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[Shawpaw]

LOL like what do those stats even mean regarding our discussion? Curry's paint shots? Those random stats dont really say anything about this discussion. Let's be honest, California is LAL. GS is small market, Bro. Oakland isn't 7 million people. There's the LAL, LAC, LAL, NYK, Dallas, Houston, Chicago. Those are big markets. Not SF/Oak.

Just ask Kevin, Russell, and others why they stayed here. Theres no denying parts of California are beautiful and better places to live than OK. There's no denying that. Thats not the factor though. I think you are confused as to motivating factors as to why people play at places. LeBron went to Cleveland. It's not California. Blake Griffin grew up in OKC. He's stated on air that he'd be happy to come back. Local media reports he wanted to come back at some point. I can't stand him so its not wishful thinking on my part.

Basically, you just decided to be hero and defend Kevin Durant even though you have no insight into how that deal went down in OKC. You also don't know what its like to live here. But just keep trash talking. I think you just want attention and want to make it seem justified that kevin left because of inaccurate reasons. Get insight before acting like you know how it happened and start ******** my team. It's clear GS fans need to act like they've been there before. Be like some of the other fans that post here

 

[Grimlock]

LOL like what do those stats even mean regarding our discussion? Curry's paint shots? Those random stats dont really say anything about this discussion.

The point is that Curry (and the Warriors) are more than just a jump shooting team. During the regular season, Curry was one of the most efficient players in the paint in the entire league. He was limited in the playoffs due to injuries.

Let's be honest, California is LAL. GS is small market, Bro. Oakland isn't 7 million people. There's the LAL, LAC, LAL, NYK, Dallas, Houston, Chicago. Those are big markets. Not SF/Oak.

You say that, but it is just flat-out false. The Bay Area is the 6th largest market in the country. It is one single media market, period. OKC is the 43rd. OKC is a small market, the Bay Area absolutely is not.

https://www.newsgeneration.com/broadcast-resources/top-100-radio-markets/

Here is the definition of a media market,

"A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area (DMA), television market area, or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same (or similar) television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content. They can coincide or overlap with 1 or more metropolitan areas, though rural regions with few significant population centers can also be designated as markets."

Just ask Kevin,

Kevin left didn't he?

Russell, and others why they stayed here.

Do you think there is no validity in my theory that Russ took a 2+1 year contract from OKC today so that he could negotiate a huge contract once he's eligible for his 10 year vet contract?

This is wild speculation on my part, but could he also be setting himself up for a better opportunity in LA in two years? He can get the 10 year vet contract, and join a Lakers team that has two more years to gain some great draft picks and talent. LA will likely have better draft picks than OKC unless something crazy happens in OKC.

Theres no denying parts of California are beautiful and better places to live than OK. There's no denying that. Thats not the factor though. I think you are confused as to motivating factors as to why people play at places.

It has been well documented that KD asked about living in the Bay Area before deciding to move. The often state quote is, "Where in OKC do you get sushi at 1am?" I even heard it this morning on ESPN First Take (not that I am a huge fan of the show, but they stated that this morning). The Bay Area has one of the, if not the hottest real estate markets in the world. https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/hottest-real-estate-markets-june-2016/ People want to live here and are willing to pay way too much to do so. It's on the ocean, a few hours from Tahoe, and offers tons of stuff to do since it is such a large and wealthy area, plus the weather is much better than SoCal (well, not San Francisco that has a micro-climate that tends to be cold/foggy).

LeBron went to Cleveland. It's not California. Blake Griffin grew up in OKC. He's stated on air that he'd be happy to come back. Local media reports he wanted to come back at some point. I can't stand him so its not wishful thinking on my part.

Good point here. I forgot Blake was from there.

Basically, you just decided to be hero and defend Kevin Durant even though you have no insight into how that deal went down in OKC.

I have just tried to state my opinions and support it with facts. You said (or inferred) that OKC was a better defensive team. I said you were wrong, and posted a link to defensive ratings that clearly shows the Warriors are superior. You said Kerr was not a good coach, yet he won COTY in 2016 and was a very close runner-up in 2015. I don't know how else to use a metric for good coaching other than COTY votes.

If you have any other good insight how it "went down in OKC" I would love to hear it, and I mean it. I'm not trying to be a jerk. If you have local insight, share it!

