Kevin Durant going home campaign has officially started

[Kizzle]

This is going to be a real story I look at the next 2 years. Right NOW it seems crazy to think he'd leave but let's say they don't win in the next 2 years or even get to the finals. Let's say that somehow they don't even get out the second round for the next two years which is extremely possible. What reason does he have NOT to leave?

Let Harden go to say minimal money

Didn't even keep Martin

Haven't made any big trades to even Try To add another star in a league where the big 3 is a trending theme.


What has OKC really done to help him but get decent vets and hope KD can drop 30 a game and win it for em?

All this cheapness they've done over the years and they still have no cap space so I mean, what's the use?

 

[Cavatt]

I think it is the coach. Scotty Brooks is not using these guys well. Their offense completely stalled against the Spurs. They just don't have it. They play too much iso.

Maybe if they had a dominant center they could progress. I don't see how they pay for that. All the cheap talk I totally agree with. They gave up their big 3.

I said at the time I would have traded Ibaka instead. Wasn't so clear cut at the time though.

As of now, I think they should play Ibaka at the 5 and get a more perimeter oriented 4.

 

[randymoss1881]

I think it is the coach. Scotty Brooks is not using these guys well. Their offense completely stalled against the Spurs. They just don't have it. They play too much iso.

Maybe if they had a dominant center they could progress. I don't see how they pay for that. All the cheap talk I totally agree with. They gave up their big 3.

I said at the time I would have traded Ibaka instead. Wasn't so clear cut at the time though.

As of now, I think they should play Ibaka at the 5 and get a more perimeter oriented 4.

No way you pick Harden over Ibaka no way. They should have amnestied Perkins and went center by committee. Taking Ibaka over the revolving door known as Harden was the right move otherwise.

 

[Cassity14]

What's scary about the Thunder is that, to my knowledge, their assets are all used up.

They're really banking on Adams and Lamb going forward. They need to either develop into contributors, or show enough ability to become valuable assets.

 

[bigfoot5415]

What they should have done was pull the trigger on a Westbrook for CP3 trade back when Paul was leaving NOH. He complimented Ibaka & Durant much better.

 

[Derek]

What they should have done was pull the trigger on a Westbrook for CP3 trade back when Paul was leaving NOH. He complimented Ibaka & Durant much better.

Not really though

 

[godfather]

He shouldn't leave, it'd be really foolish if he did. Just wait? The Spurs are going to fold, they have maybe one last run in them. They'll be the prohibited favorites from here on out in the West.


Why leave, then go to Washington (which I do not think is a better team), and get stuck losing to LB every year.

The Thunder as a team is good enough to win it all. They didn't get embarrassed by the Spurs, to me, that was the NBA finals last year, and it was hot and contested 6 game series.

I think they could use a better coach personally, but Brooks really hasn't deserved to be fired yet. I'm sure this year if its a miss, he'll be gone, and they'll bring in a sexy name.

 

[shoes22]

Not really though

Assuming the rest of the team was the same, I'm sure CP3 + Durant would result in a better team than Westbrook + Durant. I don't think there's much doubt about that.

I don't know how much better they'd be, though.

 

[shoes22]

I think they could use a better coach personally, but Brooks really hasn't deserved to be fired yet.

I think Brooks deserves to be fired, only because how many chances has he had? OKC knows what they have in him, which is just an average coach, and it's not good enough.
It's the same mistake we made with Mike Brown, holding on to him a year too long when it became very clear his coaching in the playoffs couldn't get it done.

 

[Derek]

Assuming the rest of the team was the same, I'm sure CP3 + Durant would result in a better team than Westbrook + Durant. I don't think there's much doubt about that.

I don't know how much better they'd be, though.

I doubt it a lot. Westbrook is pretty much the perfect partner for Durant.

 

[Kizzle]

Didn't want to create a new Durant thread so just wanted to say Raptors got fined 25,000 for comments team ambassador drake made at a concert.

Basically he said "I just want Durant to see what it would be like if he came to play in Toronto." And I guess he singled Durant out in the crowd and the Toronto crowd gave him a standing ovation.

 

[Nightperson]

I doubt it a lot. Westbrook is pretty much the perfect partner for Durant.

Maybe if Westbrook knew his role, but he clearly doesn't and it hurts OKC.

 

[Simon]

Maybe if Westbrook knew his role, but he clearly doesn't and it hurts OKC.

How does he not know his role and he hurts OKC?

Westbrook is one of the most dynamic point guards in the league, and an explosive scorer as well.

 

[Derek]

Maybe if Westbrook knew his role, but he clearly doesn't and it hurts OKC.

This narrative is played out. Westbrook knows his role and plays it perfectly. Him doing what he does allows Durant to be himself.

 

[natedagg]

When the Thunder played the Clippers, Westbrook sold me on his incredible talents. There was a point where he went into WestBeastMode - like nobody could stay in front of him, including Mr. All-NBA everyone-likes-me Chris Paul. Granted, for the series, it appears that CP3 outplayed him (click the "Series" tab here: http://www.nba.com/games/20140515/OKCLAC/gameinfo.html?ls=iref:nba:serieshubs:mid:seriesschedule), but when you can neutralize CP3 to some degree, and your team wins the series, then you get my full respect.

The problem with OKC is that Ibaka was injured and the Spurs were peaking. I can't see how Westbrook can shoulder the blame on this one. He is is phenomenal talent and a phenomenal competitor.