No it didn't one series doesn't change what someone did the entire rest of the playoffs.
Harden also isn't stupid enough to re-sign at a price just because the coach/ownership was dumb enough to reduce his role in some gay attempt to make him think he's not as good and deserves less money. That's a sure fire way to gaurantee he leaves and won't re-sign at all.
And no, Fisher and Maynor are not more deserving of time on the court. Dumbest Thunder comment I've heard yet. Harden averaged 17 PPG last year, 49% FG%, 39% 3pt%, 85% FT%. On a winning team. . .with two ball hogs on the team sucking up possesions. Btw, .660 TS% which is ridiculously high. Durant's TS%: .610. Harden was the most efficient scorer on the team by far. He was also 2nd in the NBA in that category behind only Tyson Chandler who got practically all his baskets on alley oops.
Durant has reached his best. He peaked last season. You're not going to see him put up many more points than he has, or at a better efficiency. He will probably not ever rebound much more than he did, and he hasn't become a much better passer because he's too busy shooting. He's been in the NBA for 5 full seasons. Harden: 3 seasons. If anyone's improving, it's Harden. He's a full year younger than Durant and has 2 less NBA seasons under his belt. And Harden will rightfully leave after the season and go somewhere to get paid and get a lot more shots. Durant's defense might get a little better, but mainly due to the fact that it's not stellar now.
Durant ain't the best in the world, either. . .LeBron is clearly better.
Durant was good enough to give lebron a run for his money and look like his equal in the finals and this summer..not sure where you're getting your opinions from. It took guys like battier and miller really stepping up in a big way in order for them to win. Let's not act like durant didn't put up over 30ppg off 55% shooting and 39% from 3 that series.
That said, Lebron is #1 right now but they're pretty damn close.
Not really - Lebron is so far ahead defensively, in addition to what he does all around offensively, it's not that close. If KD (who is great) had to do what Lebron does on defense, not only would he fail at it (Lebron is a top 5 DPOY candidate IMO), but his offense would suffer.
As a team, in a way, yes. Why? Because of their best individual players. Let's see:
KD - no. I stand by my thoughts that if he gets his scrawny ass in the weight room, the NBA is his. He still has a high ceiling - which is scary in itself. But will he do it? We'll see. It was obvious in the Finals that if he had something in his back pocket, LeBron wouldn't have abused him.
Ibaka - pretty much. He has a good, still developing jumper. He is an athletic player with a ceiling of prime Kemp - but I don't see him reaching it playing with Chuckbrook on a team where KD needs his touches (& deservedly so).
Chuckbrook - what you see is what you get. I don't see him improving one bit over where he isasaplayer. He's a shoot 1st PG that would rather score then set up his teammates. If he had half a brain KD would average 35+ with him averaging 17/11+. Won't happen though and he'll be the reason why they won't go back to the Finals for at least the next 3 years.
Bin Harden - he'll look good during the RS, draw some BS free throws to boost his scoring average, and proceed to the bed when he matches up with an elite SG. Just like in the Finals. He's peaked. If they pay him max I'll laugh my ass off because he ain't worth it IMO.
Porkins - peaked. Can't score anything other than put backs. Great illegal screener.
As a group they are as good as they can be at this time. I believe my boys, if healthy, will take them out in no more than 6. People forget we were a few plays from being up 3-1 and in control of our playoff series with them. Now we've bolstered our bench (Jamison, Meeks, and possibly Barbosa). Upgraded the center position. Then let's not forget we filled our biggest hole at PG.
I'm looking forward to meeting up with them again.
Harden is not a max player. He isn't athletic, can't really create his own shot unless he throws himself to the floor and gets to the line, and his d is . Miami exposed him for what he is. It was funny as watching that average role player fail to "draw fouls" in the finals.
We will just disagree about that because to me Durant is the more dangerous offensive weapon and lebron has the edge defensively, even though Durant put up 30 off blazing 55% shooting against his "great d."
not at all his fault his team lost to us imho, we were just the better side to begin with and bron the better player than him, and the beard played like against us. dude got god's shooting hand and he's taller than anyone playing the position he plays, i'd say he's already a matchup nightmare being what he is.
dude's ceiling is in the sky imho. although his basketball skills are at a very high level where its very hard to make any further improvements, he can still grow maturer mentally which would significantly increase his overall rating. saying dude can still improve by establishing himself as a real leader that won't scruple to lambaste his teammates when they play bad, and have the ball in his own hands instead of chimpbrook's when really matters.
if chucbrook grows some more brain cells under his skull he's gonna be a deadly weapon tbh, and tony parker was just something similar when he first joined them spurs IIRC. pop forged him into a leader on the backcourt, brooks needs to do the same thing on chimpbrookIbaka - pretty much. He has a good, still developing jumper. He is an athletic player with a ceiling of prime Kemp - but I don't see him reaching it playing with Chuckbrook on a team where KD needs his touches (& deservedly so).
