NBA Season - 2013-2014

[gblews]

Yes, congrats to KD, very deserving of the honor. Towards the end there, it was sounding like LeBron was lobbying for him too.

Wonder if this will have any additional affect on his on court relationship with Westbrook. Thie Thunder should be "Durant's team" and any misreading of that fact by his teammates could derail their season.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

Durant wins when it comes to the human being thing. That's for sure.

I'm not surprised the Thunder thudded like a brick that first game against the Clippers. They've been up, down, up, down, playing up or down to competition or riding a tetter totter up one game down the next since the All Star Break. They're a schizophrenic bunch, my boys.

As far as Harden goes, he wanted to be the number one go to guy on a team. Which is fine. TPTB weren't willing to mortgage the future to keep Harden in the present. It is what it is. As to whether the Thunder bench can play four consistent, excellent games to coalesce into that Harden presence....who knows? They're a terrific bench one game, then they crater. If Butler and Sephalosha play the way they did last night every night, I'd be hopeful that a victory against Miami is possible. But will they play that way consistently? We'll see. Long way to go.

Griffin has turned into a punk since he left Oklahoma. I'm sure his extremely conservative parents weren't thrilled that he had an "out of wedlock" child with that girl, the one who also has a child by the quarterback. I forget her name. Tawdry business, that.

 

[Yanks]

Durant is the MVP. Great choice. A great player and not the me-first type so many are.

I saw his acceptance speech yesterday and got a little choked up. He's very humble, and just a really classy guy.

I love it when you "get know know" an athlete a little more and they reveal what you've expected all along.

I'd take him to start my team over anyone else in the league.

 

[Captrek]

I'd take him to start my team over anyone else in the league.

Easy pick. Other than LeBron, is there even another candidate?

 

[Yanks]

I'd take him to start my team over anyone else in the league.

Easy pick. Other than LeBron, is there even another candidate?

I wouldn't touch LeBron.

But you're right, not much out there. Especially not much that plays bth sides of the ball.

I just don't like the NBA much anymore.

I root for the Spurs in the play-offs... that's about it anymore.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

Wonder if this will have any additional affect on his on court relationship with Westbrook. Thie Thunder should be "Durant's team" and any misreading of that fact by his teammates could derail their season.

Westbrook isn't resentful of Durant. If they don't win the championship, it's not going to be because of this on anyone's part. Westbrook and Durant have always gotten along.

 

[gblews]

Wonder if this will have any additional affect on his on court relationship with Westbrook. Thie Thunder should be "Durant's team" and any misreading of that fact by his teammates could derail their season.

Westbrook isn't resentful of Durant. If they don't win the championship, it's not going to be because of this on anyone's part. Westbrook and Durant have always gotten along.

It's not so much a matter of them getting along or not. It is how they pay together. Westbrook, despite his immense talent, is a "sidekick", at least as long as he is playing with Durant. Westbrook may understand this in his mind. He knows that KD is the no. 1 option, and he should be deferring to KD. But does Westbrook do this on the court?

Whne I watch the Thunder, it strikes me that Westbrook plays like he and Durant are equals and that can be a big problem. Kobe and Shaq worked so well on court (especially in the playoffs) was because Kobe knew his role. He deferred to Shaq when they were in the game together.

Winning MVP further solidifies the feeling that KD is THE guy. Is it going to lead to Westbrook deciding to fall in line or might it cause him to want even more to show on court that despite lacking an MVP selection, he (Westbrook) is still a star. OTOH, if Westbrook doesn't know, then perhaps it is the coache's fault. Scott Brooks is sitting on an ejector seat, IMO.

 

[Borgminister]

If Westbrook goes 20-10 and a smattering of rebounds from here on our, and Durant remains Durant, I see an NBA title on the horizon.

If not, San Antonio is a machine.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

I concur, Borgminister.

