NBA 2015/16 thread

TeWaio

Durant signs with Warriors. 
Booooooooo. <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/04/sport/kevin-durant-nba-free-agency/'>http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/04/sport/kevin-durant-nba-free-agency/</a>

canefan

Wow. I guess the whole starting 5 (minus the now outgoing Harrison Barnes) made an impression. Like LBJ before him KD clearly wants to win now. While nothing is guaranteed if they stay fit you can almost start engraving the trophy now. Who does OKC get now? Offer Dwayne Wade a deal? There's no one of Durant's calibre and if they want to keep the window barely ajar they need some fire-power

Baron Silas Greenback

His legacy will take a massive hit from this, he will be known as that guy for awhile. Rings wont really change that much. A rig is expected now, it wont be seen as much of an accomplishment. 
He wont be loathed, but his brand has taken a massive knock that will be hard to recover from. What exactly does brand KD stand for now? Giving up? Coat tailing? Being a massive talent that never really backed himself?
 
I like these quotes about it
 
â€œHeâ€™s the ultimate competitor, in that his ultimate objective is to have no competition.â€
 
â€œYouâ€™re not beating us, so you might as well join us.â€ And KD fell for it.
 
"LeBron saw something that could be special with him in Miami, and took it. KD saw something that was already special in GS, and jumped on"

Baron Silas Greenback

Also KD's decision has likely ensured there will be a lock out next negotiations.. next year. Owners are going to go for a hard cap this time and not take no for an answer.
 
That of course isn't directly KD's fault.
 
Anyone seen the tweet that he posted in 2010 ripping into stars forming super teams? Way to make yourself look a hypocrite. That tweet is just going to get repeated and repeated and repeated...

Sneakdefreak

Weak.........
 
Kevin Durant concedes that he just isn't good enough to lead a team to the title. That's how myself and most will read him signing with GSW.
 
Be interesting to see how Westbrook takes this. Is OKC his team now? Oladipo and Waiters are not bad scoring replacements (they're not Durant-type scorers but still not bad replacements).
 
No idea who plays the small forward role.

Baron Silas Greenback

lol...
 
That's a Robin move. Durant is forever a Robin now. He can win 10 rings. Still a Robin.

canefan

I wonder if the league will be compelled to make changes. The current rules, which allowed for a player's team to pay them considerably more than anyone else did not work in the Miami situation and now here as players who make shitloads more from endorsements don't see the size of the contract as the most important factor when weighing up where to play. The NBA has often had super teams and been very profitable at the same time. But if enough owners get jealous just like last time they might choose to alter the rules again

canefan

This new generation of players doesn't really care. In my youth no way magic teams up with Larry or Barkley with MJ. I'm sure KD will take his money and a ring if they win, and Nike will kill it in shoe sales again

Sneakdefreak

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote">
 
 
I wonder if the league will be compelled to make changes.</blockquote>
 
Don't forget pressure coming from the NFL and NHL owners - they won't be impressed to see these major contracts. After the first day of free agency, a bunch of NBA bench-warmers now make more money than 11 of the NFL's starting QBs. Tbf, the NBA players are just better at negotiating their terms around the various TV deals.

Baron Silas Greenback

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="canefan" data-cid="594039" data-time="1467674380">
<div>
This new generation of players doesn't really care. In my youth no way magic teams up with Larry or Barkley with MJ. I'm sure KD will take his money and a ring if they win, and Nike will kill it in shoe sales again
</div>
</blockquote>
 
 
Nah I reckon nothing has changed. This is a bitch move regardless of era.
He is a super star player, apparently he is a very nice guy, has done and given a lot to others. he doesnt become a villian because he changed teams. But the perception of him as a Beta and weak will now stick with him. He just has no real fighting spirit it would appear.

ACT Crusader

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="canefan" data-cid="594039" data-time="1467674380">This new generation of players doesn't really care. In my youth no way magic teams up with Larry or Barkley with MJ. I'm sure KD will take his money and a ring if they win, and Nike will kill it in shoe sales again</blockquote>
 
Magic didn't need to he had rings. Neither did Larry. 
But Barkley left Philly for a Suns team that had 2 all stars and then to a Rockets team that had two superstars in Dream and Drexler. He was chasing a ring.

barbarian

Ultimately, Baron, KD is only accountable to himself and who knows where his priorities lie? Who knows if he really cares about his legacy, or being seen as an 'alpha'? Maybe he just fucking loves winning, and wants to do it as much as possible, and he doesn't care who gets the credit?
 
The ridiculously high cap does contribute to all of this. Players can take a 'cut' and still get paid a ridiculous amount, $25m+ a year. 
 
I think we may end up seeing the Cavs beef up their roster next year, with one or more of Lebron's mates heading over to help out - Chris Paul, Carmelo, Wade etc. So we just end up with a central GSW/CLE rivalry, with a regular season that is largely irrelevant.

ACT Crusader

On the KD acquisition I don't really care. It's no different to many other acquisitions over the history of the NBA. 
What is an outrage is Barnes getting $90+ million....

barbarian

BTW these changes (inc. Bogut to the Mavs) have left my NBA fandom in a weird spot.
 
Do I stick with the Warriors and be accused of being a bandwagon jumper, someone who just cheers for the winning side?
 
Do I continue to follow Bogut, who is well past his prime and now with a team that will at best finish 7th in the West?
 
Do I hitch my wagon to another Aussie - Delly in Milwaulkee or Simmons in Philly?
 
Or do I pick another team completely and go for a plucky, skillful underdog, like Portland or Minnesota or Boston?
 
All advice welcome here.

reprobate

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="barbarian" data-cid="594055" data-time="1467676129">
<div>
BTW these changes (inc. Bogut to the Mavs) have left my NBA fandom in a weird spot.
 
Do I stick with the Warriors and be accused of being a bandwagon jumper, someone who just cheers for the winning side?
 
Do I continue to follow Bogut, who is well past his prime and now with a team that will at best finish 7th in the West?
 
Do I hitch my wagon to another Aussie - Delly in Milwaulkee or Simmons in Philly?
 
Or do I pick another team completely and go for a plucky, skillful underdog, like Portland or Minnesota or Boston?
 
All advice welcome here.
</div>
</blockquote>
as a west-islander surely you should be on the Adams bandwagon.

canefan

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="ACT Crusader" data-cid="594050" data-time="1467675699">
Magic didn't need to he had rings. Neither did Larry. 
But Barkley left Philly for a Suns team that had 2 all stars and then to a Rockets team that had two superstars in Dream and Drexler. He was chasing a ring.</blockquote>True dat. Magic's and bird's teams were stacked back then too

canefan

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="ACT Crusader" data-cid="594053" data-time="1467675987">
On the KD acquisition I don't really care. It's no different to many other acquisitions over the history of the NBA. 
What is an outrage is Barnes getting $90+ million.... :)</blockquote>Not just Barnes, all these mid or lower level guys are getting paid. Didn't Dellevadova sign an 18M USD per year deal? Crazy

mariner4life

Mills @ the Spurs. you know it makes sense. 
 
 
Ultimately, the NBA players association has to get a lot of credit for the deal they hammered out. There is massive increases in TV money coming in each year (apparently expect another big cap jump next season) and the players are guaranteed 50% of the TV money. Split between a small basketball roster, where really there are maybe 4 main guys you need, and these contracts are not surprising. Essentially the average salary is now $9M per season, so you look at the middle guy of your entire roster, and he is making that. Huge.

rotated

Obvious but strange reaction. If he had have gone to the Spurs there would have been none of these bandwagon allegations - yet they are only 365 days more removed from a title than the Warriors (and have added Aldridge in the interim). 
He left the Thunder because they are a poor franchise who never spent above the luxury tax when they had a championship team and stuck with a poor coach even two seasons too long. Oh yeah and check out the character part owner/chairman, well former, who had a nasty car accident as the Feds were closing in. 
I can only hope Adams leaves in free agency too. 
And I'm not a Warriors fan in the slightest. 
Guy wants to win a title, he thinks that is his best chance - good on him. I wouldn't want to play with Westbrook either.

ACT Crusader

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="barbarian" data-cid="594055" data-time="1467676129">BTW these changes (inc. Bogut to the Mavs) have left my NBA fandom in a weird spot. 
Do I stick with the Warriors and be accused of being a bandwagon jumper, someone who just cheers for the winning side? 
Do I continue to follow Bogut, who is well past his prime and now with a team that will at best finish 7th in the West? 
Do I hitch my wagon to another Aussie - Delly in Milwaulkee or Simmons in Philly? 
Or do I pick another team completely and go for a plucky, skillful underdog, like Portland or Minnesota or Boston? 
All advice welcome here.</blockquote>
 
Get on the Bucks. A good young team that are well coached. Just missing a piece or two.

The Silver Fern

NBA 2015/16 thread