Vmart wrote:One of the main reason Durant joined GSW was more because the NBA has a way of screwing players and teams over. He wasn’t going to have any of it. Bushwhacked is the Knicks vs Heat back in the day. Some ill advised suspension that costs a team an opportunity. In Draymond’s case that phantom punch throw at LBJ absolutely a joke.

True, but I still believe that Durant's main reason to join the Warriors was because he knew they could become almost unstoppable. The Warriors had already broken the best win-loss record of all time with Curry, Thompson and Green leading the way. Add Durant and good luck stopping that young group of players for the foreseeable future. Also, joining a team with three fellow all stars takes so much pressure off him because teams can no longer focus on him because Curry, Thompson and Green can hurt them. Really it was a no brainer for him to join the Warriors because it almost guaranteed him at least one ring if not many as long as they keep that quartet around and they stay healthy. At the time I viewed it as a sellout move for him joining an already elite team and I still feel that way. I guess that's a bit of jealously slipping but I would respect and like Durant more had he joined another team and become the man for them and led them to a title rather than hopped on the Warriors bandwagon to get an easier shot at a ring or rings.

Vmart wrote:

Mike1989 wrote:

Vmart wrote:One of the main reason Durant joined GSW was more because the NBA has a way of screwing players and teams over. He wasn’t going to have any of it. Bushwhacked is the Knicks vs Heat back in the day. Some ill advised suspension that costs a team an opportunity. In Draymond’s case that phantom punch throw at LBJ absolutely a joke.

True, but I still believe that Durant's main reason to join the Warriors was because he knew they could become almost unstoppable. The Warriors had already broken the best win-loss record of all time with Curry, Thompson and Green leading the way. Add Durant and good luck stopping that young group of players for the foreseeable future. Also, joining a team with three fellow all stars takes so much pressure off him because teams can no longer focus on him because Curry, Thompson and Green can hurt them. Really it was a no brainer for him to join the Warriors because it almost guaranteed him at least one ring if not many as long as they keep that quartet around and they stay healthy. At the time I viewed it as a sellout move for him joining an already elite team and I still feel that way. I guess that's a bit of jealously slipping but I would respect and like Durant more had he joined another team and become the man for them and led them to a title rather than hopped on the Warriors bandwagon to get an easier shot at a ring or rings.

Sell out. You guys need to stop using such language. This has happened because of LeBron and only because of LeBron. First Miami and again back to Cleveland. LeBron is the first and only sellout. If Knicks draw an FA in the future because they become good does that mean anyone who comes over is a sellout. Was Allan Houston a sellout for joining a good team. Was Grant Hill a sellout for joining g the Magic back in the day.

There is a learning lesson in this regardless if Durant went to GSW it the brand of Basketball that should be enjoyed.

Correct me if I'm wrong but Houston and Hill didn't join a team coming off the best win-loss regular season victory of all time, a team that had played two consecutive NBA finals winning one and losing one, and joining an already established trio of all stars.

They did join good teams but not established title teams like Durant did with the Warriors. That's why some view Durant negatively after his move because rather than stick with OKC and try to win (They bottled it in the play offs against the Warriors) or go to a team and be the main guy, he joined the best team in the league to be a piece of the puzzle.

I don't blame him for it, but LeBron had no ring when he joined Miami, nor did Bosh. Wade had a ring. So sure LeBron did leave Cleveland for Miami which some see as a sell out, but he learned to win in Miami going 2-2 in the NBA finals. Then returned to Cleveland a champion and has delivered on title and other finals appearances to them. He never joined a team to be a piece, he joined Miami and became the piece. Durant didn't.

TripleThreat wrote:

Marv wrote:what do you see as the league's bushwhack?

In a series that's cleanly called by the refs, no one can beat the Warriors but the Warriors.

They can play any style of ball. Up temp, SSOL, Princeton, Triangle, Four Out, half court, Showtime, Nellieball, they are just extremely versatile all over the court. They have two players in Durant and Green who can space the floor and defend the rim while patrolling the perimeter. Having just one guy on your team who can do that is rare, but two is simply insane. Klay Thompson is a lock down defender who is underrated in terms of just being a pure stopper. A lot of their bench guys just play some seriously nasty high IQ type ball. Livingston is actually one of the highest BBIQ guys in the league. Looney and Bell have emerged for them in strong roles.

In a series where the refs are jobbing them, as long as the Warriors

A) Hit the three ball at their normal rate ( which is an elite rate), no one can stop them. You can't phantom call against a three point shot.

B) Draymond Green stays healthy and out of suspension trouble

They are unstoppable.

Green is the only truly indispensable guy because he runs the defense.

You know how you beat the Warriors?

1) You have to shoot against them at an elite rate
2) You need multiple Warriors to have an off game at the same time. 2-3 of them
3) You need the refs to look the other way as you just maul Curry openly. I mean just batter him. He can't nail you from long range, plus range, even while covered, if he's face down on the court.

You literally have to turn it into a boxing match for any other team to have a chance.

Nike has spent close to a billion dollars combined on LBJ and Durant. Think about that. A billion dollars. You think they don't want a return on their investment?

LBJ owes two rings to Spolestra's coaching, Bosh's shift in terms of skill set and Birdman. He owes his third to Nike and the refs.

Watching some of you parrot the Nike narrative is actually sort of sad but predictable.

houston had them down 3-2 and appeared as a very solid candidate to knock them off if chris paul hadn’t gotten hurt. even without him they were beating them until they went insane with 3-point chucking. how do you account for that?

