2018 Around the NBA - November

Yeah poor KD being held back by Russ, KD sure lacked for shot attempts. I agree with you on Russ in a lot of ways, but KD was just as guilty of hero ball at times as Russ is/was. Yeah I know Russ could be a TO machine at times at the end of games, but KD was pretty choketastic at times too.

Edit: Even this thing with Draymond, KD wanted to play hero ball. He didnt run the court, just stood by the opponents basket clapping for the ball...

 

People keep letting Durant off the hook, instead blaming all the stars around him for breaking up the band. How many teams does KD get to be the behind-the-scenes cancer on? The whole franchise is bending over backwards to make him feel loved, but there's no reigning in a mouth like Draymond's.

 

Actually, he did - especially in the playoffs, especially in the 4th quarter of close games. Don't believe me, go back and look at the game logs and playoff series stats. Durant has always been a much more efficient scorer than Russ, yet Russ was constantly freezing out Durant in the 4th quarter of close games. It was Russ bringing the ball up the floor, Russ forcing up a bad, low percentage shot, or committing an unforced TOV as he tried to "take over" the game.

It's actually the thing I love the most about Russ and the reason OKC is ALWAYS in the top 1 or 2 in blown 4th quarter leads. It's so predictable, you'd think it would get boring. It hasn't. Durant's last season in OKC, he averaged 28.2 PPG and flirted with another 50/40/90 season, yet OKC led the league with 15 blown 4th quarter leads. They had one of the most efficient scorers in the game and won 55 games. If his PG hadn't of constantly froze KD out in the 4th quarter, they could have won 70 games that year. Wouldn't have mattered, they still would have choked in the playoffs and lost to GSW.

BNM

 

Behind the scenes cancer? Do you know something we don't know? Draymond is the one who called him a bitch and told him to leave, they won without him and don't need him. I'm not a Durant fan or apologist. I think joining OKC in 2016 was weak, but if anyone is "breaking up the band" it's Draymond. You're right, there is no reining in that mouth and THAT'S the problem.

BNM

 

KD has a long history of playoff choking. Blaming his woes on Russ isn't completely accurate.I don't really care, I just wanted an excuse to post the greatest hoops headline ever.

 

I get it man, Russ is a ballhog, but I just think it's really offbase to act like KD wasn't complicit in the hero ball, that he didn't choke a whole lot too. Sure maybe Russ was "worse", but KD had a very similar streak in him that Russ does.

 

Draymond is saying what less confrontational teammates wish they could get away with saying. Durant quits when the going gets tough, is careful to not present himself poorly in public yet never endears himself to the team, and hasn't shown a willingness to sacrifice any of his game to help those around him.

Curry sacrificed when Durant came in, and Harden sacrificed when CP3 came in. Durant and Westbrook were equally unwilling to sacrifice, but teammates actually like playing with Russ. That leaves Durant as the primary bitch of OKC's original Super Freaks.

 

I feel like Durant is weird enough to say fuck it and go somewhere the media doesn't want him to go, and somewhere that would flip the script. He's tight with C.J... I dunno. Bob Myers and Neil Olshey are close friends so I doubt Myers would spite Olshey in a S&T if Durant was trying to come here.

In the end, I think he ends up a New York Knick. I would love that too, TBH. G.S. is back to being beatable, Houston is aging and declining, LeBron is starting his decline in LA with no free agents joining him... That's the best case scenario IMO.

 

Did Oladipo and Sabonis like playing with Russ? They’ve played much better without him.

 

Publicly Olidipo said he did

 

Interesting.

 

The interview I saw, Olidipo seemed pretty happy he had the experience.. Now who knows if he was lying or not...

 

The rumor now is that Markelle Fultz got in a motorcycle accident and that's where his shot getting messed up came from.

 

Well, this is refreshing

 

I actually like the idea, at least theres no yip in there.

 

Yeah, lets show one play from a game where the Lakers gave up 130 to the Magic and lost.

 

Or just acknowledging a quality coast to coast play.

 

Why so angry?