You also don't know what its like to live here.

True. I've lived in small markets before, but not OKC. So what am I missing here? What is there is OKC that will draw NBA All-Stars from SoCal, San Antonio, or Cleveland?

But just keep trash talking.

I never thought I was "trash talking", I was always just stating my opinion. You responded very aggressively and defensively and started the trash talking as far as I'm concerned.

I think you just want attention and want to make it seem justified that kevin left because of inaccurate reasons. Get insight before acting like you know how it happened and start ******** my team.

Well, I think I am pretty well versed on why he moved. He prefered the Warriors play-style (they play the right way), he was friends with a number of the Warriors (supposedly especially close to Draymond who was a personal confidant). I cannot state that he specifically prefers the Bay Area over OKC, but he did ask about it and it doesn't seem to have dissuaded him. It is also circumstantial, but most people are saying that it's pretty clear that KD believed he couldn't win with Russ. Stephen A. Smith flat out said that he had "insider info" to prove that last claim this morning.

It's clear GS fans need to act like they've been there before. Be like some of the other fans that post here

Wow. The Warriors have been there. After their 1973 title, and RUN TMC, the Warriors were one of the worst teams in the league year after year after year. I suspect I am much older that you and I lived through decades of the Warriors being horrible. The Warriors have a new owner group, new top notch coaching staff, and lots of recent success. Being a Warriors fan was torture almost my whole life. I stuck with them, but it was rough!

I have no idea why you have taken things so personally. I think if you go back to my earliest posts of the day you will see I wasn't "trash talking" at all. I may have been a bit hard about Russ, but that's just my personal opinion of him. He's a great talent, but I don't think he's a "winner". He will have a chance to disprove me this season.

I think the question for you is what is the path for OKC to reach title contention? If Blake Blake Griffon joined today, would they be a contender? Will it take two all-stars? Three? Can OKC win with Russ as the main option? How well will OKC do in 2017? I assume they won't be in the lottery, so they won't have a good draft pick (unless they have another team's draft pick that I don't know of). I just don't see a good path for OKC to be a contender again with out a great personnel move or free agent signing (or two). The Warriors have been very good (or lucky) with their draft picks. I think OKC will need to do the same thing.

 

[Shawpaw]

The point is that Curry (and the Warriors) are more than just a jump shooting team. During the regular season, Curry was one of the most efficient players in the paint in the entire league. He was limited in the playoffs due to injuries.

GS lives and dies by 3. Fortunately, they have the 2 best 3 shooters in league. and it's funny you make the excuse about curry being injured but then say the Thunder underachieved over past few years. If you paid attention, We lost Westbrook one year against Houston, Serge Ibaka the next, and lost KD. It's hard to achieve when you lose some of your top players. It's not that we underachieved, it's that we had injuries. Gotta give them that same break you give Curry.

You say that, but it is just flat-out false. The Bay Area is the 6th largest market in the country. It is one single media market, period. OKC is the 43rd. OKC is a small market, the Bay Area absolutely is not.

By LA, NY, CHI, HOU standards, you're small area man. If KD was after large markets, OAK/SF wouldn't fit that bill like other places.

Kevin left didn't he?

This is somewhat juvenile in response. of course he left. What answer were you expecting form this? OKC resigned him after his first contract was up. At that point, if he hated it here, he would have bolted then.

Do you think there is no validity in my theory that Russ took a 2+1 year contract from OKC today so that he could negotiate a huge contract once he's eligible for his 10 year vet contract?

This is wild speculation on my part, but could he also be setting himself up for a better opportunity in LA in two years? He can get the 10 year vet contract, and join a Lakers team that has two more years to gain some great draft picks and talent. LA will likely have better draft picks than OKC unless something crazy happens in OKC.

I think this is fair. But I am not so sure LA is where he's going to go to. He had that opportunity now. He has a home there. He is from there. But he came back. It's not about being in LA for him. It's about being in best position to win from his perspective. Kevin bailed on him when they could have knocked off GS this year.

