Durant to GSW

[droopdog7]

And the jilted lover name calling begins.  Grow up people!

Can't speak for anyone else but I'd be just as disappointed in Durant if we were never under consideration.  This is LeBron to Miami x10.  Joining a 73 win team that's already won a chip is ring-chasing and taking the easy way out at the most extreme we'll ever see it.

Exactly. This has been the sentiment the entire time on this blog. There wouldn't be this reaction if he went back to OKC. There'd be disappoint, but it would make sense. GS doesn't make sense since this will ultimately ruin his perception in the league as a top-3 player.

Except, we were getting this same reaction on this board in the 30 window when it looked like Horford was going back to ATL.

So really, it doesn't matter all that much;  celtic fan was going to spew hate regardless.  The justification was the only variable here.

That's absolute BS. It's been explicitly discussed many times on here how OKC, Boston, or San Antonio would all be legitimate, respected options for him that made sense. We all pretty much agreed that while it would suck to see him not choose Boston, you couldn't blame him for joining those teams.

Golden State was an entirely different situation, and there's absolutely no argument that anything else is the case. We had an entire thread dedicated to this very dialogue, so, yes, it does matter no matter how much you don't want it to.

And the Horford thing was a totally different situation, as well. It was being reported that he was essentially just leveraging us and choosing the absolute worse basketball situation just for the money. That's, once again, a totally different situation than people just being mad at him for not choosing us.

So, perhaps the "jilted lover" here.. Context matters, and you don't just get to interpret however you want to fit your argument. There's a word for that - confirmation bias.. 

If you're being honest, the celtics are the ONE team on that list that doesn't fit the argument.  It would have made the least sense of all for Durant to leave a team with more talent for Boston.

[LarBrd33]

If a phone conversation with Jerry West was really the difference-maker in Durant deciding to form a Superteam in Golden State, it's a darn shame we didn't have Bill Russell ring up KD for a little history lesson.

"Oh, Jerry West thinks you need to form a super-team of superstars to win an NBA championship?  Oh that's cute.   Ask him how many championships the West, Baylor, Chamberlain Super-Team won against Boston Celtics in the 1960s... *cute Bill Russell laugh*."

 

[CelticGuardian]

If a phone conversation with Jerry West was really the difference-maker in Durant deciding to form a Superteam in Golden State, it's a darn shame we didn't have Bill Russell ring up KD for a little history lesson.

"Oh, Jerry West thinks you need to form a super-team of superstars to win an NBA championship?  Oh that's cute.   Ask him how many championships the West, Baylor, Chamberlain Super-Team won against Boston Celtics in the 1960s... *cute Bill Russell laugh*."

We couldn't have guaranteed a title... If he came here he would have had to face LeBron James on more equal ground, which he clearly wants no parts off..

[kozlodoev]

If a phone conversation with Jerry West was really the difference-maker in Durant deciding to form a Superteam in Golden State, it's a darn shame we didn't have Bill Russell ring up KD for a little history lesson.

"Oh, Jerry West thinks you need to form a super-team of superstars to win an NBA championship?  Oh that's cute.   Ask him how many championships the West, Baylor, Chamberlain Super-Team won against Boston Celtics in the 1960s... *cute Bill Russell laugh*."

We couldn't have guaranteed a title... If he came here he would have had to face LeBron James on more equal ground, which he clearly wants no parts off..

It seems no-one stopped to think why he would leave a "just decent" team in OKC to join a "just decent" team in Boston.

That was a long shot from the get go, but at least were in the conversation.

[Rondo9]

If a phone conversation with Jerry West was really the difference-maker in Durant deciding to form a Superteam in Golden State, it's a darn shame we didn't have Bill Russell ring up KD for a little history lesson.

"Oh, Jerry West thinks you need to form a super-team of superstars to win an NBA championship?  Oh that's cute.   Ask him how many championships the West, Baylor, Chamberlain Super-Team won against Boston Celtics in the 1960s... *cute Bill Russell laugh*."

We couldn't have guaranteed a title... If he came here he would have had to face LeBron James on more equal ground, which he clearly wants no parts off..

It seems no-one stopped to think why he would leave a "just decent" team in OKC to join a "just decent" team in Boston.

That was a long shot from the get go, but at least were in the conversation.

People on this forum answered that question

[Rondo9]

And the jilted lover name calling begins.  Grow up people!

Can't speak for anyone else but I'd be just as disappointed in Durant if we were never under consideration.  This is LeBron to Miami x10.  Joining a 73 win team that's already won a chip is ring-chasing and taking the easy way out at the most extreme we'll ever see it.

