Herpes Reasons
Banned
Hopefully that henry dunk was the highlight of the year
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2013-14 NBA Pre-Season |OT| Nobody won more with less than Lebron. Maybe Phil Jackson
- Thread starter reilo
- Start date
To be fair Westbrook has Durant to outshine him.
jobber
Would let Tony Parker sleep with his wife
ESPN/ABC has got better since 03. No more musical acts at halftime of games. Toned down the stupid ass musical openings. Still..outside the same 5-6 teams, it's like the other 25 teams don't exist on ABC. If ESPN is forced to broadcast a low tier team, that game magically ends up on ESPN2.
Still rather Fox or NBC get the rights so we'll see games not featuring Kobe or LeBron.
BTW on a related note....Turner and CBS are in talks to trade Marv Albert for Jim Nantz
http://www.sbnation.com/2013/4/8/4194826/turner-marv-albert-final-four-in-2014
Dominican Power
Member
What?
MorisUkunRasik
Member
LA is painfully mediocre. Nash looks like he's gonna collapse any second.
Even in the preseason the Lakers come out and start the game with a big run on us. Why does this happen every time we play? It's crazy.
The games with the Lakers this year are our Finals. It's sad, but that's really all I'm amped up about this season aside from watching the young players develop. We're going to be a mess though.
The games with the Lakers this year are our Finals. It's sad, but that's really all I'm amped up about this season aside from watching the young players develop. We're going to be a mess though.
Black Mamba
Member
huh? Utah was the team that started with a big run. Lakers were down double digits in the 1st quarter.
And come on, now. Beating the Lakers this year won't be hard with the stealth-tank on.
BTW, hope your son is doing okay. Best wishes to him.
The summary I read had the Lakers out front quickly. Ah well, we probably gave up a stupid run somewhere in there.
My kid seems to be fine. I hate not being there...especially since he is in Laker country (Santa Barbara).
iamshadowlark
Banned
He's already done the midnight madness thing, I think.
Adam Blade
WWKC
I'm glad to hear that your son is doing better, Jeff.
Hope there's nothing permanent.
Hope there's nothing permanent.
Steven Adams looking like our best center already. 10 points and 8 rebounds in 26 minutes last night. Averaging 7.4 points, 8.6 rebounds and over 1 block thru 5 preseason games (24 minutes per game).
Very promising for such a young guy. He's apparently come a long way just since getting drafted and working with our coaches.
Very promising for such a young guy. He's apparently come a long way just since getting drafted and working with our coaches.
Adam Blade
WWKC
It's preseason, Gondo.
You're going to regret losing Larden for a long time.
You're going to regret losing Larden for a long time.
He still doesn't look like complete ass, which is more than I'm used to from that position. I expected him to spend the entire season in Tulsa but he might actually contribute.
Sure, in retrospect I'd rather have traded YNB and rolled with Harden and Durant, but we're still in good shape.
Hasphat'sAnts
Member
Future PhaZe
Member
He talked up Brazil and was looking forward to showing his hometown off to the team and they ended up booing him and applauding Joakim instead so he broke down.
He's been soft as fuck mentally this year.
Jalen Rostradamus predicted Harden and Dwight to Houston, too.
Beverley
Harden
Parsons
Durant
Howard
not one not two
Sorry bro.
...
Yeah, I think we have to make some kind of move this season. We have to win a chip in the next three seasons to have a chance of keeping KD. It's not desperation time, but it's getting close.
Future PhaZe
Member
How fucking salty would KD be if you guys lost to the Rox in the WCF?
Pretty fucking salty... But we're better for sure now (assuming Westbrook comes back healthy, obviously), and even if they trade Asik for a piece we have time to make moves as well.
Not worrying yet, but this season is absolutely pivotal. Like I said, I'd rather have traded Westbrook and rolled with someone like Jackson at PG. Harden does so many things well and is a perfect compliment to KD at the SG position.
Nothing we can do about it now. I just wish we had traded Harden to someone in the East. I know you're loving Bradley Beal, but wouldn't you rather have Harden?
I wouldn't be surprised if we move Ibaka. We also have some first-rounders still, including one that could be pretty valuable from Dallas.
Gully State
Member
Warriors @ #9
Jalen giving a shout out to KMEL Summer Jam. Does that concert still go on these days?
Jalen giving a shout out to KMEL Summer Jam. Does that concert still go on these days?
Future PhaZe
Member
Eh, I'm not so sure about the bolded. You guys have absolutely no answer for Dwight and Asik on the court together if they manage to figure that out.
If it were just a matter of Harden for Beal I'd take that, but the deal would have dropped us in the draft and we'd have ended up with Shabazz or Adams, and I think Porter has a chance to be every bit as good as Beal, so in hindsight I'm glad we didn't make the move.
First rounders for this year? Yeah you might be able to get something for them. Although Dallas's will be late lottery at best.
Trading Ibaka though? You really think Presti would do that it would be a PR disaster for him. Especially if he traded him for nothing and a one year rental again which would make KD even more pissy.
MorisUkunRasik
Member
OKC FO bet on the wrong horse (Ibaka) and now will probably only make cash saving moves.
A team doesn't fuck up their chemistry, piss off their stars by trading a rising star who likes to live in the middle of the middle of nowhere for 1 year of KMart, Lamb and a meh pick.
Gondo is still in denial.
A team doesn't fuck up their chemistry, piss off their stars by trading a rising star who likes to live in the middle of the middle of nowhere for 1 year of KMart, Lamb and a meh pick.
Gondo is still in denial.
I think Houston's effectiveness on offense will be limited by having Dwight and Asik on the floor at the same time. They take up a lot of real estate in the paint and would greatly slow the pace of play. I'm also still waiting on Dwight to start demanding post-up opportunities. It will be hilarious.
Also, you're being naive about our ability to defend two post players. You haven't heard? Adams and Thabust are the new twin towers.
The Dallas pick is protected from 1-20 until 2018, when it becomes unprotected.
We might be able to get Horford, although I'm not sure he's the missing piece either. