If you were starting an NBA team, who would you rather build around - Durant or Bron?

[FTBS]

I don't know what Durant would've done with that Cleveland squad.


But if the Thunder win it all this year.



It proves that you can build a championship team around Durant.Not only that, the way he came through in the clutch the last two games was on some Michael Jordan/Kobe Bryant shyt.


And it's not like he's being set up by his teammates.This dude is basically creating his own offense when his team needs it the most.


He's playing at the same level as Dirk during the Mavs run last year, except he's nowhere near his prime like Dirk was.



He just has "it"....Haven't seen it with Bron yet.It's not like Lebron has been on horrible teams.His teams do enough to keep the game close, but he's just not stepping up and closing it out.



Durant is doing it against the most experienced/battle tested team of the last 13-14 yrs



That's Brons weakness.He's not a closer.If he was, he'd probably be the the GOAT....or at the very least #2 GOAT next to Mike

The thing about closing is you have to get there first. You will have a better chance to get there with Russell, Harden, Ibaka than you will with Sasha, Hughes, and Big Z. Durant is a scorer, his game is not being a primary ballhandler and setting others up. Just based on his game there is no way he could have done what Lebron did with them. When you talk about building a team you are more likely to have a team like that Cleveland team rather than hitting the lottery multiple times like OKC did.

I'm not gonna deny the fact that superstars have to make plays in the clutch however I think people way to much stock in scoring late in games and totally ignore all it takes to get there. In Bron you have a guy who can get you 30 every night with ease while setting other guys up, defending the best guy on the other team, and grabbing boards. To me that's easier to build around than a clutch scorer who really doesn't bring much else to the table just ask Melo.

 

[Mic-Nificent]

Durant would have left Cleveland too after being there for 7 years. Hell anyone would.

Durant wouldn't have left Cleveland. He seems to be much more concerned with winning than the celebrity bullshyt or living in a big city.

One thing people never give the Cavs credit for is that they genuinely did want to build a championship team and were willing to spend money to do it. Hell they constantly consulted Lebron on various trades. They just fukked up and put WAY too much faith in one dude.

 

[JT-Money]

Durant wouldn't have left Cleveland. He seems to be much more concerned with winning than the celebrity bullshyt or living in a big city.

One thing people never give the Cavs credit for is that they genuinely did want to build a championship team and were willing to spend money to do it. Hell they constantly consulted Lebron on various trades. They just fukked up and put WAY too much faith in one dude.

I don't think the Cavs front office did as good a job as the Thunder building through the draft. The Cavs kept having the best record every year and missing out on high draft picks. If they tanked an couple more seasons like when they got Lebron they could have drafted some decent players to play alongside him. Especially since no free-agent was going to sign with Cleveland the draft was the only way. OKC got lucky they drafted so well and got all these young players.

 

[Mic-Nificent]

I don't think the Cavs front office did as good a job as the Thunder building through the draft. The Cavs kept having the best record every year and missing out on high draft picks. If they tanked an couple more seasons like when they got Lebron they could have drafted some decent players to play alongside him. Especially since no free-agent was going to sign with Cleveland the draft was the only way. OKC got lucky they drafted so well and got all these young players.

They didn't do as good of a job, but they tried. A lot of teams clearly don't give a fukk.

They were in a position where they couldn't tank. That would have reflected poorly on Lebron and increased the chances of driving him away. They essentially tired what San Antonio did, they had their top draft pick and tried to compliment his skills with a bunch of solid role players that were overlooked by other teams.

I still think the biggest mistake they made for their team (and Lebron) was not pushing him to play at the point.

 

[MooseMouthMthafuga]

The thing about closing is you have to get there first. You will have a better chance to get there with Russell, Harden, Ibaka than you will with Sasha, Hughes, and Big Z. Durant is a scorer, his game is not being a primary ballhandler and setting others up. Just based on his game there is no way he could have done what Lebron did with them. When you talk about building a team you are more likely to have a team like that Cleveland team rather than hitting the lottery multiple times like OKC did.

I'm not gonna deny the fact that superstars have to make plays in the clutch however I think people way to much stock in scoring late in games and totally ignore all it takes to get there. In Bron you have a guy who can get you 30 every night with ease while setting other guys up, defending the best guy on the other team, and grabbing boards. To me that's easier to build around than a clutch scorer who really doesn't bring much else to the table just ask Melo.

That's what I'm saying.Lebron has been there, he just can't close it out.


He was there the last 2 games against the Celts...nothing.



Maybe it's not fair to Lebron.Not many players have the mentality for it.It's an exclusive class.



If Lebron and KD switched teams right now, the Thunder would probably be down 3-2 to the Spurs, but the Heat probably would've eliminated the Celtics.