It has been well documented that KD asked about living in the Bay Area before deciding to move. The often state quote is, "Where in OKC do you get sushi at 1am?" I even heard it this morning on ESPN First Take (not that I am a huge fan of the show, but they stated that this morning). The Bay Area has one of the, if not the hottest real estate markets in the world. https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/hottest-real-estate-markets-june-2016/ People want to live here and are willing to pay way too much to do so. It's on the ocean, a few hours from Tahoe, and offers tons of stuff to do since it is such a large and wealthy area, plus the weather is much better than SoCal (well, not San Francisco that has a micro-climate that tends to be cold/foggy).

OK this is just too much of a stretch for our discussion. I can't address 15 talking points at once.

I have just tried to state my opinions and support it with facts. You said (or inferred) that OKC was a better defensive team. I said you were wrong, and posted a link to defensive ratings that clearly shows the Warriors are superior. You said Kerr was not a good coach, yet he won COTY in 2016 and was a very close runner-up in 2015. I don't know how else to use a metric for good coaching other than COTY votes.

I'm happy you are open enough to share your opinions. But your opinions aren't lining up with the product on the floor (especially playoffs). I never said Kerr was not a good coach. Your comment that he is better than Donovan is yet to be determined. Anybody who coaches GS is going to look good. Kerr picked that team up after his predecessor did all the hard work and drafting. Kerr was given the keys to a Ferrari. My point was that you can't say Kerr is better than Donovon as BD has great resume in college and now NBA. He was two KD turnovers away from eliminating GS.

If you have any other good insight how it "went down in OKC" I would love to hear it, and I mean it. I'm not trying to be a jerk. If you have local insight, share it!

Brother I have shared and shared all over this forum. Durant held our team hostage, making us miss out on other free agents and plans. We traded players away because of him (Ibaka, Jackson). Dude is one of the most hated NBA players currently. check out social media and other articles. He is hated. It's not because what he did was noble...

True. I've lived in small markets before, but not OKC. So what am I missing here? What is there is OKC that will draw NBA All-Stars from SoCal, San Antonio, or Cleveland?

Well maybe make a trip here and check it out.

I never thought I was "trash talking", I was always just stating my opinion. You responded very aggressively and defensively and started the trash talking as far as I'm concerned.

Well when the first words of your post are "what the ****" and "piece of ****" that typically puts people on the defensive. Plus I don't know you so I don' know how to approach you. All you do is sell stuff here from what I can tell. That being said, using the tone you used definitely pissed me off. Don't take it personally but don't expect me to just not say anything.

Well, I think I am pretty well versed on why he moved. He preferred the Warriors play-style (they play the right way), he was friends with a number of the Warriors (supposedly especially close to Draymond who was a personal confidant). I cannot state that he specifically prefers the Bay Area over OKC, but he did ask about it and it doesn't seem to have dissuaded him. It is also circumstantial, but most people are saying that it's pretty clear that KD believed he couldn't win with Russ. Stephen A. Smith flat out said that he had "insider info" to prove that last claim this morning.

But it's not clear. They were 2 turnovers away from beating GS. THEY COULD HAVE WON IT ALL. Why don't GS people get that. It's not like we were Milwaukee and rebuilding. We had the team to beat you guys. KD choked. Instead of redeeming himself, he took easy road so that Curry, Thompson and Green could do all the work while he coasted. He's just lazy and doesn't "do things the right way." Stephen A said Russ was leaving. Also said KD was headed to Lakers. He's about as full of it as Skip Bayless. Kevin doesn't care about style of play. He cares about getting a ring. It's funny because he was so close to getting one last year but dribbled into traffic and turned the ball over and over and over. He's a great shooter, poor ball handler, average defender, and poor leader. He can go be with quality people like Draymond Green who takes **** pics and beats up peaceful civilians with his posse.

I have no idea why you have taken things so personally. I think if you go back to my earliest posts of the day you will see I wasn't "trash talking" at all. I may have been a bit hard about Russ, but that's just my personal opinion of him.

It's that you came at it with WTF and POS as stated. Those aren't cordial things to start a convo with. You basically devalued my response to one of my fellow peers so of course I'm going to defend myself.

I think the question for you is what is the path for OKC to reach title contention? If Blake Blake Griffon joined today, would they be a contender? Will it take two all-stars? Three? Can OKC win with Russ as the main option? How well will OKC do in 2017? I assume they won't be in the lottery, so they won't have a good draft pick (unless they have another team's draft pick that I don't know of). I just don't see a good path for OKC to be a contender again with out a great personnel move or free agent signing (or two). The Warriors have been very good (or lucky) with their draft picks. I think OKC will need to do the same thing.

