Could we get Cousins and Durant?

[furball]

Am I the only one who wouldn't want Durant??  He's about 7 feet tall and has foot problems.  When has that ever worked out??? 

Why yes, yes you are.  Second best player in the league -- why would you want him?

I don't doubt his talents, I doubt his ability to actually get on the court.  While Big Z is a great example of a 7 footer over coming foot injuries, I can list a lot more guys (Yao Ming, Bill Walton, etc) who had their careers end due to them.

I bet you can't name a single player who's had their career ended by a Jones fracture, which is the specific injury Durant suffered.

It's not as if there's a single bone in the foot that gets injured in exactly the same fashion. Likening Durant's injury to those of the other players you mentioned (navicular bone fractures) is as silly as saying Dante Exum's ACL tear is threatening to his career because Achilles' tears have ended other players' careers. After all, every leg injury is the same, right?

Hey I hope you are right, but I still wouldn't take a chance on a 7 footer with foot issues.  Lucky for you, I am not Danny Ainge.  Maybe he would. 

[vjcsmoke]

Am I the only one who wouldn't want Durant??  He's about 7 feet tall and has foot problems.  When has that ever worked out??? 

However, I guess if Sac-Town was ever to trade DMC the C's could put together an good enough offer and It could attract Durant.

Yes.  Yes you are.

Durant is an elite superstar. A 6-time all-star, led the league in total scoring 5 seasons in a row.  And he's just turning 27 this season. 

A lineup including:
#5 Cousins
#4 Amir Johnson
#3 Kevin Durant
#2 RJ Hunter or Veteran midlevel exception SG (assuming Lee and AB would have to be moved in any deal for Cousins)
#1 Marcus Smart

Would have to be considered a serious contender for the title.

[Moranis]

Am I the only one who wouldn't want Durant??  He's about 7 feet tall and has foot problems.  When has that ever worked out??? 

However, I guess if Sac-Town was ever to trade DMC the C's could put together an good enough offer and It could attract Durant.

Yes.  Yes you are.

Durant is an elite superstar. A 6-time all-star, led the league in total scoring 5 seasons in a row.  And he's just turning 27 this season. 

A lineup including:
#5 Cousins
#4 Amir Johnson
#3 Kevin Durant
#2 RJ Hunter or Veteran midlevel exception SG (assuming Lee and AB would have to be moved in any deal for Cousins)
#1 Marcus Smart

Would have to be considered a serious contender for the title.

But isn't better than OKC or WAS with Durant, which is why he will never come to Boston.

[vjcsmoke]

But isn't better than OKC or WAS with Durant, which is why he will never come to Boston.

I'm not predicting whether or not Durant is coming to Boston.  I'm saying you'd be crazy not to want Durant, because a lineup featuring Cousins+Durant+Amir Johnson+ whatever Celtics guards are left after the trade would be a serious title contender.

[Hemingway]

How can you know that team wouldn't be as good as Was or OKC? We were pretty good by the end of last year, if we get DMC and things kept clicking we could be really good before getting KD.

[SHAQATTACK]

OKC ...era is winding down , window is starting to close.

The luck of a new team with all,the star picks , years with no title , guys are getting mileage piled up on them . Taking its tole

Mistake of trading Harden , keeping Perk to much to,over come.

When Westbrook leaves  because Durrant is too beat up to play at his former level 82 games ......

That will be the closing of the book .Time to take the team back to Seattle ...get five more first rounders

[Endless Paradise]

How can you know that team wouldn't be as good as Was or OKC? We were pretty good by the end of last year, if we get DMC and things kept clicking we could be really good before getting KD.

Well, for starters, the Celtics were "good" at the end of last year largely on the strength of depth that would be sacrificed to acquire Cousins. It's not as though you'd be keeping the same team and just adding Boogie, a la the Spurs and Aldridge.

[Moranis]

How can you know that team wouldn't be as good as Was or OKC? We were pretty good by the end of last year, if we get DMC and things kept clicking we could be really good before getting KD.