Exactly. This has been the sentiment the entire time on this blog. There wouldn't be this reaction if he went back to OKC. There'd be disappoint, but it would make sense. GS doesn't make sense since this will ultimately ruin his perception in the league as a top-3 player.

Except, we were getting this same reaction on this board in the 30 window when it looked like Horford was going back to ATL.

So really, it doesn't matter all that much;  celtic fan was going to spew hate regardless.  The justification was the only variable here.

That's absolute BS. It's been explicitly discussed many times on here how OKC, Boston, or San Antonio would all be legitimate, respected options for him that made sense. We all pretty much agreed that while it would suck to see him not choose Boston, you couldn't blame him for joining those teams.

Golden State was an entirely different situation, and there's absolutely no argument that anything else is the case. We had an entire thread dedicated to this very dialogue, so, yes, it does matter no matter how much you don't want it to.

And the Horford thing was a totally different situation, as well. It was being reported that he was essentially just leveraging us and choosing the absolute worse basketball situation just for the money. That's, once again, a totally different situation than people just being mad at him for not choosing us.

So, perhaps the "jilted lover" here.. Context matters, and you don't just get to interpret however you want to fit your argument. There's a word for that - confirmation bias.. 

If you're being honest, the celtics are the ONE team on that list that doesn't fit the argument.  It would have made the least sense of all for Durant to leave a team with more talent for Boston.

He would leave if Westbrook didn't want to be there

[jpotter33]

And the jilted lover name calling begins.  Grow up people!

Can't speak for anyone else but I'd be just as disappointed in Durant if we were never under consideration.  This is LeBron to Miami x10.  Joining a 73 win team that's already won a chip is ring-chasing and taking the easy way out at the most extreme we'll ever see it.

Exactly. This has been the sentiment the entire time on this blog. There wouldn't be this reaction if he went back to OKC. There'd be disappoint, but it would make sense. GS doesn't make sense since this will ultimately ruin his perception in the league as a top-3 player.

Except, we were getting this same reaction on this board in the 30 window when it looked like Horford was going back to ATL.

So really, it doesn't matter all that much;  celtic fan was going to spew hate regardless.  The justification was the only variable here.

That's absolute BS. It's been explicitly discussed many times on here how OKC, Boston, or San Antonio would all be legitimate, respected options for him that made sense. We all pretty much agreed that while it would suck to see him not choose Boston, you couldn't blame him for joining those teams.

Golden State was an entirely different situation, and there's absolutely no argument that anything else is the case. We had an entire thread dedicated to this very dialogue, so, yes, it does matter no matter how much you don't want it to.

And the Horford thing was a totally different situation, as well. It was being reported that he was essentially just leveraging us and choosing the absolute worse basketball situation just for the money. That's, once again, a totally different situation than people just being mad at him for not choosing us.

So, perhaps the "jilted lover" here.. Context matters, and you don't just get to interpret however you want to fit your argument. There's a word for that - confirmation bias.. 

If you're being honest, the celtics are the ONE team on that list that doesn't fit the argument.  It would have made the least sense of all for Durant to leave a team with more talent for Boston.

Disagree. He wouldn't have tarnished his legacy by joining us, and we'd legitimately be a contender. Fit-wise, we were absolutely the best fit for his skill-set. There's still major questions on if those three will actually work together chemistry-wise. We have two recent examples in the 2011 Miami Heat and 2015 Cleveland Cavaliers that suggest they're not going to gel right off the bat.

Further, with Durant in the fold, we can afford to overpay for players like Butler or Noel or whoever you want. Once we would've had Durant in the fold, we would've completed another trade using our vast treasure chest of assets that Danny wouldn't have had to be conservative with. This is also not mentioning being in the East.

[PhoSita]

Exactly. This has been the sentiment the entire time on this blog. There wouldn't be this reaction if he went back to OKC. There'd be disappoint, but it would make sense. GS doesn't make sense since this will ultimately ruin his perception in the league as a top-3 player.

Apparently Durant simply doesn't care about his perception around the league, or among fans, as a top 3 player, or whatever.

Isn't that kind of what we want players to do, to not care so much about what other people think and just do what it takes to win?

Yes, Durant has the kind of talent that gives him the ability to lead a team to a championship, instead of joining up with a team that is already championship caliber.

Fine.

