2016-17 NBA Thread

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friendfromlowry
Posts: 6,239
May 10, 2017 12:33am
SportsAndLady;1852154 wrote:Good jinx. This Houston/SA game has been awesome.
I was just coming to post that I bitch about it, then I miss one of the better games.

Also, further lol at Draymond complaining about Cleveland's lack of competition when they'll either face the Spurs without Parker or the Rockets without Nene.
Commander of Awesome's avatar
Commander of Awesome
Posts: 23,151
May 10, 2017 12:39am
SportsAndLady;1852154 wrote:Good jinx. This Houston/SA game has been awesome.
Yep, was at a bar with some buddies. Great watch, bar went nuts with Manu's block.
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BR1986FB
Posts: 24,104
May 10, 2017 7:47am
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/kendrick-perkins-says-russell-westbrook-and-kevin-durant-back-on-talking-terms/

Heard another soundbite where Perkins said he "wouldn't be surprised if Durant rejoins Westbrook in OKC."
sleeper's avatar
sleeper
Posts: 27,879
May 10, 2017 9:21am
BR1986FB;1852172 wrote:http://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/kendrick-perkins-says-russell-westbrook-and-kevin-durant-back-on-talking-terms/

Heard another soundbite where Perkins said he "wouldn't be surprised if Durant rejoins Westbrook in OKC."
Durant went to the Warriors to get the ring monkey off his back. If he wins this year(or next), I could see him playing out his 2-year deal and returning back to OKC.
like_that's avatar
like_that
Posts: 26,625
May 10, 2017 9:27am
If Durant does that, then it will make him a bigger beta bitch than he already is. I didn't think that was possible.
sleeper's avatar
sleeper
Posts: 27,879
May 10, 2017 9:28am
like_that;1852192 wrote:If Durant does that, then it will make him a bigger beta bitch than he already is. I didn't think that was possible.
He already is the top beta bitch. He went there to win a ring and once he does that I don't see him staying with the Warriors.
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BR1986FB
Posts: 24,104
May 10, 2017 9:29am
I re-watched that interview with Draymond where he basically said the Cavs have had it easy, so far, and it looks like Durant wants to punch him or at least say "STFU."

May or may not matter but you'd think that Green & the Warriors would know better and keep their mouths shut, versus giving other teams motivational material.
SportsAndLady's avatar
SportsAndLady
Posts: 35,632
May 10, 2017 9:40am
I really don't think Durant enjoys playing on the warriors. On the court, I'm sure it's fine. But Durant is a pretty down to earth, good guy. I highly doubt he enjoys all the shit talking his team mates do that paints him in a bad light.

Could definitely see him leaving.
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BR1986FB
Posts: 24,104
May 10, 2017 9:55am
SportsAndLady;1852196 wrote:I highly doubt he enjoys all the shit talking his team mates do that paints him in a bad light.
I get what you're saying but Durant kind of handled the "paints him in a bad light" stuff himself when he bolted for Golden State.
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Ironman92
Posts: 49,363
May 10, 2017 9:57am
SportsAndLady;1852196 wrote:I really don't think Durant enjoys playing on the warriors. On the court, I'm sure it's fine. But Durant is a pretty down to earth, good guy. I highly doubt he enjoys all the shit talking his team mates do that paints him in a bad light.

Could definitely see him leaving.
This
SportsAndLady's avatar
SportsAndLady
Posts: 35,632
May 10, 2017 10:03am
BR1986FB;1852199 wrote:I get what you're saying but Durant kind of handled the "paints him in a bad light" stuff himself when he bolted for Golden State.
True, but I am in the category of not bashing someone for wanting to win a championship. I don't think he truly knew how hated the warriors were until he already signed there.
sleeper's avatar
sleeper
Posts: 27,879
May 10, 2017 10:10am
BR1986FB;1852195 wrote:I re-watched that interview with Draymond where he basically said the Cavs have had it easy, so far, and it looks like Durant wants to punch him or at least say "STFU."

May or may not matter but you'd think that Green & the Warriors would know better and keep their mouths shut, versus giving other teams motivational material.
Seriously, especially what happened last year with the "This is a man's game" and Draymond calling Lebron a bitch. This poked the bear and the Warriors blew a 3-1 lead.
sleeper's avatar
sleeper
Posts: 27,879
May 10, 2017 10:10am
SportsAndLady;1852196 wrote:I really don't think Durant enjoys playing on the warriors. On the court, I'm sure it's fine. But Durant is a pretty down to earth, good guy. I highly doubt he enjoys all the shit talking his team mates do that paints him in a bad light.