Chuckbrook - what you see is what you get. I don't see him improving one bit over where he isasaplayer. He's a shoot 1st PG that would rather score then set up his teammates. If he had half a brain KD would average 35+ with him averaging 17/11+. Won't happen though and he'll be the reason why they won't go back to the Finals for at least the next 3 years.
dude's reaching a road crossing of his career and also the team's future imho, if he learns to adjust his play to a more team-friendly style he's gonna make a vital piece on a champion team, and if not, he's gonna turn a team cancer like marbury and end up retiring in a ty league.
his real value has shrunk nearly by half after NBA finals and olympics but some stupid owners will still offer him max i think, and the thunder who're based in a small market will then have a hard choice to makeBin Harden - he'll look good during the RS, draw some BS free throws to boost his scoring average, and proceed to the bed when he matches up with an elite SG. Just like in the Finals. He's peaked. If they pay him max I'll laugh my ass off because he ain't worth it IMO.
dude still a nightmare to gasol though, and such a defensive presence is very valuable for such a team that doesn't pose too much threat in the paint at the offensive end imhoPorkins - peaked. Can't score anything other than put backs. Great illegal screener.
they're still a VERY young team and for most their nigs it's only their 3rd or 4th year playing together, don't forget even jordan had waited some 7yrs before winning his first NBA championship. not everyone got the dumb luck to play with a future HOFer from his rookie year imhoAs a group they are as good as they can be at this time. I believe my boys, if healthy, will take them out in no more than 6. People forget we were a few plays from being up 3-1 and in control of our playoff series with them. Now we've bolstered our bench (Jamison, Meeks, and possibly Barbosa). Upgraded the center position. Then let's not forget we filled our biggest hole at PG.
I'm looking forward to meeting up with them again.
Durant is the better scorer. LeBron is a better playmaker and not too bad of a scorer himself though, its close but I honestly wouldnt even give the offensive edge to Durant...defensively its a no contest.
Last time I looked, the Thunder ran the Fakers off the court in epic fashion. With the addition of Dwight Howard, suddenly everyone seems to think the Fakers have somehow "leapfrogged" the Thunder. Meanwhile, the Thunder are still younger, quicker and more versatile than the Fakers and Spurs. They have gained far more experience from each playoff failure they have encountered. All this means to me is that they CAN and WILL continue to keep improving. As young as they are, I certainly don't believe they've reached their ceiling yet. And they keep adding talent via the draft.
All that said, and as far as I'm concerned, the Thunder are still the team to beat in the West, until some other team can prove otherwise.
What run for his money? LeBron won 4-1. He backdoor swept Durant and co.
How can you not know where someone gets their opinions from? They come from within themselves based on what they've seen. Do you think some magical invisible person whispers opinions into people's ears to say or something? I hope that isn't how you get your opinions.
He didn't look like LeBron's equal either in ANY facet of the game besides putting the ball in the basket.
LeBron's defense: destroys Durant's defense. OKC got shat on the whole series. Durant nearly fouled out 3 times because he doesn't know how to play real defense without resorting to hacking people on the wrists and elbows.
Passing and playmaking: LeBron destroys Durant. Durant's assists per game in Finals: 2.1. LeBron's: 6.1 (including 25 assists in the last 2 games). LeBron literally had more assists in EACH of the last two games of the Finals than Durant did in all 5 games combined. You could also break out assist to turnover ratio to make Durant look even more like compared to LeBron. LeBron's Ast/TO ratio: 1.95/1. Durant's: 0.58/1.
Rebounding: kicked Durant's ass in the Finals. Out rebounded him every game but the last one where Durant barely managed to tie him. Durant: 6 boards a game in finals. LeBron: 10.2 boards a game
The only category he kept up in, as I said, was scoring. That's what Durant's good at. He is not a complete package like LeBron. Which is why LeBron is the better player. PPG isn't everything. Wise up.
Durant shrunk more and more as the series went on. Good first game. Average second game ( at everything but scoring). Poor third game. 4th game, was practically a ghost if he wasn't shooting. Got blown out in game 5. While LeBron was ting on him the whole time and getting better as the series went along.
So I ask you, "where do you get your opinions from"? LeBron beat the brakes off Durant both statistically and with the "eye test". Matched up with him well? lmao. No he didn't. He pulled a Kobe and did practically nothing but score. LeBron's a "5 tool player", Durant's got like 2 tools. Or one tool and two half tools if you want to be specific. Can sorta rebound and sorta defend, but can score well. Can't pass for . LeBron can shoot, pass, defend, rebound, and score in the post. And does it all well.
durant is in a similar situation to what bron faced playing in cleveland imho, although the likes of beard and westchuck are better players than Mo williams and gooden, they're still overrated to some extent and not capable of giving much aid to durant when it's urgently needed, they're way off the standard of guys that bron currently plays with.
honestly you can't expect D35 to do much more & better in his individual play than he already does, what he really needs to improve now is his mental attributes. dude's definitely the best player on his team (though chimpchuck might disagree) and is often assumed as the team's leader, and he must learn to behave like one imho.
Well he did suffer an injury...
While, OKC failed miserably without Westbrook, I also seem him as the weak link which keeps them from a championship. OKC has no one who can distribute the ball and get others involved. They were too use to Westbrook's volume shooting. I think they should keep Ibaka and Durrant, and trade Westbrook to better fill out the other three positions. Letting Harden get away was a big mistake.
Well he did suffer an injury...
this tbh
Right, because shaq didn't have to wait until Kobe peaked before he was allowed to win chips
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