It's easy for us to say these things about him from where we sit.  From where he sat, he may have been wondering if things were really going to get any better in OKC.  It may have seemed to him quite likely that things would get worse.  The owners didn't give him good reason to feel that they would spend to make sure the team continued to be in a position to compete for a title.

On top of that, Durant has had some scary injuries over the past few years.  So have his Thunder teammates. 

Obviously a lot of people would have preferred for Durant to bet on himself, or trust his teammates and the higher ups of the only NBA team he'd ever played for.  I sure would have preferred for him to choose the Celtics.  But I can't blame him for recognizing the opportunity to create a team unlike any the league has ever seen and taking it, even if it meant his individual legacy took a hit. 

Maybe he decided being part of the greatest team ever -- if that is what the Warriors become, and they certainly have the talent to do it -- would be a better legacy than being the best player on a team that never wins it all.

I can't fault him for that.  He chose a team over individual glory.  Good for him.

[jpotter33]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2650148-frustration-with-westbrook-sent-durant-fleeing-opens-door-to-trouble-for-nba

Here's an interesting article. Apparently there was quite a bit of tension between Westbrook and Durant, which had a great influence on why he left.

Also, it's looking like a foregone conclusion that there will be a lockout next summer, and this whole GS situation is going to put some radical demands on the table, such as a hard cap. Fun fun. I remember how bad the last lockout sucked.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

If a phone conversation with Jerry West was really the difference-maker in Durant deciding to form a Superteam in Golden State, it's a darn shame we didn't have Bill Russell ring up KD for a little history lesson.

"Oh, Jerry West thinks you need to form a super-team of superstars to win an NBA championship?  Oh that's cute.   Ask him how many championships the West, Baylor, Chamberlain Super-Team won against Boston Celtics in the 1960s... *cute Bill Russell laugh*."

We couldn't have guaranteed a title... If he came here he would have had to face LeBron James on more equal ground, which he clearly wants no parts off..

It seems no-one stopped to think why he would leave a "just decent" team in OKC to join a "just decent" team in Boston.

That was a long shot from the get go, but at least were in the conversation.

Well, he would've been the unquestioned leader of the Celtics, unlike the "Is OKC Durant's or Westbrook's team?" situation.

I'm not going to be so fan-sighted as to say the Celtics have the near-term title possibilities that GS has, but ever since I first heard the KD-to-GS idea many months ago, I thought it was absurd: Why would a great player like KD want to go to a great, already-loaded team like GS? And how would he fit? Aren't there only so many touches to go around?

I understand the appeal of the situation, and maybe I would've done the same in his shoes, but rings, by themselves, don't necessarily mean much—lots of scrubs get rings. Of course, Durant is far from a scrub, and will undoubtedly make important contributions to GS, but it does strike me as taking the easy (lazy?) way out. He's clearly a Hall of Fame talent, but he's now in a position where he could get several rings without needing to produce much HOF-level play.

I fully recognize that I'm speaking as a jilted Celtics fan, but I think he passed up a great opportunity with the Celtics: the opportunity to be the unquestioned present-day leader of the league's greatest, most historic franchise; to be the next beloved Boston sports icon; to cement a legacy of selfless leadership that also could've included multiple rings.

I don't expect Durant to become a loafer or leech who contributes nothing to GS, but he's going to be able to spend a lot of time just sitting back and watching Steph, Klay, and Draymond do the lion's share of the work. Though if he decided to change his mind after next season and give Boston a shot, to give true sports greatness a shot, I'd welcome him.

[dark_lord]

Fit-wise, we were absolutely the best fit for his skill-set. There's still major questions on if those three will actually work together chemistry-wise. We have two recent examples in the 2011 Miami Heat and 2015 Cleveland Cavaliers that suggest they're not going to gel right off the bat.

how on earth are the celts the best fit for his skill set?!?!?!  we are a team that is full of role players, are inconsistent, and our identity is based on something that lacks and actual skills set...grit.  GSW is by far the superior fit for KD's game.

also, using MIA and cavs as not gelling right off the bat is a poor argument, since both teams won the title in year two (MIA winning back to back, and the cavs having the potential to do so). 

he has a 2 year deal with a player option after year one....so if they aren't gelling or his skill set is better suited elsewhere, he can leave.  Seemed like a no-brainer decision to join GSW.  The celts can't offer crap when compared to GSW

[kozlodoev]

Well, he would've been the unquestioned leader of the Celtics, unlike the "Is OKC Durant's or Westbrook's team?" situation.