Hey, I see Brooklyn won a game. Miami is actually going to have to play an extra game and expend a little effort. Will wonders never cease? They need to seed the playoff teams 1-16 regardless of conference. Wasn't there a proposal like that in the works? I'm tired of the eastern conference winner being freshly rested.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

To be fair, the Eastern Conference winner was not historically freshly rested, it's just that Miami is very good right now (although rest can lead to rust and all that). I'm still a fan of preserving Conferences. I think it promotes better rivalries and makes the experience more fun. It's probably why those proposals never got much traction.

 

[gblews]

If Westbrook goes 20-10 and a smattering of rebounds from here on our, and Durant remains Durant, I see an NBA title on the horizon.
.

But this is the question, will Westbrook's quest for these numbers allow Room for Durant to be who he needs to be? I don't think it is a sure thing. BTW, I didn't see the game Thursday night or hear the numbers, but I assume Westbrook's line was
in the 20-10 range. Keep in mind that there more games to be played.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

&$$#@!)%$%%. They reverted to every bad habit they have in the last 4 minutes of that game. Durant and Westbrook not moving the ball around when they had been all game. There was no need for it. I respect the Clippers' talent and they executed well (duh) in the 4th quarter, but there is ZERO. EXCUSE. to give up a 22 point lead. ZERO. EXCUSE.

EVER. It makes me want to scream.

My Thunder will never win a championship if they cannot keep their foot on a team's throat. World of difference between 3-1 and 2-2, guys. You could have driven in that third nail and broken the Clippers' collective spirit. Miami will murder you if you take your damn foot off the gas like that. So will San Antonio. They are too disciplined. I can handle being defeated but it makes me want to put my fist through a wall when my team gives it up like that. The Clippers were great, but they left openings and opportunities. The Thunder refused to take them.

 

[Captrek]

Gotta say the Spurs are looking a lot better than the Thunder right now. The Eastern Conference champion is obviously a foregone conclusion, so we're going to see Spurs-Heat again in the Finals.

 

[gblews]

The Eastern Conference champion is obviously a foregone conclusion, so we're going to see Spurs-Heat again in the Finals.

Thay are playing well against an inexperienced Blazer team, but its not an absolute certainty. The Spurs have never gone to back to back Finals. So we'll see.

I'm going to go out on a limb and predict the rest of of the Clips/Thunder series. Thunder win game 5 at home. Clips take game 6 and Thunder win game 7.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

I'm going to go out on a limb and predict the rest of of the Clips/Thunder series. Thunder win game 5 at home. Clips take game 6 and Thunder win game 7.

That is a distinct possibility. I'm sure my Thunder will learn from this debacle and, ultimately, they are a better team overall than the Clippers. Against San Antonio's consistency? I just don't know. The Thunder are either bloody brilliant or perfecting spectacular collapses. Before the all Star Break they're unbeatable. After the break it's up, down, up, down. You literally never know which team you're going to get.

They know they can't go down 3-2. I'll be shocked if they don't win game five at home. Still, a series win would have been all but a foregone conclusion if they could have HELD a 22 POINT LEAD!! Feast or famine.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

With Donald Sterling not knowing when to STFU, I wonder, what other powers does the league have to deal with him?

If he and/or his wife refuse to sell the team voluntarily, what can be done? Could the league suspend operations of the team itself and ban them from playing?

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I thought they could force a change in ownership with a certain percentage of the vote.

I think his wife has a good point since she's 50% owner. There's an argument she should be able to keep her share. Really, the biggest issue right now is a tax issue. If they can come up with a clever way to transfer income and control of the team to someone new while maintaining title of the team until after the team is inherited by his children (who then sell it to the new owner), that would probably be best for all (besides the IRS).

 

[Captrek]

They don't each own 50% of the team. They jointly own 100% of it.

 

[Borgminister]

Westbrook sure took a page out of the flopping book he was venting about...

Man what a game... got to give it to Chris Paul for admitting "it's on me". Admirable.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

Wild game.