In hindsight KD making deep Western Conference runs with Yung Sabo is incredible

[CantStop]

I love shytting on Westbrook as much as the next guy but let’s not pretend he’s Ramon fukking Sessions

 

[Trojan 24]

No they werent.

They had just went to the WCF the year before.

And why has no team won in the modern era?

Because no team drafted THREE STRAIGHT MVP caliber players. They were the exception. That title was there for the taking.

Harden hadn't even truly emerged yet. But It's just what young teams do. Same reason a team with

Nick Van Excel/ Fisher
Eddie Jones/Kobe
Rick Fox
Robert Horry
Shaq/Elden Cambell

Lost to the old ass Jazz in 4

 

[Loose]

No they werent.

They had just went to the WCF the year before.

And why has no team won in the modern era?

Because no team drafted THREE STRAIGHT MVP caliber players. They were the exception. That title was there for the taking.

They had enough to win.

Some real fukking revisionist history none of them were anywhere near close to how they were in their respective mvp seasons especially Westbrook and harden. Both was a little over 22 years old in the finals, whens the last time a team comprised of 22 and 23 year olds won against superstar vets?

 

[I AM WARHOL]

Yes HE had that.

However, there is something you're overlooking. The Heat were not what we all thought they'd be. They never really matched what they were on paper. By the time the Heat won their 1st championship Wade was on the decline.

Bron's squad was stacked no doubt. I've told you before LeBron had every intention on his team being dominant as the KD Warriors. He had every intention on it being easy as hell. I admit that.

For me at least, if it would have been that easy then I think Bron's legacy would have a taken a hit (or not grown as much as it did) However, it was clear Wade wasnt what he use to be and Bosh suffered the most by being a 3rd wheel. That lack of offensive cohesion is why they had issues in the playoffs.

In OKC that team had enough to win in 2012.

By 2013 Russ was clearly better than Wade and eventually Kyrie.

In GS everything flowed perfectly.

KD chose wisely.

If you dont see how that's done juelzing I honestly dont know what to tell you.

All I know is I consider fit when it comes to who I consider better. There is no amount of talented players, any which way you want to play them, that adding KD would hurt or diminish at all.

If you have a team with still prime wade and bosh and your presence/ fit is a reason you did not maximize your winning potential as a team, then you are part of a problem and it wouldnt be something I'd use to give you credit. KDs ability to seamlessly fit on a team while letting everyone max out is a positive that cant be understated in a team sport. Especially in this superteam age

 

[Dr. Narcisse]

Harden hadn't even truly emerged yet. But It's just what young teams do. Same reason a team with

Nick Van Excel/ Fisher
Eddie Jones/Kobe
Rick Fox
Robert Horry
Shaq/Elden Cambell

Lost to the old ass Jazz in 4

Cant compare 19 year old Kobe to 23 year old Westbrook and Harden at 22 > Eddie Jones.

I get what you're saying. However, (and I'm not including you since you thought the Heat would win easily) that was not the thought process at the time for most either.

People trying to make it seem like the Cavs in 07...oh yea they were suppose to lose. Naw that wasnt what people were saying with the Heat's health coming into the finals.

 

[Trojan 24]

Cant compare 19 year old Kobe to 23 year old Westbrook and Harden at 22 > Eddie Jones.

I get what you're saying. However, (and I'm not including you since you thought the Heat would win easily) that was not the thought process at the time for most either.

People trying to make it seem like the Cavs in 07...oh yea they were suppose to lose. Naw that wasnt what people were saying with the Heat's health coming into the finals.

I thought they had a punchers chance, especially if 2011 Finals Bron showed up. But of course he didn't, so it was a wrap

 

[I AM WARHOL]

Harden hadn't even truly emerged yet. But It's just what young teams do. Same reason a team with

Nick Van Excel/ Fisher
Eddie Jones/Kobe
Rick Fox
Robert Horry
Shaq/Elden Cambell

Lost to the old ass Jazz in 4

If we took 2013 Giannis and put him at the end of the bench of the Thunder, nikkas would still be like "KD lost with 3 future MVPs!!!"

 

[murksiderock]

That's just a ridiculous statement

Is it? You wanna make a case for those Grizzlies teams KD faced being better than the Bulls teams LeBron faced? Line em up bro, the difference is marginal, the teams they actually had to play in the postseason were pretty equal caliber, unless you're strictly and specifically gonna hang your hat on an irrelevant Bobcats team (to which I'll raise you how beating a ~45-win Mavs team was more impressive)....

The quality opponents they both played were fairly equal caliber...

Bro look at how far back you have to go to try to find an equivalent . Yes they were kids. Going that far with your top 3 players being 23 and younger was completely unprecedented

I don't have to go back that far. Can't compare the three best players that young to anything, but this conversation was about Durant specifically as the lead dog...

Actually the convo started because per usual, threads that don't have anything to do with LeBron, you guys love making it a LeBron topic---->you introduced LeBron into this convo on some slick (but inaccurate) shyt lol...

