Draymond Green rips PP

[Snakehead]

The thing you guys defending Green are skipping over is KD left TO THE TEAM HE JUST LOST TO.  That goes beyond the normal "teaming up" trends.  He was on a title contender with another top 5 player.

Green is a jerk and every time he opens his mouth it is clear.

[MBunge]

It's very convenient for Paul to criticize other players for leaving their team for a better chance at a title. 

As has been pointed out, that's not what Pierce actually has a problem with.

We really need to take a scientific poll on this question because I've got 5 bucks that says the overwhelming number of people who side with Durant have never or just barely played any competitive sports.

Mike

[MBunge]

The #1 rule of getting older: Things were better before. 

The #2 rule of getting older:  Sometimes things WERE better before.  Example?  Take a look at our politics.

Mike 

[Snakehead]

TP to you Mike for the last two posts.

[Moranis]

Green didn't say anything crazy here and for the record Pierce's comments were a lot more personal and biting.

[PhoSita]

Green is a punk. Pierce is right, guys want things handed to them, rather than competition get.

That must be why Pierce spent all that time in 2007 complaining about the fact that Ainge had ruined competitive balance in the Eastern Conference by trading for two superstars to put next to him.

Except none of those players had been playing on a good team the year before. 


No one was leaving a contender.


Both moves were a trade.

You are correct that Durant was already on a pretty good team.

However, he had been trying to make it to the promised land with that group for the last 4-5 years.  Due to injuries, bad luck, inexperience, and questionable on-court chemistry, he never got there.

I think it would be fair to wonder if that Thunder team, as constructed, reached its xenith in these past playoffs.  That was the first time they had all of their main guys healthy for the duration of a playoff run.  It'd be fair for Durant to wonder how many more shots they'd get with that group intact.


Again, I think it's convenient for Paul to criticize Durant.  He never had to make a move to jump to a contender.  One was constructed around him.  The 2008 Celts were absolutely a superteam.


Now, Paul did choose to re-sign with Boston in 2010 after they lost, in heartbreaking fashion, in Game 7 of the Finals.  I suppose a better comparison here would be to that summer -- Pierce didn't leave the Celts at that time to chase a ring with a younger, more star-laden team.

But on the other hand, Paul had already won his ring.  How might he have chosen differently that summer if the Celts hadn't won a title before KG injured his knee?



I can understand why people want to criticize Durant for his decision.  At the same time, it's a little bit hypocritical for us to engage in these discussions about legacy, where we penalize great players heavily for failing to win a ring, and then at the same time criticize them for wanting to join up with other great players to increase their chances of winning a ring.

[PhoSita]

It's very convenient for Paul to criticize other players for leaving their team for a better chance at a title. 

As has been pointed out, that's not what Pierce actually has a problem with.

We really need to take a scientific poll on this question because I've got 5 bucks that says the overwhelming number of people who side with Durant have never or just barely played any competitive sports.

Mike

I've played competitive sports, and it sucks to be on the receiving end of a beatdown from a much more talented team.

So long as you know you're going to get to play a lot and have a significant role, I think it's probably always better (read: more enjoyable) to be on the more talented, better managed / coached team.

[wayupnorth]

Green is a punk. Pierce is right, guys want things handed to them, rather than competition get.

That must be why Pierce spent all that time in 2007 complaining about the fact that Ainge had ruined competitive balance in the Eastern Conference by trading for two superstars to put next to him.

Except none of those players had been playing on a good team the year before. 


No one was leaving a contender.


Both moves were a trade.

You are correct that Durant was already on a pretty good team.

However, he had been trying to make it to the promised land with that group for the last 4-5 years.  Due to injuries, bad luck, inexperience, and questionable on-court chemistry, he never got there.

I think it would be fair to wonder if that Thunder team, as constructed, reached its xenith in these past playoffs.  That was the first time they had all of their main guys healthy for the duration of a playoff run.  It'd be fair for Durant to wonder how many more shots they'd get with that group intact.


