2016 NBA Off-Season Thread

[Demonjoe93]

To my opinion?

Here.

 

[tlance]

The promise to the city was winning a championship. Without the ability to put together a title contending team, he's not in Cleveland.

The only real differences between him going to Miami and Cleveland is that instead of the 3rd star player coming via FA, he came as part of a trade and it's a better story.

In both cases, he moved to a situation where he increased his chances of winning a championship. Aka, ring chasing.

I don't see how you can even argue that Cleveland's roster was more prepared to win than Miami's was in 2014. That just isn't even close to being true. Cleveland's roster was good enough to get LeBron interested in a return, not good enough to be an attractive FA destination for any other star player.

 

[ChrisGar15]

Other than the fact that he is going to the team that just knocked him out of the playoffs, ...
...

I think that is what bugs me also. We love rivalries. Bird vs. Magic was great in the '80s. Celtics/Pistons, Pistons/Bulls, Celtics/Lakers, Lakers/Rockets, Lakers/Kings -- some great series. We felt like those guys really hated each other. (because a lot of them hated and were hated ... Lambeer, Bird, Isiah, MJ, Mahorn, Rodman, Mitch Kupchak/Hakeem, Chief, Ainge, Kareem -- all had enemies on other teams) I'd rather see rivalries built over time with some dislike for each other ... rather than players thinking about jumping to their rival. (even when Rodman changed ... there were issues with Pistons ... they were OK with him leaving ... didn't go directly to the Bulls)

Next year's NBA was looking really interesting ... four teams with an "almost equal" chance to win it ... Ws/Cavs/Spurs/OKC. OKC made the nice improvement this year -- a number of people liked the Ibaka trade and thought if KD went back -- they might actually be favored next year. (at least 2 commentators)

If Durant went to the Spurs -- it would have still left 3 teams with reasonable shot at winning it. That wouldn't have bugged me as much. I think we'd like our athletes to be really mad at the team that just beat them. (But I have no problem with KD's right to change teams ... even to go to the Ws.)

It isn't over .. history has taught us that there are guarantees. (injuries, chemistry, etc) But if the playoffs are boring next year and Ws win easily -- many, many people will be disappointed. (but I'm not a fan of creating a new, stupid rule trying to limit this ... just my preference as an NBA fan would have been an exciting, close playoffs next year with 3-4 teams having a chance to win it)

 

[trojanfight]

The promise to the city was winning a championship. Without the ability to put together a title contending team, he's not in Cleveland.

The only real differences between him going to Miami and Cleveland is that instead of the 3rd star player coming via FA, he came as part of a trade and it's a better story.

In both cases, he moved to a situation where he increased his chances of winning a championship. Aka, ring chasing.

cleveland is still one of those markets players don't want to go to. I'm not so sure kevin love shows up without the trade. I'm sure behind the scenes lebron's friends told him yeah man I'm not going to cleveland. that probably had a impact on his choice to leave. he probably knew he couldn't get anybody to join him there.ray allen retired instead of cleveland. you just have these middle of nowhere destinations that players won't go play for. its one thing if they are drafted there and spend several years maybe the place grows on you.

 

[lakersrule]

Here.

I'm afraid to look

 

[Demonjoe93]

I'm afraid to look

Come on, where's your sense of adventure?

 

[Hambombs]

To my opinion?

Harrison barnes negative -1.5 RPM, durant +1.0 RPM.

 

[DJ Fieri]

You fuckers have been busy....

 

[WiggyRuss]

The Winners and Losers of Kevin Durant–to–Golden State — The Ringer

Winner: LeBron James
Has the NBA ever seen a greater stack of house money than the one James will enter the 2016–17 season with? Of course, that stack was already pretty high before Durant began taking Hamptons house calls: LeBron fulfilled his hoops manifest destiny by bringing a championship to Cleveland. He clicked “MOVE TO TRASH -> EMPTY TRASH” on your Steph-as-league-alpha narrative. He reserved a permanent suite at the NBA pantheon’s Top-Three Hotel. But today? He just one-upped all of that. July 4, 2016, marks the most impressive feat of LeBron James’s career: Dude conquered the world and became an underdog — at the same damn time.— Sam Donsky

Loser: Steph Curry
Remember April? The basketball world was simple: The Warriors were the best team, and we were in the second year of the Stephen Curry Epoch. All of Curry’s successes from the past two seasons — his two MVP awards, his family’s ascending fame, his pregame shots from the tunnel — felt inevitable. There was no way to stop the Curry train — climb aboard or get out of the way. Or create a wet spot, force Curry to slip, and tilt the NBA axis.

Donatas Motiejunas’s butt sweat didn’t preordain Kevin Durant’s joining the Warriors, but we can’t rule out its effect on Steph’s timeline. Since then: He missed two weeks of the playoffs; his new shoes were released and quickly surpassed Crying Jordan as the dominant meme; he fouled out for the first time since 2013 and was ejected after a mouthguard-flinging incident; he and the Warriors lost the NBA championship, becoming the only team to squander a 3–1 lead in the Finals. If Golden State had to turn to another superstar to reclaim the NBA throne, Curry’s claim as MVP and face of the league is suddenly in question. April seems so long ago. — Juliet Litman

 

[DJ Fieri]

I don't have the stamina to peruse 14 pages of comments.

 

[WiggyRuss]

in the end...all Durant to the Warriors is going to accomplish is allow LeBron James to challenge for GOAT status.

happy hunting Kevin.