Look, I'm not saying OKC is going to be a challenger next year. I'm not saying Blake Griffin will be our savior. my initial response prior to you was that we will get some pieces together and begin contending again. GS will not hold that core of players together forever. SA just re-established themselves and should be the favorite in the west next year. All teams go through cycles. I see OKC winning 52 games next year. They aren't scrubs. If anything, there wont be as many turnovers and better defense with less scoring. The Thunder don't need lottery picks. That's not our identity. Sam Presti build these teams of trades, player development and the draft. Steven Adams was inherited through trades. OKC is here to stay. They could have contended this year but KD is afraid of working too hard and is a snake.

 

[Darth Madden]

You can't win a title with Westbrook as the main guy.

Obviously you couldn't win a title with KD as the main guy either.

 

[BurningRage]

Obviously you couldn't win a title with KD as the main guy either.

Yeah you can't when Westbrook takes more shots than him.

 

[Sweet Rabbit]

There's a lot of TL;DR in this thread

 

[Shawpaw]

There's a lot of TL;DR in this thread

 

[Grimlock]

GS lives and dies by 3. Fortunately, they have the 2 best 3 shooters in league. and it's funny you make the excuse about curry being injured but then say the Thunder underachieved over past few years. If you paid attention, We lost Westbrook one year against Houston, Serge Ibaka the next, and lost KD. It's hard to achieve when you lose some of your top players. It's not that we underachieved, it's that we had injuries. Gotta give them that same break you give Curry.

They underachieved this year. They had a more talented team!

By LA, NY, CHI, HOU standards, you're small area man. If KD was after large markets, OAK/SF wouldn't fit that bill like other places.

OK, did you even click the link I posted. You are FLAT OUT WRONG again. Don't just say stuff. Houston is 10th, the Bay Area is 6th. 6 is better than 10.

And out of 210+ US Media Markets, you don't consider the number 6 big? Hey, whatever works for you. That means every player wants to only go to NYK, Chicago, or LA.

This is somewhat juvenile in response. of course he left. What answer were you expecting form this? OKC resigned him after his first contract was up. At that point, if he hated it here, he would have bolted then.

That's fine, but it is a factor. It has been reported over and over that it was a factor.

I think this is fair. But I am not so sure LA is where he's going to go to. He had that opportunity now. He has a home there. He is from there. But he came back. It's not about being in LA for him. It's about being in best position to win from his perspective. Kevin bailed on him when they could have knocked off GS this year.

Totally agree they could have won. So why did he leave? You don't like any of the reasons I've listed (or have reported), so why did he leave?

I'm happy you are open enough to share your opinions. But your opinions aren't lining up with the product on the floor (especially playoffs). I never said Kerr was not a good coach. Your comment that he is better than Donovan is yet to be determined.

We both seem to agree that OKC had a more talented team last season. Yet they didn't win as many games. They lost in the playoffs vs a team with their best player hobbled. Donovan showed flashes of great coaching. Kerr was runner up COTY year one. Kerr was COTY year two. I don't think you will find anyone who says Donovan has been a better coach than Kerr. Do you think he is running an efficient offense with all the iso-ball?

Anybody who coaches GS is going to look good. Kerr picked that team up after his predecessor did all the hard work and drafting. Kerr was given the keys to a Ferrari.

Kerr got the keys to a 51 win team. That's a good team, but not great...and certainly no "Ferrari". Kerr changed the offense completely to a Spurs/triangle hybrid. Mark Jackson ran an iso-ball offense like Donovan/Brooks. Kerr got Iggy to go to the bench. Draymond Green went from a guy who only started 13 games in his career, to being a boarder line All-Star under Kerr. I really liked Mark Jackson, I think he's a great guy, and a good defensive coach...but his offense was horrible.

My point was that you can't say Kerr is better than Donovon as BD has great resume in college and now NBA. He was two KD turnovers away from eliminating GS.

Kerr has only two years of coaching in the NBA and he's done pretty well.

Brother I have shared and shared all over this forum. Durant held our team hostage, making us miss out on other free agents and plans. We traded players away because of him (Ibaka, Jackson). Dude is one of the most hated NBA players currently. check out social media and other articles. He is hated. It's not because what he did was noble...