Again, I think it's convenient for Paul to criticize Durant.  He never had to make a move to jump to a contender.  One was constructed around him.  The 2008 Celts were absolutely a superteam.


Now, Paul did choose to re-sign with Boston in 2010 after they lost, in heartbreaking fashion, in Game 7 of the Finals.  I suppose a better comparison here would be to that summer -- Pierce didn't leave the Celts at that time to chase a ring with a younger, more star-laden team.

But on the other hand, Paul had already won his ring.  How might he have chosen differently that summer if the Celts hadn't won a title before KG injured his knee?



I can understand why people want to criticize Durant for his decision.  At the same time, it's a little bit hypocritical for us to engage in these discussions about legacy, where we penalize great players heavily for failing to win a ring, and then at the same time criticize them for wanting to join up with other great players to increase their chances of winning a ring.

Lol come on KD is a punk and the situation is so different from when the C's came together, one can't honestly compare them.

KD was up 3-1 to the team that set the NBA regular season record.

They collapsed, and then he went to that team.

Instead of being a competitor and saying "look how close we got, we can get them next year" he showed himself as a beta athlete who would rather coast to a title (joining an absolutely stacked team) than earn one with hard work.

Green clearly agrees with that to some extent, or he wouldn't be so sensativery about it.

It was the move of 'female dog' and the whole world knows it.

It also has nothing to do with an "it was better in my day" attitude one poster claimed.

[jpotter33]

Yeah, it takes a fundamental misunderstanding of the situation to try and compare Pierce's situation with the KD situation. KD literally could've made any other choice and been hailed for it instead of chastised, outside of OKC that is.

Hell, I hate to say it, but it's not even really all that comparable to the Miami Heat superteam coming together.

A) They basically came together to defeat the C's in the East, not join them, who took out both Wade and James in the playoffs that previous year. I don't think Toronto even made the playoffs that year. KD, on the other hand, basically joined the rival that took him out.

B) None of them joined a current superteam, let alone the greatest regular season team of all time. They joined a first round/five game exit team in Miami, which would've been similar to KD and Horford joining us this offseason.

And what makes it worse is that KD came out recently and was basically saying that he was rooting against GS winning the Finals, because he knew that was the only way he could really join them. Granted, it's only slightly less pathetic and cowardly in this scenario. But he knew full well the whole time that this was a cowardly move that he would catch crap on for awhile.

Green is an idiot - plain and simple. He needs to worry about not costing his team the Finals and staying out of trouble with the law before anything else. Wouldn't surprise me if his arc follows Lance Stephenson's arc once he leaves GS.

[BitterJim]

Green is a punk. Pierce is right, guys want things handed to them, rather than competition get.

That must be why Pierce spent all that time in 2007 complaining about the fact that Ainge had ruined competitive balance in the Eastern Conference by trading for two superstars to put next to him.

Except none of those players had been playing on a good team the year before. 


No one was leaving a contender.


Both moves were a trade.

You are correct that Durant was already on a pretty good team.

However, he had been trying to make it to the promised land with that group for the last 4-5 years.  Due to injuries, bad luck, inexperience, and questionable on-court chemistry, he never got there.

I think it would be fair to wonder if that Thunder team, as constructed, reached its xenith in these past playoffs.  That was the first time they had all of their main guys healthy for the duration of a playoff run.  It'd be fair for Durant to wonder how many more shots they'd get with that group intact.


Again, I think it's convenient for Paul to criticize Durant.  He never had to make a move to jump to a contender.  One was constructed around him.  The 2008 Celts were absolutely a superteam.


Now, Paul did choose to re-sign with Boston in 2010 after they lost, in heartbreaking fashion, in Game 7 of the Finals.  I suppose a better comparison here would be to that summer -- Pierce didn't leave the Celts at that time to chase a ring with a younger, more star-laden team.

But on the other hand, Paul had already won his ring.  How might he have chosen differently that summer if the Celts hadn't won a title before KG injured his knee?



