NBA News: Offseason

[INFORMER]

Golden State really has turned me into a Lebron fan. I hope he wins the next few championships.

Why?!

[Hermen]

Golden State is certainly the prohibitive favorite, but let's not hand them the trophy yet.

Vegas o/u is 68.5. So even money is they get the 3rd most wins in NBA history. That's crazy.

Well yeah they just added a franchise player to a team that won the most. But I'd take the under.

[In2ition]

Sell-out. Just confirms he's the loser I always thought he was. Way to join the team that's made you their bitch consistently instead of building a team to beat them.

Unfortunately, it takes more than him to build it. I wouldn't have a lot of faith in the ownership in OKC. They have the problem of signimg and keeping big dollar free agents, just like the early Sarver Suns, they make decisions based on money. Shame in GS for wanting and being able to horde the best players. If it was the Suns doing it, we'd be all over this. I know at least I would.

You are talking about a team that was up 3-1 over the Warriors before choking and losing 3 straight. I think the front office did their job and the players failed to come through.

Durant may have never left if they didn't trade away Harden. They may have already gotten multiple championships. Even them trading away Ibaka, was in a way a money move, even though they could conceivably be better for it. Yes, they should have won the series against GS, but now he can share the load a little more with his surrounding cast that shares the ball. Westbrook is an awesome athlete and basketball player, but he's not exactly known for his passing nor is the OKC offense predicated on ball movement.

[INFORMER]

They did just put a ton of pressure on themselves though.

No they didn't. They're a 73-win team who just lost the NBA championship and then added the second best player in the league. They just have to go out there and play.

[O_Gardino]

But if you're Brooklyn or Philadelphia and Golden State says "take him, we'll give you a couple of #1 draft choices" you're going to take him for a year. It's in the best interest of your franchise.

I'LL TAKE IT!

[Cap]

They did just put a ton of pressure on themselves though.

No they didn't. They're a 73-win team who just lost the NBA championship and then added the second best player in the league. They just have to go out there and play.

There is a lot of pressure on KD to win a title, though. A lot of people, myself included, had a good laugh when Malone failed to win after hooking up with an already-championship-caliber team. And people will be laughing at KD's expense if he fails to win a title after trying to take the easy route to it by signing with the Warriors.

[INFORMER]

Reminds me of Malone and Payton to the Lakers.

Why? Malone and Payton were at the end of their careers. Durant is in his prime.

[Hermen]

They did just put a ton of pressure on themselves though.

No they didn't. They're a 73-win team who just lost the NBA championship and then added the second best player in the league. They just have to go out there and play.

Obviously. What happens if they don't win the title?

[EDC]

Golden State really has turned me into a Lebron fan. I hope he wins the next few championships.

Why?!

Mostly because I think he is the only one that can stop the Warriors. OKC was the only other team that I think had a chance but that is over with now.

I really don't want KD to be rewarded for this crap.

[INFORMER]

Durant may have never left if they didn't trade away Harden. They may have already gotten multiple championships. Even them trading away Ibaka, was in a way a money move, even though they could conceivably be better for it. Yes, they should have won the series against GS, but now he can share the load a little more with his surrounding cast that shares the ball. Westbrook is an awesome athlete and basketball player, but he's not exactly known for his passing nor is the OKC offense predicated on ball movement.

Trading away Ibaka was not a money move; it was a "Ibaka is giving us less and less, let's deal him while his value is high" move. Money hasn't been an issue for OKC the last season or two. If it was, they wouldn't have maxed Kanter.

And people bringing up the Harden trade are reaching. That's a lazy narrative. OKC didn't believe in carrying a no-defense, max-salary 6th man who had just disappeared in the Finals. Carrying three max perimeter players would have hardly been a prudent way to build their team at the time. Plus, they wouldn't have Steven Adams now.

This is really simple: the Thunder didn't win a championship. Period.

[INFORMER]

They did just put a ton of pressure on themselves though.

No they didn't. They're a 73-win team who just lost the NBA championship and then added the second best player in the league. They just have to go out there and play.

Obviously. What happens if they don't win the title?

Then they'll try again the next year. And the year after that. And let's not forget: Golden State already has a championship.

[INFORMER]

I really don't want KD to be rewarded for this crap.

Well first, LeBron has done the same thing, TWICE. So I don't see why LeBron all of a sudden becomes the beacon of doing things the right way.

Secondly, I'm not bothered by this as much as you are. Was this my preference? No. But KD put in his time at OKC and gave it his all. I think this taints his legacy a bit, but it doesn't compel me to root against him. Honestly, I would have loved for him to go to the Celtics.

I think what makes this slightly more palatable is that the Warriors didn't win it all last season. They played historic basketball and still lost. So they at least have need for improvement. Kevin Durant sized improvement? No. But they do have a need.

[INFORMER]

https://twitter.com/paulpierce34/status/750021937573748736

[Hermen]

They did just put a ton of pressure on themselves though.

No they didn't. They're a 73-win team who just lost the NBA championship and then added the second best player in the league. They just have to go out there and play.

Obviously. What happens if they don't win the title?

Then they'll try again the next year. And the year after that. And let's not forget: Golden State already has a championship.

Maybe. Or maybe they have to shed some more sallary with Curry and Durant getting 350 mil contracts next year. Or maybe their chemistry suffers. Or maybe Durant just leaves, you dont have Bogut and Barnes anymore and Curry is no longer on the best contract ever so you can't sign anyone.
Obviously a guessing game, but I'm pretty sure there's pressure.

[INFORMER]

https://twitter.com/royceyoung/status/749996954390630400 https://twitter.com/royceyoung/status/749997280720064512 This is such a lazy and bad take.

[Cap]

https://twitter.com/paulpierce34/status/750021937573748736

That's the Truth.

[The Bobster]

OKC made the mistake of choosing Ibaka over Harden, and then compounded it by not getting equal value when they traded him.

[INFORMER]

Maybe. Or maybe they have to shed some more sallary with Curry and Durant getting 350 mil contracts next year. Or maybe their chemistry suffers. Or maybe Durant just leaves, you dont have Bogut and Barnes anymore and Curry is no longer on the best contract ever so you can't sign anyone.
Obviously a guessing game, but I'm pretty sure there's pressure.

I don't understand your point with all the "maybes." I'm not saying they're guaranteed to win anything. I just don't think the pressure is an issue. They've won a championship before. They want to win more. They didn't win it last year, so they're trying to get better. There's always pressure when you're trying to be great, so whether they added Durant or not, pressure was going to be there. This is still a young group that has all competed for a championship and most of them have actually won one. So don't see "pressure" as a significant narrative or factor for this team.

[INFORMER]

OKC made the mistake of choosing Ibaka over Harden, and then compounded it by not getting equal value when they traded him.

I will always disagree with this. OKC wanted a balanced roster, so they went with Ibaka's rim protection and frontcourt presence whether add to the riches they had on the perimeter. And you rarely get equal value when you trade a big time talent; they got a very nice package for Harden: a vet that could play a 6th man role, a lotto pick, and a young prospect in Jeremy Lamb.

Keeping Harden or getting a better package for him doesn't change losing Westbrook to injury for one playoff run and then losing Durant for another playoff run.

Again, I think people are running to these convenient (inaccurate) narratives rather than just looking at the facts.

[The Bobster]

Signing Durrant will likely cost the Warriors Ezeli (who will be renounced), Barnes and Bogut, along with whatever it might cost them to get someone to take on Bogut's contract.