Because they wouldn't be.  Washington would have Wall, Beal, Durant, Hilario, Gortat with guys like Porter on the bench.  Much better team than Boston would be.  OKC is pretty obvious with Westbrook, Waiters, Durant, Ibaka, Adams with guys like Kanter, Roberson, and Morrow on the bench.

[Tr1boy]

Yes on nba2k video game

[loco_91]

Am I the only one who wouldn't want Durant??  He's about 7 feet tall and has foot problems.  When has that ever worked out??? 

However, I guess if Sac-Town was ever to trade DMC the C's could put together an good enough offer and It could attract Durant.

Yes.  Yes you are.

Durant is an elite superstar. A 6-time all-star, led the league in total scoring 5 seasons in a row.  And he's just turning 27 this season. 

A lineup including:
#5 Cousins
#4 Amir Johnson
#3 Kevin Durant
#2 RJ Hunter or Veteran midlevel exception SG (assuming Lee and AB would have to be moved in any deal for Cousins)
#1 Marcus Smart

Would have to be considered a serious contender for the title.

But isn't better than OKC or WAS with Durant, which is why he will never come to Boston.

I think this team could be better than OKC, depending on the SG (assuming AB gets traded?). Especially with Thomas coming off the bench. Smart and Johnson are awesome complementary pieces to Durant and Cousins.

[MJohnnyboy]

How can you know that team wouldn't be as good as Was or OKC? We were pretty good by the end of last year, if we get DMC and things kept clicking we could be really good before getting KD.

Because they wouldn't be.  Washington would have Wall, Beal, Durant, Hilario, Gortat with guys like Porter on the bench.  Much better team than Boston would be.  OKC is pretty obvious with Westbrook, Waiters, Durant, Ibaka, Adams with guys like Kanter, Roberson, and Morrow on the bench.

Totally agreed on this, except I'm pretty sure Kanter is starting in OKC. He started every single game he played for the Thunder last year.

[Endless Paradise]

How can you know that team wouldn't be as good as Was or OKC? We were pretty good by the end of last year, if we get DMC and things kept clicking we could be really good before getting KD.

Because they wouldn't be.  Washington would have Wall, Beal, Durant, Hilario, Gortat with guys like Porter on the bench.  Much better team than Boston would be.  OKC is pretty obvious with Westbrook, Waiters, Durant, Ibaka, Adams with guys like Kanter, Roberson, and Morrow on the bench.

Totally agreed on this, except I'm pretty sure Kanter is starting in OKC. He started every single game he played for the Thunder last year.

He started every single game he played for the Thunder last year:
a) because the incumbent starting center was injured when he was acquired and then Ibaka went out with a season-ending injury shortly after said center returned.
b) because the team desperately needed offense in the starting lineup, which happens to be one of the areas of the game in which Kanter excels.
c) under someone who is no longer coaching the Thunder.

There is a serious notion being floated out there by people with connections to the team that Kanter will come off the bench. And as I've said before, the fact that the Thunder matched his max contract offer plays very little role in this as he was always intended to be a complimentary piece to KD, Westbrook, and Ibaka, i.e. he's expected to be a role player for OKC. He wasn't signed to that contract under the expectation that he's going to be a focal point on the team on the level of their three best players. He's purely a "luxury" piece -- no different than Adams, Morrow, Singler, etc.

[MJohnnyboy]

How can you know that team wouldn't be as good as Was or OKC? We were pretty good by the end of last year, if we get DMC and things kept clicking we could be really good before getting KD.

Because they wouldn't be.  Washington would have Wall, Beal, Durant, Hilario, Gortat with guys like Porter on the bench.  Much better team than Boston would be.  OKC is pretty obvious with Westbrook, Waiters, Durant, Ibaka, Adams with guys like Kanter, Roberson, and Morrow on the bench.

Totally agreed on this, except I'm pretty sure Kanter is starting in OKC. He started every single game he played for the Thunder last year.