I can understand why people want to criticize Durant for his decision.  At the same time, it's a little bit hypocritical for us to engage in these discussions about legacy, where we penalize great players heavily for failing to win a ring, and then at the same time criticize them for wanting to join up with other great players to increase their chances of winning a ring.

Durant never had to make a move to jump to a contender.  One was constructed around him.  The 2016 Thunder were absolutely a superteam.

[kraidstar]

Green is a punk. Pierce is right, guys want things handed to them, rather than competition get.

That must be why Pierce spent all that time in 2007 complaining about the fact that Ainge had ruined competitive balance in the Eastern Conference by trading for two superstars to put next to him.

Except none of those players had been playing on a good team the year before. 


No one was leaving a contender.


Both moves were a trade.

Yes.

Westbrook is a top-10, maybe top-5 player in his prime. When has a player as good as KD ever jumped ship when he was alongside a guy that good? The only comp I can think of is Shaq forcing his way off the Lakers. But he left for personal reasons more than competitive ones.

Durant was on a stacked OKC team that couldn't win in the clutch, and so he fled in free agency to go to the very team that eliminated him from the playoffs. It just looks cowardly.

Pierce, KG, and Allen all played on horrible teams for most of their careers. They would have killed to have KD's supporting cast.

And Ainge had to collect major assets to make those trades. Aside from cap space, which was abundant this offseason, the Warriors didn't give up anything to get KD, so his new team was not weakened much from his arrival.

KD and the Warriors are taking a way easier route here than what the C's organization and players faced.

[Moranis]

Shaq left Orlando with a strong side kick as well.

Moses Malone forced his way out of a very good team.

Wilt became disgruntled and was moved a couple of times. 

Kareem forced himself out of Milwaukee to go to LA (and he had actually won a title in Milwaukee).

Magic has said that if the Lakers lost the coin toss he would have returned to Michigan State for his senior year as he didn't want to go to Chicago (and would have rather joined a team with the best player in the world at the time).

Deron Williams, Chris Paul, and Carmelo Anthony forced themselves off of perennial playoff teams.

Great players leave pretty good teams all of the time.  This isn't a new development.

[alldaboston]

Shaq left Orlando with a strong side kick as well.

Moses Malone forced his way out of a very good team.

Wilt became disgruntled and was moved a couple of times. 

Kareem forced himself out of Milwaukee to go to LA (and he had actually won a title in Milwaukee).

Magic has said that if the Lakers lost the coin toss he would have returned to Michigan State for his senior year as he didn't want to go to Chicago (and would have rather joined a team with the best player in the world at the time).

Deron Williams, Chris Paul, and Carmelo Anthony forced themselves off of perennial playoff teams.

Great players leave pretty good teams all of the time.  This isn't a new development.

Sure, players leave for greener pastures all the time. That's acceptable. I'l even let the fact that he was 1 game away from the NBA finals slide.

What's not acceptable is leaving your good team, and going to the best regular season team of all time, a team that won it all a year ago without you, and had 3 chances to win it again this year (and likely would have won it all again if Draymond wasn't kicking nuts). That's the problem with this. Sure, KD could have left. I dont care at all where he went (if he came to boston, it'd be nice, but i wouldnt call him out or anything if he joined the Heat, or the Spurs, or whoever). Why did it have to be that Golden State team? That, my friend, is the issue we all have with his move.

[Adelaide Celt]

Draymond Green is easily more unlikable than LeBron James IMO. So glad the Cavs beat them last season.

[GreenFaith1819]

Lighten up, Draymond



Don't be so sensitive



That team is going to steamroll in the regular season versus the losing teams, face some stiff competition vs the better teams and then face a grind from round 1 of the playoffs and beyond.

The better defensive teams (CELTICS and a few others) will make life tough for them.

They'll also have a HUGE target  on their backs as well.

Additionally - with Draymond over-reacting to Paul Pierce here, I don't see them as being mentally tough at all.

You got Klay talking about "He isn't sacrificing ANYTHING" as far as offense....I think Steph said something similar.

It will be very interesting to see if they can figure this out.