LeBron was a Year 4 player in '07, same age as '11 KD vs Dallas, and put on an absolute iconic performance vs a team in the middle of a mini-dynasty run. Wade was a Year 3 player in '06. Duncan was a Year 2 player in '99. By the way, they were all performing superbly vs veteran-laden opponents and there are examples throughout NBA history of young wolves destroying shyt at an immaculate level at young ages, so your veteran/kids point doesn't hold up. You want to gloss over it because it doesn't fit the Durant story you're trying to tell...

Were the examples I listed more exceptions to the rule than the norm? Sure, I'd say that, but we're talking about a transcendent, historically great player in KD, just like the other guys. You can't use the "he was a kid" when he played poorly when other guys at the same age or younger were outperforming him...

 

[I AM WARHOL]

Is it? You wanna make a case for those Grizzlies teams KD faced being better than the Bulls teams LeBron faced? Line em up bro, the difference is marginal, the teams they actually had to play in the postseason were pretty equal caliber, unless you're strictly and specifically gonna hang your hat on an irrelevant Bobcats team (to which I'll raise you how beating a ~45-win Mavs team was more impressive)....

The quality opponents they both played were fairly equal caliber...



I don't have to go back that far. Can't compare the three best players that young to anything, but this conversation was about Durant specifically as the lead dog...

Actually the convo started because per usual, threads that don't have anything to do with LeBron, you guys love making it a LeBron topic---->you introduced LeBron into this convo on some slick (but inaccurate) shyt lol...

LeBron was a Year 4 player in '07, same age as '11 KD vs Dallas, and put on an absolute iconic performance vs a team in the middle of a mini-dynasty run. Wade was a Year 3 player in '06. Duncan was a Year 2 player in '99. There are examples throughout NBA history of young wolves destroying shyt at an immaculate level at young ages. You want to gloss over it because it doesn't fit the Durant story you're trying to tell...

Bro you're wrong. If you dont see that, it is what it is

 

[Ben.]

The real revisionist history is acting like KD wasnt universally top 2 before his injury and before the went to the warriors.

The real revisionist history is pretending that the level of difficulty in the east is equal to the west.

The real revisionist history is forgetting who squaded up in the weaker east.

All things equal, Bron and KD are right with each other. Only difference is Bron bring the chosen 1, east coast bias, and the east conference.

To me it's really about godly scoring versatility and godly shot creation vs God tier driving and elite passing. And I know personally, give me the walking bucket 10 out of 10 times

All Time level WOAT posting

The real revisionist history is acting like KD was on Brons level in 2012-1016

The Real revisionist history is acting like KD wasn't up 3-1 and blew that lead and then dipped on a capable team with a top 10 player on his team.

The Real revisionist history is forgetting who joined up on an already 73-9 super team that just beat him

Only difference is KD having better teams earlier in his career and playing with a top 10 player years before Bron ever got to in comparison.

Only point you have here is West being stronger than the East most of the time

 

[Dr. Narcisse]

Some real fukking revisionist history none of them were anywhere near close to how they were in their respective mvp seasons especially Westbrook and harden. Both was a little over 22 years old in the finals, whens the last time a team comprised of 22 and 23 year olds won against superstar vets?

They drafted 3 potential superstars. Does that comprehend better for you

Are you telling me LeBron at 23, with a 23 year old Westbrook, 22 year old Harden and a runner up in DPOY 38 year old Ibaka should have been expected to lose an NBA finals

Nah breh. That would not have been the expectation.

 

[Loose]

They drafted 3 potential superstars. Does that comprehend better for you

Are you telling me LeBron at 23, with a 23 year old Westbrook, 22 year old Harden and a runner up in DPOY 38 year old Ibaka should have been expected to lose an NBA finals

Nah breh. That would not have been the expectation.

Please point me to the direction of a pre draft scout showing harden and Westbrook as potential superstars? Westbrook especially

 

[THE MACHINE]

They drafted 3 potential superstars. Does that comprehend better for you

Are you telling me LeBron at 23, with a 23 year old Westbrook, 22 year old Harden and a runner up in DPOY 38 year old Ibaka should have been expected to lose an NBA finals

Nah breh. That would not have been the expectation.

 

[Dr. Narcisse]

Please point me to the direction of a pre draft scout showing harden and Westbrook as potential superstars? Westbrook especially

Ok let me help you out breh. You draft 3 players. You dont know what they will be but you're hopeful. Once they're on the floor together you realize all 3 have the makings to be superstars in this league (Russ was getting that love in 2012 and Harden was getting viewed as the next big thing)

So Imma go slower with this for you.

1. KD was a Superstar and MVP candidate in 2012.
2. Russ was getting Superstar claims in 2012.
3. By 2012 a lot of people viewed Harden as someone on the cusp of superstardom.

So yes OKC nailed the draft IN HINDSIGHT of drafting 3 potential superstars. Do you get what I am saying. So that OKC team WAS viewed as having two superstars (Look it up as some viewed Russ over Wade at the time) and a 3rd guy in Harden who was showing that level of talent as well. Not to mention Ibaka was getting viewed as untouchable (crazy in hindsight I know)

SO IN 2012....were they not a loaded team with stars and superstars. Yes or no?

Has there ever been a team that nailed 3 draft picks of that caliber in 3 consecutive years? Yes or no?

 

[Versa]

KD and Chris Paul together woulda been mad rings.