I understand he's the villain. I'm not sure he is hated, other than maybe in your area, but I could be wrong. I understand that he could have been more transparent. I don't think he necessarily knew he was going to leave early in the process (when OKC made trade moves). Other teams also made moves to get KD. The Warriors had their moves ready (Bogut and Barnes), Washington made moves, etc.

Well when the first words of your post are "what the ****" and "piece of ****" that typically puts people on the defensive. Plus I don't know you so I don' know how to approach you. All you do is sell stuff here from what I can tell. That being said, using the tone you used definitely pissed me off. Don't take it personally but don't expect me to just not say anything.

I had that tone in response to you saying KD is a POS. I just don't understand using that strong language towards him. Players leave in free agency to try to improve their opportunity.

But it's not clear. They were 2 turnovers away from beating GS. THEY COULD HAVE WON IT ALL.Why don't GS people get that.

I totally get that! I've said they were the better team in multiple posts! They had the better team and lost. (Which is why I say they underachieved). Especially when you consider that Curry was hobbled. It is also evidence to the coaching differences.

It's not like we were Milwaukee and rebuilding. We had the team to beat you guys. KD choked. Instead of redeeming himself, he took easy road so that Curry, Thompson and Green could do all the work while he coasted. He's just lazy and doesn't "do things the right way." Stephen A said Russ was leaving. Also said KD was headed to Lakers. He's about as full of it as Skip Bayless.

Pretty much agree. Stephen A Smith actually used to be really good when he was back in Philly. Now he is very similar to Skip Bayless.

Kevin doesn't care about style of play.

I don't think this is correct at all. He wanted to join a team that he could fit into perfectly.

He cares about getting a ring. It's funny because he was so close to getting one last year but dribbled into traffic and turned the ball over and over and over. He's a great shooter, poor ball handler, average defender, and poor leader. He can go be with quality people like Draymond Green who takes **** pics and beats up peaceful civilians with his posse.

I can't defend Draymond. He's had an interesting 6 months.

It's that you came at it with WTF and POS as stated. Those aren't cordial things to start a convo with. You basically devalued my response to one of my fellow peers so of course I'm going to defend myself.

I was responding to you calling KD a POS.

Look, I'm not saying OKC is going to be a challenger next year. I'm not saying Blake Griffin will be our savior. my initial response prior to you was that we will get some pieces together and begin contending again. GS will not hold that core of players together forever. SA just re-established themselves and should be the favorite in the west next year. All teams go through cycles. I see OKC winning 52 games next year. They aren't scrubs. If anything, there wont be as many turnovers and better defense with less scoring. The Thunder don't need lottery picks. That's not our identity. Sam Presti build these teams of trades, player development and the draft. Steven Adams was inherited through trades. OKC is here to stay. They could have contended this year but KD is afraid of working too hard and is a snake.

Wow, you think the loss of KD only drops your record by 3 games?

I agree they have a good team. It just puts OKC into a really tough position for rebuilding. If they win 52 games, then they will have something like the 24th pick in the draft. So it will take amazing picks. It will take an amazing move or two do go from where OKC is, to a contender at this point. I also have serious doubts about Russ as the main option on a team. He's got heart, he's got motor, but I don't think he is the guy you want executing the offense at the end of a playoff game and he is very ball dominant.

I'm predicting that OKC will be a 5th seed with maybe 46 wins or so. I don't think they can make it past the 2nd round as currently built.

 

[mutant-man]

There's a lot of TL;DR in this thread

At least every other post isn't about LeBron anymore. Been trying to savor the moment. Can't take anything for granted when it comes to sports!

 

[Grimlock]

I think it's going to be mostly KD & Warriors love/hate until October. That's all I see on ESPN.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[filip629]

Man, the NFL is kicking off in about a month. That's all that I'm thinking about now.

 

[Sweet Rabbit]

Man, the NFL is kicking off in about a month. That's all that I'm thinking about now.

I'm more interested in college football

 

[Shawpaw]

Sure hope Oklahoma knocks you guys off early this season. I'm going to that game!

 

[Hydeous]

I'm more interested in college football

I'm more interested in college chicks

 

[Shawpaw]

I'm more interested in college chicks

too clingy and immature for me