 

[Robotech]

The Winners and Losers of Kevin Durant–to–Golden State — The Ringer

Winner: LeBron James
Has the NBA ever seen a greater stack of house money than the one James will enter the 2016–17 season with? Of course, that stack was already pretty high before Durant began taking Hamptons house calls: LeBron fulfilled his hoops manifest destiny by bringing a championship to Cleveland. He clicked “MOVE TO TRASH -> EMPTY TRASH” on your Steph-as-league-alpha narrative. He reserved a permanent suite at the NBA pantheon’s Top-Three Hotel. But today? He just one-upped all of that. July 4, 2016, marks the most impressive feat of LeBron James’s career: Dude conquered the world and became an underdog — at the same damn time.— Sam Donsky

Loser: Steph Curry
Remember April? The basketball world was simple: The Warriors were the best team, and we were in the second year of the Stephen Curry Epoch. All of Curry’s successes from the past two seasons — his two MVP awards, his family’s ascending fame, his pregame shots from the tunnel — felt inevitable. There was no way to stop the Curry train — climb aboard or get out of the way. Or create a wet spot, force Curry to slip, and tilt the NBA axis.

Donatas Motiejunas’s butt sweat didn’t preordain Kevin Durant’s joining the Warriors, but we can’t rule out its effect on Steph’s timeline. Since then: He missed two weeks of the playoffs; his new shoes were released and quickly surpassed Crying Jordan as the dominant meme; he fouled out for the first time since 2013 and was ejected after a mouthguard-flinging incident; he and the Warriors lost the NBA championship, becoming the only team to squander a 3–1 lead in the Finals. If Golden State had to turn to another superstar to reclaim the NBA throne, Curry’s claim as MVP and face of the league is suddenly in question. April seems so long ago. — Juliet Litman

I know it's a tough concept for hero worshippers to understand, but it's a team game and the winner of the Durant move is the Golden State Warriors.

 

[lebron23james]

in the end...all Durant to the Warriors is going to accomplish is allow LeBron James to challenge for GOAT status.

happy hunting Kevin.

All the shit talkers think they are redeemed from that ass whopping legod put on curry, imo it will be worse next year

And if you watch the highlights lebron was the best player by far out there...And it wasn't even close, i don't see that changing next year, durant or not

 

[Hambombs]

The Winners and Losers of Kevin Durant–to–Golden State — The Ringer

Winner: LeBron James
Has the NBA ever seen a greater stack of house money than the one James will enter the 2016–17 season with? Of course, that stack was already pretty high before Durant began taking Hamptons house calls: LeBron fulfilled his hoops manifest destiny by bringing a championship to Cleveland. He clicked “MOVE TO TRASH -> EMPTY TRASH” on your Steph-as-league-alpha narrative. He reserved a permanent suite at the NBA pantheon’s Top-Three Hotel. But today? He just one-upped all of that. July 4, 2016, marks the most impressive feat of LeBron James’s career: Dude conquered the world and became an underdog — at the same damn time.— Sam Donsky

Loser: Steph Curry
Remember April? The basketball world was simple: The Warriors were the best team, and we were in the second year of the Stephen Curry Epoch. All of Curry’s successes from the past two seasons — his two MVP awards, his family’s ascending fame, his pregame shots from the tunnel — felt inevitable. There was no way to stop the Curry train — climb aboard or get out of the way. Or create a wet spot, force Curry to slip, and tilt the NBA axis.

Donatas Motiejunas’s butt sweat didn’t preordain Kevin Durant’s joining the Warriors, but we can’t rule out its effect on Steph’s timeline. Since then: He missed two weeks of the playoffs; his new shoes were released and quickly surpassed Crying Jordan as the dominant meme; he fouled out for the first time since 2013 and was ejected after a mouthguard-flinging incident; he and the Warriors lost the NBA championship, becoming the only team to squander a 3–1 lead in the Finals. If Golden State had to turn to another superstar to reclaim the NBA throne, Curry’s claim as MVP and face of the league is suddenly in question. April seems so long ago. — Juliet Litman

Juliet litman? Who in the tarnation is that?

 

[lebron23james]

I know it's a tough concept for hero worshippers to understand, but it's a team game and the winner of the Durant move is the Golden State Warriors.

Basketball comes down to the top 2 players and role players...Lebron is still better than anyone on gs and i mean by far, and Irving is better than curry and has yet to enter his prime

 

[Hambombs]

All the shit talkers think they are redeemed from that ass whopping legod put on curry, imo it will be worse next year

And if you watch the highlights lebron was the best player by far out there...And it wasn't even close, i don't see that changing next year, durant or not

Ass whopping? It came down to the last shot

 

[Hambombs]

Basketball comes down to the top 2 players and role players...Lebron is still better than anyone on gs and i mean by far, and Irving is better than curry and has yet to enter his prime

LOL kyrie is not better than steph.

 

[lebron23james]

Ass whopping? It came down to the last shot

The last shot ended it, but i like to consider the entire series....that would include game 5 6 and 7

 

[lebron23james]

LOL kyrie is not better than steph.

Kyrie is 24 and had better stats in the finals

Curry is 29 and had worse stats in the finals

 

[Hambombs]

Basketball comes down to the top 2 players and role players...Lebron is still better than anyone on gs and i mean by far, and Irving is better than curry and has yet to enter his prime

The top 2 players are lebron steph. Warriors have the better supporting cast easy