James/Durant irony

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tmurph2643

Well-Known Member
how ironic would it be for Durant to do what lebron couldn't do in Cleveland.. Sonics were in terrible shape when he joined that team.

I don't see Durant giving up on okc the way lebron gave up on Cleveland.
 
tmurph2643 said:
how ironic would it be for Durant to do what lebron couldn't do in Cleveland.. Sonics were in terrible shape when he joined that team.

I don't see Durant giving up on okc the way lebron gave up on Cleveland.
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I would assume Durant will stay there for years with the team they have drafted over the last few years. They definitely have a strong nucleus to build around but I wouldn't be surprised if Westbrook goes somewhere else where he doesn't have to play in Durant's shadow. If they keep everyone in tact they will be tough to beat for years to come.

Go Thunder!
 
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It wouldn't be ironic at all. The nucleus that has been built around Durant is much stronger than the one that was built around James in Cleveland (though not completely the fault of the management; there was some bad luck involved with DaJuan Wagner and Carlos Boozer). It seems like a better set of players should be more likely to win championships.
 
thejumper5 said:
It wouldn't be ironic at all. The nucleus that has been built around Durant is much stronger than the one that was built around James in Cleveland (though not completely the fault of the management; there was some bad luck involved with DaJuan Wagner and Carlos Boozer). It seems like a better set of players should be more likely to win championships.
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Cleveland didn't get as lucky as okc did with drafts panning out. regardless lebron put zero faith in the org. how long did Jordan wait in Chicago before the right formula fell into place? lebron is a competitor, and he will win a title in Miami, but his biggest regret will be not winning it in Cleveland.
 
Im really starting to see Wade as the downfall in this equation for Lebron and that is completely his own fault for going to a team that already had a go to guy who plays the same game he does.

Lebron needs to get a post up game and Wade needs to become the third option after Bosh.
 
Kevin Durant is everything LeBron is not. Mature, unselfish, a complete, team player who sets the tone for his squad. That's leadership. Pretty impressive for a 23 year-old.

How can you not like Kevin Durant?
 
hawkdrummer1 said:
Kevin Durant is everything LeBron is not. Mature, unselfish, a complete, team player who sets the tone for his squad. That's leadership. Pretty impressive for a 23 year-old.
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You just described everything people were saying about LeBron when he was 23 in 2008.
 
thejumper5 said:
You just described everything people were saying about LeBron when he was 23 in 2008.
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Both what was said about Durant, and this are true. And at that time, I don't think anybody envisioned him leaving Cleveland either. This is hard for me to say because I liked Lebron's game when he was in Cleveland, but I think Durant in OKC is a better all around player that Lebron in his Cavs days. I actually pulled up the video clip from the Heat's championship rally earlier tonight and had never heard Lebron's comment about winning championships.. "when we get to practice and challenge each other every day, it will be easy". yikes man! It's never easy to win a championship, let alone when they have no identity. I don't believe that they would have made it to the finals this year if the big three in the east would have all been 100% (and yes I am including Miami and Bosh's injury in the big 3). At the same time, the year Durant, Westbrook and co. are having, I don't see there being anything that will stop them. Just a dominant first half from the Thunder tonight.

It is extremely hard to not like Durant.
 
hawkdrummer1 said:
Kevin Durant is everything LeBron is not. Mature, unselfish, a complete, team player who sets the tone for his squad. That's leadership. Pretty impressive for a 23 year-old.

How can you not like Kevin Durant?
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like i said when his team beat the lakers, if i was a gm, i'd build my team around this guy. he seemingly has it all. minus the posse attitude.

la ron? he thinks he has it all. big difference.
 
hawkdrummer1 said:
Kevin Durant is everything LeBron is not. Mature, unselfish, a complete, team player who sets the tone for his squad. That's leadership. Pretty impressive for a 23 year-old.How can you not like Kevin Durant?
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I like Durant. Your hate for Lebron is ridiculous.
 
imported_ankle23 said:
hawkdrummer1 said:
Kevin Durant is everything LeBron is not. Mature, unselfish, a complete, team player who sets the tone for his squad. That's leadership. Pretty impressive for a 23 year-old.How can you not like Kevin Durant?
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like i said when his team beat the lakers, if i was a gm, i'd build my team around this guy. he seemingly has it all. minus the posse attitude. la ron? he thinks he has it all. big difference.
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Who's la ron? I don't know of any la ron's in the NBA.
 
hawkdrummer1 said:
Kevin Durant is everything LeBron is not. Mature, unselfish, a complete, team player who sets the tone for his squad. That's leadership. Pretty impressive for a 23 year-old.