He started every single game he played for the Thunder last year:
a) because the incumbent starting center was injured when he was acquired and then Ibaka went out with a season-ending injury shortly after said center returned.
b) because the team desperately needed offense in the starting lineup, which happens to be one of the areas of the game in which Kanter excels.
c) under someone who is no longer coaching the Thunder.

There is a serious notion being floated out there by people with connections to the team that Kanter will come off the bench. And as I've said before, the fact that the Thunder matched his max contract offer plays very little role in this as he was always intended to be a complimentary piece to KD, Westbrook, and Ibaka, i.e. he's expected to be a role player for OKC. He wasn't signed to that contract under the expectation that he's going to be a focal point on the team on the level of their three best players. He's purely a "luxury" piece -- no different than Adams, Morrow, Singler, etc.

Really? I'd love to see some references for that.

I guess we'll have to wait and see. I don't disagree with any notion that he's a role player. I just don't think it's crazy to believe he could start. I think it's up in the air because OKC has yet to see what works best for them now that Durant's back for them and now they have some actual NBA-caliber rotation players around him.

[Endless Paradise]

How can you know that team wouldn't be as good as Was or OKC? We were pretty good by the end of last year, if we get DMC and things kept clicking we could be really good before getting KD.

Because they wouldn't be.  Washington would have Wall, Beal, Durant, Hilario, Gortat with guys like Porter on the bench.  Much better team than Boston would be.  OKC is pretty obvious with Westbrook, Waiters, Durant, Ibaka, Adams with guys like Kanter, Roberson, and Morrow on the bench.

Totally agreed on this, except I'm pretty sure Kanter is starting in OKC. He started every single game he played for the Thunder last year.

He started every single game he played for the Thunder last year:
a) because the incumbent starting center was injured when he was acquired and then Ibaka went out with a season-ending injury shortly after said center returned.
b) because the team desperately needed offense in the starting lineup, which happens to be one of the areas of the game in which Kanter excels.
c) under someone who is no longer coaching the Thunder.

There is a serious notion being floated out there by people with connections to the team that Kanter will come off the bench. And as I've said before, the fact that the Thunder matched his max contract offer plays very little role in this as he was always intended to be a complimentary piece to KD, Westbrook, and Ibaka, i.e. he's expected to be a role player for OKC. He wasn't signed to that contract under the expectation that he's going to be a focal point on the team on the level of their three best players. He's purely a "luxury" piece -- no different than Adams, Morrow, Singler, etc.

Really? I'd love to see some references for that.

I guess we'll have to wait and see. I don't disagree with any notion that he's a role player. I just don't think it's crazy to believe he could start. I think it's up in the air because OKC has yet to see what works best for them now that Durant's back for them and now they have some actual NBA-caliber rotation players around him.

Royce Young, ESPN's Thunder beat writer (and noted Perkins confidant), made a few posts in the comment section of an article on his site, Daily Thunder, several months back. He basically said the Thunder are obviously very aware of Kanter's defensive deficiencies and hired Donovan in part because they felt like he'd be more willing to limit the roles of the Thunder's more flawed players (Kanter and Waiters, in particular), if ever necessary. He also suggested that the team was giving serious internal consideration to bringing Kanter off the bench and that it wasn't purely a hunch as much as it was somewhat of an expectation due to some of the knowledge he was privy to from team insiders.

Here's a more assertive statement he made regarding the matter earlier this month:

Although he is going to be paid exceptionally well, the Thunder view Kanter not as a franchise piece but as a luxury. He'll likely come off the bench to provide offensive firepower in the Thunder's second unit. The Thunder are interested in trying to stagger Durant and Westbrook's minutes more in the future, and with the chemistry Kanter had with Westbrook in the pick-and-roll, a lineup anchored by the duo could be a strong counter while Durant rests.

http://espn.go.com/blog/okc-thunder/post/_/id/611/three-things-to-know-about-okc-signing-kanter

Also, I'm definitely not discounting that Kanter could start; that's completely possible, especially if they feel the Ibaka-Kanter pairing is too valuable not to use to its fullest extent. I'm just discounting the idea that Kanter is penciled in as the starter, particularly because of his contract.