2016-17 NBA Regular Season Thread

[GNG]

Devils advocate....

The thing that bothers me about all the vitriol that is spewed at Durant is that "loyalty" doesn't apply to the owners.

They will trade your ass in a minute if it benefits them. But, you are a traitor if you go to a team that benefits you more.

Where was the loyalty for Green, Harden and Ibaka?

All those guys got traded to save a buck.

#Hypocrisy

Loyalty is measured in wins and losses.

 

[GNG]

Totally disagree.
Green said they were staying, and all going out for dinner.
You act like these guys are going to Waffle House.
They are going to the finest of the finest.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

No they aren't, they got shot down on that.

Right, and no 5 star hotel wanted NBA business either.
They slept in the street.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

Durant was at the restaurant last night....and so was Westbrook

Of course.
The competition in NBA cities is ferocious amongst the top hotels and restaurants for that type of business.
Prob more so in small market towns like OKC who I'm assuming doesn't have that many.
I promise you they were treated like royalty by ownership.

 

[trojanfan12]

Am I the only one that thinks Vucevic kind of sucks? Don't get me wrong, he puts up some great numbers and he's got certain skills that are very valuable. I'm just not sure I ever see him as the starting center on a good team.

What does how good his team is have to do with how good he is?

And yes, it's likely you're the only one who thinks he kind of sucks.

 

[bksballer89]

Of course.
The competition in NBA cities is ferocious amongst the top hotels and restaurants for that type of business.
Prob more so in small market towns like OKC who I'm assuming doesn't have that many.
I promise you they were treated like royalty by ownership.

Yep not sure if you read the story on espn but all the owner said is that he wouldn't allow KD to rent out the entire restaurant for the Warriors organization. Said he had no issue with KD eating there but just couldn't let him rent out the entire restaurant as a lot of OKC players usually go there after the game as well.

 

[thunderc]

Right, and no 5 star hotel wanted NBA business either.
They slept in the street.

No I'm sure they did well, but Durants shitty attempt to further rub it in his ex teammates faces was rebuffed.

 

[bksballer89]

No I'm sure they did well, but Durants shitty attempt to further rub it in his ex teammates faces was rebuffed.

How was he trying to rub anything in their face? He even told the restaurant owner it would be fine if Thunder players were there. Quit making shit up

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

No I'm sure they did well, but Durants shitty attempt to further rub it in his ex teammates faces was rebuffed.

Not really.
Durant said all Thunder players were welcome.

 

[trojanfan12]

Haha. I mean, he turned 26 in October. Too late to get him untapped potential though.

Not necessarily. At 26, he's basically just entering his prime years, so there is still room for improvement in a guy who's already pretty darn good.

 

[trojanfan12]

Come on.
Restaurant owner wants NBA players coming to his place on a nightly basis.

Except for "No tippin' Pippen."

 

[trojanfan12]

I disagree. They were fine together. OKC was just never able to surround them with really good players who could take them over the top late in the playoffs.

They were fine in the regular season and against most teams in the playoffs, but they never figured out how to work together when the game was on the line.

When the game was on the line, it became pretty much "all Westbrook, all the time" whether he was hitting his shots or not. It's a big reason why they coughed up that 3-1 lead vs. the Warriors last year.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

Except for "No tippin' Pippen."

No idea if true or not, but I've heard/read that LeBron often left small tips.

 

[trojanfan12]

No idea if true or not, but I've heard/read that LeBron often left small tips.

This is the first time I've heard that about Lebron. Here I was thinking I'd heard all of the bad things about him. lol

 

[thunderc]

How was he trying to rub anything in their face? He even told the restaurant owner it would be fine if Thunder players were there. Quit making shit up

That was the 2nd phone call, the first was a request to rent the whole restaurant. Not making anything up.

 

[bksballer89]

They were fine in the regular season and against most teams in the playoffs, but they never figured out how to work together when the game was on the line.

When the game was on the line, it became pretty much "all Westbrook, all the time" whether he was hitting his shots or not. It's a big reason why they coughed up that 3-1 lead vs. the Warriors last year.

I disagree about that being a big reason they coughed up the lead against the Warriors. After going up 3-1, game 6 was likely going to be the game to win the series because they were not going to win a 2nd game in Golden State. Both guys deserve blame. Putting it all on Westbrook is just not fair. Durant attempted 31 shots in that game. He made 10 of them. The 2 of them went 3-14 in the 4th quarter of game 6. This was just not a westbrook issue. Durant disappeared and played just as bad in the 4th quarter of that game.

And with all due respect for Kevin Durant, and the weight he has to carry, and the greatness that embodies his career ... Durant failed. Again.

Durant shot 10-of-31 from the field in Game 6, including 1-of-7 in the fourth quarter and 1-of-3 in the final five minutes. You can point to his partner, Russell Westbrook, and to be sure, Westbrook's four turnovers in the final five minutes doomed OKC as much as Durant's struggles, the Thunder's "stagnant" offense and above all else, the Warriors.

However, this game doesn't go down like this if Durant doesn't shoot so poorly.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

That was the 2nd phone call, the first was a request to rent the whole restaurant. Not making anything up.

You've never heard of a private party renting out a restaurant before?
It's not rubbing anything in anyone's face.
Its about wanting a nice meal and privacy and being able to afford it.

 

[thunderc]

It's over, he made his move. I'll repeat what I have said though. Knowing he wanted out, and you can't tell me he didn't know, how conflicted was he in those playoff games?

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

This is the first time I've heard that about Lebron. Here I was thinking I'd heard all of the bad things about him. lol

Best and worst of athlete tipping habits.

 

[thunderc]

You've never heard of a private party renting out a restaurant before?
It's not rubbing anything in anyone's face.
Its about wanting a nice meal and privacy and being able to afford it.

Of course I've heard of it, he knew it was a Westbrook and others hang out. It's all good, it was handled properly.