Could definitely see him leaving.
Probable theory.
ernest_t_bass's avatar
ernest_t_bass
Posts: 24,984
May 10, 2017 11:36am
like_that;1852192 wrote:If Durant does that, then it will make him a bigger beta bitch than he already is. I didn't think that was possible.
sleeper;1852193 wrote:He already is the top beta bitch. He went there to win a ring and once he does that I don't see him staying with the Warriors.
100% honest question, and I'm not being a dick. How is it different than what LBJ did?
Heretic's avatar
Heretic
Posts: 18,820
May 10, 2017 11:41am
ernest_t_bass;1852213 wrote:100% honest question, and I'm not being a dick. How is it different than what LBJ did?
Since LBJ did the "leave to get rings and then come back" thing first, he's the alpha bitch?
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BR1986FB
Posts: 24,104
May 10, 2017 11:54am
ernest_t_bass;1852213 wrote:100% honest question, and I'm not being a dick. How is it different than what LBJ did?
Agree 100%. LBJ didn't get a pass from me, nor would Durant. LBJ's only saving grace is that a) he apologized and b) he delivered a ring.
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Laley23
Posts: 29,506
May 10, 2017 11:58am
ernest_t_bass;1852213 wrote:100% honest question, and I'm not being a dick. How is it different than what LBJ did?
LeBron went to a team that wasn't the best ever (regular season). Nor had the Heat just beat his team. Wade wasn't the defending MVP. Cavs didn't have a legit team/running mate like Westbrook. Etc, etc.

LeBron doesn't get a pass per se, but what Durant did is infinitely worse imo. Had he gone to a team like Indiana, with George it would've been comparable. Still worse since OKC was close to championship level and had Oladipo on roster at that time as well. But definitely closer to what LeBron did.
sleeper's avatar
sleeper
Posts: 27,879
May 10, 2017 12:17pm
ernest_t_bass;1852213 wrote:100% honest question, and I'm not being a dick. How is it different than what LBJ did?
The Warriors were a team that just beat him in the WCF, had the best regular season of all time, the back to back MVP, and just lost the NBA Finals in which they were up 3-1. They were already a championship contending team without him.

Lebron left a Cavs team that was low on talent, could barely make the ECF from Boston to join his friends Wade/Bosh in Miami; a team that was pretty dog shit before he joined.
like_that's avatar
like_that
Posts: 26,625
May 10, 2017 1:37pm
I also don't give Lebron a pass for leaving Miami and how he did it. I still think he could have won a title in Cleveland, especially if he committed to the FO earlier and recruited as much as he does now. That's a separate debate though.

I think everyone above mostly have covered it all, but I would also like to add that you should consider the conditions of the Cavs and NBA at the time Lebron made that decision:

-The Heat were still good enough to guarantee Lebron an easy road to the NBA finals, and he had a scumbag GM who would do anything to put the Heat in position to win a title. (not to mention in hindsight he had Whiteside arriving)
-The Cavs were coming off a 33 win season, which was their 4th straight losing season.
-They traded for Luol Deng that season and within a month he told the media how dysfunctional the Cavs were. Luol came from Chicago, which isn't the poster team for having their shit together. Luol didn't re-sign obviously.
-The drafted Bennet #1 overall.
-The Cavs fired their GM and had a new GM.
-They fired Mike Brown after only coaching one season.
-They hired a rookie head coach who had never even been an assistant in the NBA.
-The roster's most promising players were an unproven all star PG and a rookie (Wiggins).
-The roster had Dion Waiters... enough said.

I am sure I am missing other details, but with all of this in mind Lebron still had the confidence in himself to take the leap of faith, because he believed he could win a title in Cleveland. The Eastern Conference and the rest of the NBA to a degree were ecstatic when Lebron left for Cleveland. They viewed the move as an opportunity for other teams to have a chance to win it all. I think that is the exact opposite of a beta bitch move.

KD could have joined the Spurs for fucks sake, and nobody would have thought it was a beta bitch move. Hell, the Celtics were in position to bring in ANOTHER super star for KD, and nobody would have thought it was a beta bitch move. Boston could have had KD, IT, PG/Butler AND kept most of their core role players. Instead, KD had 0 confidence in himself and joined a 73 win that he should have beaten himself. It doesn't get any more beta bitch than that.
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Automatik
Posts: 14,632
May 10, 2017 1:49pm
like_that;1852274 wrote:
KD could have joined the Spurs for fucks sake, and nobody would have thought it was a beta bitch move. Hell, the Celtics were in position to bring in ANOTHER super star for KD, and nobody would have thought it was a beta bitch move. Boston could have had KD, IT, PG/Butler AND kept most of their core role players. Instead, KD had 0 confidence in himself and joined a 73 win that he should have beaten himself. It doesn't get any more beta bitch than that.
ALL OF THIS.

KD/OKC just fell short and they had them, then he joins. Fuck that. One of the weakest moves I've seen in my sports following/watching career. LeBron was a bitch because of the "look at me" Decision special. Durant's move surpasses that and it's not even close.

I was hoping he went to Washington to bring a bit more excitement to the east, but after the GS move...fuck him.
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friendfromlowry
Posts: 6,239
May 10, 2017 9:57pm
This Boston-Washington series has been dogshit.
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Heretic
Posts: 18,820
May 11, 2017 11:19am
friendfromlowry;1852406 wrote:This Boston-Washington series has been dogshit.
A 3-2 series? GREAT! Every single game has been a blowout? WHAT THE FUCK!?!?
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wildcats20
Posts: 27,794
May 11, 2017 9:39pm
Spurs beating the brakes off Houston, without Kawhi.
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friendfromlowry
Posts: 6,239
May 11, 2017 10:09pm
Really thought the Rockets had turned the corner and would get to the WCF. Damn.
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Ironman92
Posts: 49,363
May 11, 2017 10:14pm
No Kawhi and playing at home in a win or go home atmosphere....and lose by 30

Solid.