2022-23 NBA Thread

[Jockey]

Giannis went 32/13/4 with better defense. And won.

Numbers are just numbers.

[wadesworld]

The same team (the core) won a championship before he joined and won a championship after he left.

Whether he was the best player? I think we disagree on that. I think Steph and Draymond were both more important to winning.

Durant simply couldn't do what Jabbar, MJ, LeBron, Bird, Magic, etc., could do.

LOL at Draymond being more important than KD. That's the funniest thing I've ever heard on Scoop.

[MuggsyB]

The same team (the core) won a championship before he joined and won a championship after he left.

Whether he was the best player? I think disagree on that. I think Steph and Draymond were both more important to winning.

Durant simply couldn't do what Jabbar, MJ, LeBron, Bird, Magic, etc., could do.

Jockey, with all due respect, stating or even insinuating that Draymond was "more important to winning" than Durant is beyond ludicrous.  You may need to rewatch some of those games.  Now, that doesn't mean Durant is in the same tier as the players you mentioned but let's try to live in reality if it's not too much to ask?  I'm 100% a Curry guy.  I may even slot him in the top 5 ever.  But don't treat Durant like he's some role player.  He's without question one of the the greatest pure scorers that ever lived and has always been highly efficient.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

The same team (the core) won a championship before he joined and won a championship after he left.

Whether he was the best player? I think we disagree on that. I think Steph and Draymond were both more important to winning.

Durant simply couldn't do what Jabbar, MJ, LeBron, Bird, Magic, etc., could do.

Ah yes.  When the stats don't agree, we are going with the "Jockey eye test."

No thanks.

[MU82]

It became pretty obvious that the asking price was too high, so he'd have to stay.

No one should cry for KD. (And no one here is, thankfully.) He's with the team he wanted to play for - a team that paid him bigly for missing an entire season - and he's alongside the all-star PG he personally recruited to play with him.

Stop whining, play basketball, and earn your $50M/yr. Lead the Nets to something.

[MuggsyB]

It became pretty obvious that the asking price was too high, so he'd have to stay.

No one should cry for KD. (And no one here is, thankfully.) He's with the team he wanted to play for - a team that paid him bigly for missing an entire season - and he's alongside the all-star PG he personally recruited to play with him.

Stop whining, play basketball, and earn your $50M/yr. Lead the Nets to something.

This is good news for the Bucks?

[4everwarriors]

It became pretty obvious that the asking price was too high, so he'd have to stay.

No one should cry for KD. (And no one here is, thankfully.) He's with the team he wanted to play for - a team that paid him bigly for missing an entire season - and he's alongside the all-star PG he personally recruited to play with him.

Stop whining, play basketball, and earn your $50M/yr. Lead the Nets to something.

Yeah, shut up and dribble, aina?

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

It became pretty obvious that the asking price was too high, so he'd have to stay.

No one should cry for KD. (And no one here is, thankfully.) He's with the team he wanted to play for - a team that paid him bigly for missing an entire season - and he's alongside the all-star PG he personally recruited to play with him.

Stop whining, play basketball, and earn your $50M/yr. Lead the Nets to something.

I mean, he has every right to ask for a trade. Not sure I would call it "whining."

[MU82]

I mean, he has every right to ask for a trade. Not sure I would call it "whining."

Perhaps you're right, "whining" is the wrong word. I mean, it's a free world and he can say what he wants. He also had the right to tell the owner to fire Steve Nash, who will now be his coach. Should be fun!

[Jockey]

LOL at Draymond being more important than KD. That's the funniest thing I've ever heard on Scoop.

Draymond won Championships pre-KD, with KD, and post KD.

Could you list the Championships Durant has won without Draymond?

I never said Draymond was a better player. That's obvious to anyone. But he is and has been more important to the Warriors success. That is simply a fact.

[PGsHeroes32]

Draymond won Championships pre-KD, with KD, and post KD.

Could you list the Championships Durant has won without Draymond?

I never said Draymond was a better player. That's obvious to anyone. But he is and has been more important to the Warriors success. That is simply a fact.

LOL

[MuggsyB]

Draymond won Championships pre-KD, with KD, and post KD.

Could you list the Championships Durant has won without Draymond?

I never said Draymond was a better player. That's obvious to anyone. But he is and has been more important to the Warriors success. That is simply a fact.