He could have stayed in OKC to be the unquestioned leader next season and make sure that they let Westbrook walk. We really have nothing over OKC in that department.

[jpotter33]

Fit-wise, we were absolutely the best fit for his skill-set. There's still major questions on if those three will actually work together chemistry-wise. We have two recent examples in the 2011 Miami Heat and 2015 Cleveland Cavaliers that suggest they're not going to gel right off the bat.

how on earth are the celts the best fit for his skill set?!?!?!  we are a team that is full of role players, are inconsistent, and our identity is based on something that lacks and actual skills set...grit.  GSW, by far, is by far the superior fit for KD's game.

also, using MIA and cavs as not gelling right off the bat is a poor argument, since both teams won the title in year two (MIA winning back to back, and the cavs having the potential to do so). 

he has a 2 year deal with a player option after year one....so if they aren't gelling or his skill set is better suited elsewhere, he can leave.  Seemed like a no-brainer decision to join GSW.  The celts can't offer crap when compared to GSW

Hmm, a 1A option who is an excellent shooter and efficient scorer that should be getting 30+ shots a night surrounded by two-way high-end defensive role players that do not demand the ball or high usages to be effective.

VS.

Being surrounded by two other legitimate 1A and 1B-type options in their prime that are high-usage, high-shot players that are used to shooting 25+ times a game, all while gutting their team for talent that they already had plenty of.

Yes, you'd have to be an idiot to say that we're not the better fit for him both chemistry-wise and team-wise. Sure, they're going to win a lot of games by simply "out-talenting" the other team, but so did OKC. How did that turn out for them? Unless all three of those guys make a Celtics-like Big-3 sacrifice to their game and numbers, which is doubtful given that they're all in their prime, they're ultimately going to struggle for awhile.

And, no, the Cavs and Heat are perfect examples of why they're going to struggle off the bat, because they're nearly identical situations, only exacerbated and even more extreme. It's three number one options coming together and learning to share. It took both instances at least a year to truly figure that out, and with this being younger players in even more extreme ways, it might be even harder for them. The Boston Big 3 is the only one to truly click right off the bat, because they won it the very first year.

[LarBrd33]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2650148-frustration-with-westbrook-sent-durant-fleeing-opens-door-to-trouble-for-nba

Here's an interesting article. Apparently there was quite a bit of tension between Westbrook and Durant, which had a great influence on why he left.

Also, it's looking like a foregone conclusion that there will be a lockout next summer, and this whole GS situation is going to put some radical demands on the table, such as a hard cap. Fun fun. I remember how bad the last lockout sucked.

I'd be frustrated playing with Westbrook as well.   He's a stat hog who isn't nearly as good as people claim.   Watch that team struggle to make the playoffs without Durant carrying them.

People think Westbrook is a superstar for the same reason they thought Rondo was a superstar.

[tankcity!]

Exactly. This has been the sentiment the entire time on this blog. There wouldn't be this reaction if he went back to OKC. There'd be disappoint, but it would make sense. GS doesn't make sense since this will ultimately ruin his perception in the league as a top-3 player.

Apparently Durant simply doesn't care about his perception around the league, or among fans, as a top 3 player, or whatever.

Isn't that kind of what we want players to do, to not care so much about what other people think and just do what it takes to win?

Yes, Durant has the kind of talent that gives him the ability to lead a team to a championship, instead of joining up with a team that is already championship caliber.

Fine.

It's easy for us to say these things about him from where we sit.  From where he sat, he may have been wondering if things were really going to get any better in OKC.  It may have seemed to him quite likely that things would get worse.  The owners didn't give him good reason to feel that they would spend to make sure the team continued to be in a position to compete for a title.

On top of that, Durant has had some scary injuries over the past few years.  So have his Thunder teammates. 

Obviously a lot of people would have preferred for Durant to bet on himself, or trust his teammates and the higher ups of the only NBA team he'd ever played for.  I sure would have preferred for him to choose the Celtics.  But I can't blame him for recognizing the opportunity to create a team unlike any the league has ever seen and taking it, even if it meant his individual legacy took a hit. 

Maybe he decided being part of the greatest team ever -- if that is what the Warriors become, and they certainly have the talent to do it -- would be a better legacy than being the best player on a team that never wins it all.

I can't fault him for that.  He chose a team over individual glory.  Good for him.

You're being a buzzkill with your logic pho. My only argument is that there was a piece on Durant where he was complaining about how people forgot about him this year and he proved the doubters wrong. You have no basis to say he doesn't care because everything he has said actually points in the other direction.