Mike1989 wrote:

Vmart wrote:

Mike1989 wrote:

Vmart wrote:One of the main reason Durant joined GSW was more because the NBA has a way of screwing players and teams over. He wasn’t going to have any of it. Bushwhacked is the Knicks vs Heat back in the day. Some ill advised suspension that costs a team an opportunity. In Draymond’s case that phantom punch throw at LBJ absolutely a joke.

True, but I still believe that Durant's main reason to join the Warriors was because he knew they could become almost unstoppable. The Warriors had already broken the best win-loss record of all time with Curry, Thompson and Green leading the way. Add Durant and good luck stopping that young group of players for the foreseeable future. Also, joining a team with three fellow all stars takes so much pressure off him because teams can no longer focus on him because Curry, Thompson and Green can hurt them. Really it was a no brainer for him to join the Warriors because it almost guaranteed him at least one ring if not many as long as they keep that quartet around and they stay healthy. At the time I viewed it as a sellout move for him joining an already elite team and I still feel that way. I guess that's a bit of jealously slipping but I would respect and like Durant more had he joined another team and become the man for them and led them to a title rather than hopped on the Warriors bandwagon to get an easier shot at a ring or rings.

Sell out. You guys need to stop using such language. This has happened because of LeBron and only because of LeBron. First Miami and again back to Cleveland. LeBron is the first and only sellout. If Knicks draw an FA in the future because they become good does that mean anyone who comes over is a sellout. Was Allan Houston a sellout for joining a good team. Was Grant Hill a sellout for joining g the Magic back in the day.

There is a learning lesson in this regardless if Durant went to GSW it the brand of Basketball that should be enjoyed.

Correct me if I'm wrong but Houston and Hill didn't join a team coming off the best win-loss regular season victory of all time, a team that had played two consecutive NBA finals winning one and losing one, and joining an already established trio of all stars.

They did join good teams but not established title teams like Durant did with the Warriors. That's why some view Durant negatively after his move because rather than stick with OKC and try to win (They bottled it in the play offs against the Warriors) or go to a team and be the main guy, he joined the best team in the league to be a piece of the puzzle.

I don't blame him for it, but LeBron had no ring when he joined Miami, nor did Bosh. Wade had a ring. So sure LeBron did leave Cleveland for Miami which some see as a sell out, but he learned to win in Miami going 2-2 in the NBA finals. Then returned to Cleveland a champion and has delivered on title and other finals appearances to them. He never joined a team to be a piece, he joined Miami and became the piece. Durant didn't.

They may of had the best record but they weren’t the champions because the league screwed them over. Durant joining the GSW as a piece say a lot about him wanting to put his game and stats on the back burner to win which I think is amazing on his part. As for LeBron joining Miami it was to create a super team so he could win not one not two you know the rest. Now that he is getting beat by what he started super team. I don’t see what is wrong with anything Durant did. Matter of fact I love what he did. It’s like Karma coming back and slapping LeBron in the face. I find it funny how LeBron left Miami for Cleveland in the pretense of coming back home. When in reality Cleveland was set up with a firsts pick a star player in Kyrie. It was back in Cleveland after talent was replenished there. You honestly think he would have gone back to Cleveland had Kyrie and a number one overall pick wasn’t there in MHO he wouldn’t have considered going back to Cleveland. Watch how he runs to Houston after the season if he isn’t able to replenish the talent in Cleveland.

meloshouldgo wrote:GS beats Cle, said this would happen, I did.

A shame the Rockets couldn't beat the Warriors, would have made for a more interesting finals.

smackeddog wrote:

meloshouldgo wrote:GS beats Cle, said this would happen, I did.

A shame the Rockets couldn't beat the Warriors, would have made for a more interesting finals.

What is the shame in the best team winning. If you wanted a series you could have stopped watching after Warriors-Rocket series. We all knew that the disparity between the east and west is huge. Watching the Cavs struggle against Pacers and Celtics was telling on how bad the east was.

Vmart wrote:

smackeddog wrote:

meloshouldgo wrote:GS beats Cle, said this would happen, I did.

A shame the Rockets couldn't beat the Warriors, would have made for a more interesting finals.

What is the shame in the best team winning. If you wanted a series you could have stopped watching after Warriors-Rocket series. We all knew that the disparity between the east and west is huge. Watching the Cavs struggle against Pacers and Celtics was telling on how bad the east was.

That's the thing, the Pacers were pretty close to taking out the Cave as well. Houston probably won't be able to keep this tan very long. CP3 is getting old, Harden doesn't real care about anything but being Harden. If guts like Ariza etc. get hurt they are dead. GSW can kill you with two of their best players down on any given night.

Vmart wrote:

meloshouldgo wrote:

Vmart wrote:

smackeddog wrote:

meloshouldgo wrote:GS beats Cle, said this would happen, I did.

A shame the Rockets couldn't beat the Warriors, would have made for a more interesting finals.

What is the shame in the best team winning. If you wanted a series you could have stopped watching after Warriors-Rocket series. We all knew that the disparity between the east and west is huge. Watching the Cavs struggle against Pacers and Celtics was telling on how bad the east was.

That's the thing, the Pacers were pretty close to taking out the Cave as well. Houston probably won't be able to keep this tan very long. CP3 is getting old, Harden doesn't real care about anything but being Harden. If guts like Ariza etc. get hurt they are dead. GSW can kill you with two of their best players down on any given night.

I think we tend to forget how hard GSW plays on the defensive side of the ball. We tend to take that for granted. That game 3 was indicative of how they continued to work on the defensive side even when Steph and Klay were off.