How many championships has Draymond won without Steph Curry or Klay Thompson?  It's interesting to me you didn't even mention Klay at all.

[cheebs09]

Draymond played a significant role in the Warriors losing to the Cavs in 2016. With him getting suspended for Game 5 due to Flagrants, the Cavs got back in the series.

Then they went and recruited Durant.

[wadesworld]

Draymond won Championships pre-KD, with KD, and post KD.

Could you list the Championships Durant has won without Draymond?

I never said Draymond was a better player. That's obvious to anyone. But he is and has been more important to the Warriors success. That is simply a fact.

Oh Jesus. Kevon Looney also won a title without KD. KD has never won one without Looney. Guess Looney is more important to winning titles than KD is. Same with Iggy.

These are some god awful takes.

[withoutbias]

Jimmy Butler has never won a title without Sam Merrill. Sam Merrill has won a title. I'd you want empty numbers, to get yourself Jimmy Butler. If you want rings, give me Sam Merrill every day of the week.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Hakeem Olajuwon never won a championship without Robert Horry. Horry won 5 without him. Obviously Horry is the better player.

[Uncle Rico]

Hakeem Olajuwon never won a championship without Robert Horry. Horry won 5 without him. Obviously Horry is the better player.

Facts

[Hards Alumni]

Chet Holmgren probably tore some ligaments in his foot.

Caveat Emptor!

[Jockey]

Oh Jesus. Kevon Looney also won a title without KD. KD has never won one without Looney. Guess Looney is more important to winning titles than KD is. Same with Iggy.

These are some god awful takes.

Now you're just acting stupid.

Green is a solid candidate to be elected to the HoF. Looney can only visit the HoF.

Green is the single most important defender on GS. And defense wins titles.

[MuggsyB]

Now you're just acting stupid.

Green is a solid candidate to be elected to the HoF. Looney can only visit the HoF.

Green is the single most important defender on GS. And defense wins titles.

Is there a reason you have not mentioned Klay Thompson's contributions to their titles?  Did you also forget Jockey how well Durant defended during his tenure?

[wadesworld]

Now you're just acting stupid.

Green is a solid candidate to be elected to the HoF. Looney can only visit the HoF.

Green is the single most important defender on GS. And defense wins titles.

I agree. That argument was monumentally stupid.

[4everwarriors]

Now you're just acting stupid.

Green is a solid candidate to be elected to the HoF. Looney can only visit the HoF.

Green is the single most important defender on GS. And defense wins titles.

Nearly $50 million in career earnings and guaranteed future contract is a very comfortable way for #5 to visit the HOF, wouldn't ya say, hey?

[Jockey]

I agree. That argument was monumentally stupid.

For some reason, you guys think I am always attacking Durant. I have stated repeatedly that he is a top 3 player in the NBA and top20 all-time.

This argument reminds me of when the Cavaliers traded for Love. Everyone was saying Love was a top 10 player and I was ridiculed for arguing that he wasn't. He scored and rebounded a lot because he was the best player on a garbage team. He was not a great player

[Jockey]

One final thought about Durant. A better player does not necessarily make for a better team.

Ask anyone who is better. Marcus Smart or Kyrie Irving. The obvious answer is Kyrie. And he is.

But when was Boston a better team?  With Kyrie as the starting PG or with Smart as the starting PG.

I feel that is the case with Durant. Great player, but not a guy who will lead you to the promised land. When he joined a championship team, they still won. When he was on teams that hadn't already won, he just made them a good team - not a championship team.

[wadesworld]

For some reason, you guys think I am always attacking Durant. I have stated repeatedly that he is a top 3 player in the NBA and top20 all-time.

This argument reminds me of when the Cavaliers traded for Love. Everyone was saying Love was a top 10 player and I was ridiculed for arguing that he wasn't. He scored and rebounded a lot because he was the best player on a garbage team. He was not a great player

I'm extremely confident that if you asked every NBA GM who they'd pick to build a championship team and you said either KD or Draymond, they'd laugh their ass off.

I don't know or care if you're trying to rip Durant or not. What I do know is your takes are absolutely awful. Because Draymond has never played without Klay and Steph you think he's a more important basketball player than a guy who is unquestionably a top 5 player of this generation. It's hysterical how dumb your arguments are.

If you put Draymond on the Nets this year and KD on the Warriors this year, I feel very confident the Warriors win a title and the Nets don't even compete.