Playoffs, 1st round elimination-2010
Playoffs, WCF elimination-2011
Playoffs, NBA finals loser-2012
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-2013
Discuss.
IMO they're all still VERY young and haven't even hit their athletic primes yet so they'll only get better. Im expecting them to get back to the finals next year even with LA coming back up. Chemistry takes time and I don't think LA can make it back that fast
OKC is still the favorite out West, but, it will be interesting to see how they respond to losing in the finals. I'm not sure Nash really makes the Lakers any better overall given that he plays no defense, is very limited in his minutes and almost 40.
Can't wait for the season to start.
They gotta dump Westbrick.
Dump Westbrick and re-sign Harden
Agree with this. You don't really see the evolution of teams anymore since the advent of FA (or serious FA movement). Back in the day the Celtics had to beat the Sixers, the Pistons had to struggle through the C's, and the Bulls had to pay their dues vs the Pistons.
In each of those instances the cores of those teams matured/evolved together and became winners--they all also had the talent to do it as well--something OKC has too. They'll win a couple if they keep it together, imo.
OKC will ring sometime. I'd say as soon as Bron begins to decline. One thing to look at it also is OKC's ladyluck in terms of injuries to core players...even at a young age, playing basketball year round for consecutive years has to have some sort of physical toll...especially for a pseudo-physically weak player like KD. Same thing could be said for Westbrook who plays really hard. and it doesn't have to take a catastrophic injury like a torn acl to a player up...a player could begin to slow down with something like plantar fasciiitis...again, this is just something to look out for. I wouldn't be surprised if RW suffers some sort of injury this upcoming season.
You never know. Everyone thought the Magic would be back in the Finals a bunch of times after 1995 and they never were.
To me the biggest question is chemistry between Durant and Westbrook. Can two guys who love shooting and having the ball in their hands as much as they do co-exist long-term?
Good q.
The RW in games 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the WCF deferred to KD and played within the team. So he has shown to be that type of player...
I think that's his next step as a player...until he learns to defer to KD on a more consistent basis, he'll continue to ruin his team's chances with a hybrid of hero/monkey ball antics.
They peaked tbh.... either they're stuck overpaying Flop So Harden, or they're stuck overpaying DeAndre Ibaka, tbh....
They peaked with this current team. They still need a scoring bigman (@ anyone who thinks Ibaka is the answer) and James Harden is an nonathletic guard who is useless when he isn't bulldozing his way to the line. Durant will get better, but Chimpbrook is the still short tempered alpha dog for the team. IF OKC wants to ring, they will have to trade one of these guys. This current team just isn't good enough as is, and it clearly showed in the finals.
Do you think the Clipples will make it back to the finals before the Thnder
This troll has run its course, Spurfan... your "Homeland Security" troll is more interesting at this point, B....
I agree with the people who say drop Westbrick. He is holding the team back. If they had a pass first guard they would be unstoppable but instead they have some chump taking more shots than the scoring champ, seems odd to me. Westbricks shots are mostly out of control drives at the basket or stupid pull ups, wouldn't it be better for Durant to be taking the shots
All who say this is nothing more than foolish little school girls who let me as a 5 yr old play with their white little flowers....
Russell is the real heart and soul of that team. Personally I would love if they got Westbrook out of the West unless of course they want to package him for Nash and Jamison and a couple if expirings....
Okay so explain why they are better with him thereAll who say this is nothing more than foolish little school girls who let me as a 5 yr old play with their white little flowers....
Son you don't even want me to do that...because if I do I'm gonna relate it to sex....
Penetrate penetrate ing penetration. When he's does this it opens the pussy up for Durant to stroke it the way he does. Westbrook is responsible for getting that pussy wet. Once does then everyone else on the team can take turns busting nuts on the gang bang...
He also plays better man to man than Durant. That nikka Durant won't play no D to save his life at least WB tries and is decent. Harding is nothing but fools gold...watch him drop off after he gets paid.
They definitely peaked. 2011: Only made WCF because Ginobili broke his elbow and Spurs got knocked out. Only made Finals last year due to the "Angel of Stern" clearly intervening in game 6.
OKC will lose in the 2nd round or WCF, depending on how they seed and if they can manage to avoid both the Spurs and Lakers in round 2. I don't see OKC beating both teams unless they're playing hurt.
Also, Harden's gone unless he takes a lot less than he can get elsewhere. OKC will drop off next year when he's gone. Not replacable with a mere MLE player. There's also a chance OKC will trade Harden mid-season for draft picks. Their owner is a cheap piece of crap, so don't be surprised if it happens Thunder fans.
time to revoke the old rule "you don't win rings w/o quality bigs", monkey ball worked for us last season and it'll work for OKC too. i have no doubt the OKC will win a couple rings with their quad core playing together but it's not yet time for it to happen as long as bron/wade still play in their primes tbh
How can they have peaked if durant and westbrook are going to be better? The question should be will they improve enough to beat the other teams that are in their way.
Nash would be perfect on that team. Pass to KD in his favored spots and be a good shooter to keep defenses honest. Some would say Rondo because he's also pass-first but the thing is he hasn't helped the Celtics achieve a top offense.
They brought it on themselves by building a core around successive top 4 picks.
Only draft steal they've gotten so far is Ibaka, and the 2008 Draft was stacked.
In a way they remind me of the early 2000s Mavs.
Imagine if they traded Perkins for an offensive big.
they need some 3pt fire from their PG which little rondo would provide none of. nash fits perfectly into the description of a pass-first guard and he also shoots 3's on a consistent basis, but the vacuum he leaves at the defensive end would be something to worry about imho.
You two are being overly presumptuous that they're keeping their entire core. Harden is on his last year and is deserving of a huge deal. I seriously doubt Harden will waste his time and talents at a severely reduced pay in OKC when he can go to any number of teams and get an extra 5-8 shots a game and put up over 20 a night on some eastern conference team and get some possible all star appearances and shoe deals and .
Dude's too good to be playing on the same team with Durant and Westbrook. The guy's walking at the end of the season or getting traded. Reality check time.
I also don't think Durant's getting any better. I think what we're seeing is what he will be. You can't look at age and say hey, guys that come in at 21-22 usually start their prime years at 26, so Durant will improve until he's 26! No. . .guys that start at 18-19 usually start their primes at 22-23. It's years in the NBA that does it, not age. And Durant turns 24 in a week. Dude has already peaked after FIVE years in the NBA.
You'd be crazy to think he's going to significantly improve anymore now. Not gonna happen after 5 years.
beard 's value has been halved after his ty performances both in the NBA finals and the olympics, and maybe coach brooks will purposefully reduce his role the coming season in order to sign him for a reasonable price come the end of season, and it may be beneficial to beard himself too as he really needs a kick up his ass. they got good depth on the bench with maynor, fisher etc who're all deserving of more time on the court so there's no major concern of the team being weakened playing less beard imho
durant has yet to reach the best he can be imho, he has little room to improve in his skills as he's probably already the best of the world in this assort, but i believe he can still improve in his Defense and if he puts up a bit more weight while keeping his agility he'd be a defenders' nightmare, instead of one that could easily be locked down by certain defenders like marion, battier etc...
Last edited by Latarian Milton; 09-16-2012 at 10:33 PM.
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