Kevin Martin to sign with the Timberwolves

[Kold]

The real discussion should be about.........SERGE IBAKA. I said at the time they did it. They gave him that HUGE contract which meant Harden was out and I said that was a STUPID move. Ibaka is way more replaceable than James Harden. Harden was the best playmaker on that team. When he was at PG with Westbrook running SG, that lineup was almost unstoppable. Sam Presti will rue the day that he chose Ibaka over Harden.

 

[Clayton]

The real discussion should be about.........SERGE IBAKA. I said at the time they did it. They gave him that HUGE contract which meant Harden was out and I said that was a STUPID move. Ibaka is way more replaceable than James Harden. Harden was the best playmaker on that team. When he was at PG with Westbrook running SG, that lineup was almost unstoppable. Sam Presti will rue the day that he chose Ibaka over Harden.

Sam Presti might become an honorary Houston Rocket if he get a big 3 going based around Harden, Howard and someone else.

 

[Heatles84]

The real discussion should be about.........SERGE IBAKA. I said at the time they did it. They gave him that HUGE contract which meant Harden was out and I said that was a STUPID move. Ibaka is way more replaceable than James Harden. Harden was the best playmaker on that team. When he was at PG with Westbrook running SG, that lineup was almost unstoppable. Sam Presti will rue the day that he chose Ibaka over Harden.

Agreed. Harden has star power. Ibaka makes for a decent stretch 4 that can defend.

 

[shitsho]

Let's not rule OKC out just yet. They still may come out of the West, despite their issues.

The Spurs will be a year older. The Grizzlies let their coach go. The Clippers could be the team to beat, but I need to see it first. Houston and GS could end up being near the top depending on how their off season's go. There is no clear cut choice at the moment, IMO.

When OKC traded Harden for K-Mart I said it was a step back for them. They lost not only Hardens scoring and spacing, they also lost his playmaking ability. Now with K-Mart gone who do they turn to in order to get those 10-15 pts they are going to need off the bench and space the floor? Its almost like they let Harden walk with no compensation.

 

[tlance]

When OKC traded Harden for K-Mart I said it was a step back for them. They lost not only Hardens scoring and spacing, they also lost his playmaking ability. Now with K-Mart gone who do they turn to in order to get those 10-15 pts they are going to need off the bench and space the floor? Its almost like they let Harden walk with no compensation.

My only point was that the West looks pretty wide open right now. It could be all about the Rockets and Clippers once things settle down, but right now I don't see a clear cut favorite.

Houston could be tough if they get Howard and Smith, but that is no guarantee as both players have a reputation for being selfish and lazy. Chemistry could go either way with that group, but talent alone would take them to the top 2 or 3 in the West.

 

[letshavesomedinner]

I guess Kevin Martin would rather play on a losing team and score 20 ppg then sacrifice a little of his own individual stats and play for a contender

He wanted to stay with OKC, he just would of had to taken a huge a pay cut to stay their. The option of getting paid, reunited with a former coach (who got the best out of him) and playing on a team with point guard (if healthy) who will get everyone involved might of been the selling point. For a team that has had shooting issues especially from their guards, he could be the that piece to make them a winner.

 

[shitsho]

My only point was that the West looks pretty wide open right now. It could be all about the Rockets and Clippers once things settle down, but right now I don't see a clear cut favorite.

Houston could be tough if they get Howard and Smith, but that is no guarantee as both players have a reputation for being selfish and lazy. Chemistry could go either way with that group, but talent alone would take them to the top 2 or 3 in the West.

I think you left some other teams out of the mix. Memphis appears to be standing pat. SA is not over by a long shot. GSW looks serious about improving and now have both the coach and the players 1 playoff season wiser. OKC is going to have to rely on Durant to basically be Lebron just to get to the 2nd round next season unless they sign someone that fulfills a lot of their needs. Minny is going to be a surprise to a lot of people because K-Mart fits perfectly with them.

 

[tlance]

Let's not rule OKC out just yet. They still may come out of the West, despite their issues.

The Spurs will be a year older. The Grizzlies let their coach go. The Clippers could be the team to beat, but I need to see it first. Houston and GS could end up being near the top depending on how their off season's go. There is no clear cut choice at the moment, IMO.

I agree with you. I mentioned most of those teams in this post.

Minnesota is probably going to have to trade Love, so they may make the playoffs, but are irrelevant in a Denver Nuggets sort of way.

GS is a piece or two away from contending for real. I like what they are doing though. A healthy Bogut means everything to them. Maybe they try to deal for Asik? He can do a lot of what Bogut can do minus the passing.

All I am saying is that I don't think any of those teams is clearly better than OKC today. If the Spurs are healthy during playoff time, nobody will want to see them no matter how old they are. OKC could be anywhere from 1-6 IMO, although I would guess 3 or 4.

 

[shitsho]

I agree with you. I mentioned most of those teams in this post.

Minnesota is probably going to have to trade Love, so they may make the playoffs, but are irrelevant in a Denver Nuggets sort of way.

GS is a piece or two away from contending for real. I like what they are doing though. A healthy Bogut means everything to them. Maybe they try to deal for Asik? He can do a lot of what Bogut can do minus the passing.

All I am saying is that I don't think any of those teams is clearly better than OKC today. If the Spurs are healthy during playoff time, nobody will want to see them no matter how old they are. OKC could be anywhere from 1-6 IMO, although I would guess 3 or 4.

Dang! How did I miss that? All I saw was Clippers and Houston! I see OKC as now taking 2 steps back since going to the Finals. I had them as the clear favorite to come out of the West until they traded Harden. Now I agree with what you said 3-4 tops.