How can you not like Kevin Durant?
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You do realize he listens to rap music. I kid, I kid, I really do not want to go down this road again.;)
 
Lebron made himself the villain. KD quietly worked hard and signed an extension with the franchise that drafted him and allowed management do their thing with the roster (through the draft mind you).

Not saying LeBron's route is wrong but he made it this way. People loved LBJ and he's been the face of the league for nine years but Durant is trying to change that through his humble and likable personality.
 
The Cavs went about trying to surround James in the wrong way. OKC did it the right way. Actually, the Heat are trying to do the same thing that the Cavs did minus Wade and Bosh, by surrounding him with old players that are past their prime. But that is mostly due to cap space.

Actually, if James were to go back to cleveland they will probably have better talent by then than when he left because they will have Kyrie Irving and whoever they pick up this year in the lottery and probably have another lottery pick next year.
 
tmurph2643 said:
Both what was said about Durant, and this are true. And at that time, I don't think anybody envisioned him leaving Cleveland either. This is hard for me to say because I liked Lebron's game when he was in Cleveland, but I think Durant in OKC is a better all around player that Lebron in his Cavs days. I actually pulled up the video clip from the Heat's championship rally earlier tonight and had never heard Lebron's comment about winning championships.. "when we get to practice and challenge each other every day, it will be easy". yikes man! It's never easy to win a championship, let alone when they have no identity. I don't believe that they would have made it to the finals this year if the big three in the east would have all been 100% (and yes I am including Miami and Bosh's injury in the big 3). At the same time, the year Durant, Westbrook and co. are having, I don't see there being anything that will stop them. Just a dominant first half from the Thunder tonight.

It is extremely hard to not like Durant.
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Sure they did. LeBron was rumored to be headed to New York since around 2005. He even supposedly had a huge incentive for it in his Nike contract.

Comparing the two situations is ridiculous. Durant has a great supporting cast, Harden and Westbrook have both taken over playoff games themselves this year. LeBron's second best player was either Zydrunas Ilgauskas early in his career or Mo Williams later in his time in Cleveland. Neither is anywhere close to Westbrook or Harden's skill level. LeBron had one of the greatest postseason series in NBA history against Orlando in '09, he did everything he could to win a title in Cleveland but came up short. So he made a decision, that hundreds of athletes before him have made, to go to a stiuation where he had a better chance to win a title. Durant is already in a great situation, they really aren't comparable or ironic scenarios at all.
 
David79 said:
The Cavs went about trying to surround James in the wrong way. OKC did it the right way. Actually, the Heat are trying to do the same thing that the Cavs did minus Wade and Bosh, by surrounding him with old players that are past their prime. But that is mostly due to cap space.

Actually, if James were to go back to cleveland they will probably have better talent by then than when he left because they will have Kyrie Irving and whoever they pick up this year in the lottery and probably have another lottery pick next year.
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LeBron was too good too early, Cleveland never got the high end lottery picks that OKC got in the two years following Durant's arrival.
 
BlackandGold81 said:
Durant is a much better FT shooter.

That makes a big difference down the home stretch of a game.
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Plus KD has a beautiful jump shot and demands the ball in the 4th qtr of big games.

LB is a great player but until he develops a good jump shot and comes through
in the 4th qtr of big games I'll never consider him the "greatest to play the game."
Still can't believe Miami doesn't set more single/double screens for LB versus letting him go one on three in the 4th qtr.
 
hawkeyemike, I agree that the cavs took a poor approach, but in reality, Durant was drafted to a team that was in disarray and had to move... yes Durant has a better cast now, due to management. not many players of that caliber bolt that early in their careers to win a title. the celtics got their big 3 through transactions... and then had to build around them. bulls built around Jordan, took forever for olajuwon and David Robinson to get theirs but they stuck with their teams. payton and Malone tried with the lakers but that was late in their careers. people want to give riley credit for getting wade. James, and bosh together, but I have to believe it was in the works between the players more than owners and management.
 
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