Those games have basically come down to the last 2 minutes.

 

[Street Knowledge]

Lebron left the best team in the NBA 2 years in a row to go ringchase.

What part of the game is that

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

If Lebron and KD switched teams right now, the Thunder would probably be down 3-2 to the Spurs, but the Heat probably would've eliminated the Celtics.

Nah, Thunder would've eliminated the Spurs by now.

 

[Mic-Nificent]

Lebron left the best team in the NBA 2 years in a row to go ringchase.

What part of the game is that

You know that's not how shyt works with Lebron.....


Whatever team Lebron is on is the best and deepest team in the league during the regular season, because his greatness makes everyone around him 100x better...

But when the post season rolls around and the team runs into trouble, it's ALL the fault of his bum ass support cast. You know, guys like Mo Williams, Antwan Jamison, Shaq, Wade, and Chris Bosh. You can't expect Lebron to carry those bums during the regular season AND the post season...he gets tired, he doesn't have the young legs of a Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, or Kevin Garnett.....

 

[Street Knowledge]

You know that's not how shyt works with Lebron.....


Whatever team Lebron is on is the best and deepest team in the league during the regular season, because his greatness makes everyone around him 100x better...

But when the post season rolls around and the team runs into trouble, it's ALL the fault of his bum ass support cast. You know, guys like Mo Williams, Antwan Jamison, Shaq, Wade, and Chris Bosh. You can't expect Lebron to carry those bums during the regular season AND the post season...he gets tired, he doesn't have the young legs of a Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, or Kevin Garnett.....

These nikkaz can't have it both ways.

It can't be when everything is going good "Lebron is carrying these bumbs, he won 60 games with garbage"

Then when things blowup in the playoffs, it's "well you can't win by yourself"

Even tho these nikkaz just told me he won 60 games by himself

 

[YBE]

These nikkaz can't have it both ways.

It can't be when everything is going good "Lebron is carrying these bumbs, he won 60 games with garbage"

Then when things blowup in the playoffs, it's "well you can't win by yourself"

Even tho these nikkaz just told me he won 60 games by himself

i thought you knew breh....Bron has the best built-in excuses

all of this shyt is voided anyway. he plays with Bosh & Wade

 

[Street Knowledge]

i thought you knew breh....Bron has the best built-in excuses

all of this shyt is voided anyway. he plays with Bosh & Wade

if he woulda played OK in the 4th quarter in the finals last year they sweep the Mavs or win in 5.

Not great, Ok

 

[klientel]

I feel like it's easier to build around Bron, because he does everything, than KD.....

 

[FTBS]

That's what I'm saying.Lebron has been there, he just can't close it out.


He was there the last 2 games against the Celts...nothing.



Maybe it's not fair to Lebron.Not many players have the mentality for it.It's an exclusive class.



If Lebron and KD switched teams right now, the Thunder would probably be down 3-2 to the Spurs, but the Heat probably would've eliminated the Celtics.


Those games have basically come down to the last 2 minutes.

What boat would the Thunder be in had they been playing without Harden for the last 9 games? The Heat with a healthy Bosh easily dispatch of the Pacers in 4 or 5 and are likely up 3-2 if not already done with the C's. You really think Durant would have been able to bang down low with the likes of West, KG, Hibbert, and Bass?

Let's not act like Durant hasn't had 4th qtr disappearing acts himself. Pretty sure we would see more if he was asked to do as much as Lebron on a game in game out basis. With all do respect to KD there are other players who can step up in the last two minutes and make plays for you. How many can do all the things Lebron can do for you? In Cleveland he actually did close games. I have no idea what has happened since he went to MIA though.

 

[CrimsonTider]

How in the hell can anyone say KD?

 

[FTBS]

These nikkaz can't have it both ways.

It can't be when everything is going good "Lebron is carrying these bumbs, he won 60 games with garbage"

Then when things blowup in the playoffs, it's "well you can't win by yourself"

Even tho these nikkaz just told me he won 60 games by himself

I wouldn't say he won 60 games by himself but he certainly did as much as one guy could do for a team those years. There really isn't anything contradictory about those statements though. He carried his team as far as one man could and when they ran into an actual team with more than one dependable option in the playoffs his one man show wasn't enough. Just look at the Orlando series, what more do you think he should have done in that series? All champions have more than one guy you can depend on. Please list for me all the dependable guys that Bron had in Cleveland. He had that guy in the Finals last year and inexplicably went female and that cannot be explained or excused. This year however he's been the most consistent guy on the Heat and Wade aka the closer, Batman, the nikka whose team it is, the nikka with all the heart, the nikka who single handedly carried the Heat to a title 6 years ago has been up and down and hasn't done shyt in the clutch himself. Bron may have very well squandered his once chance at a ring last year.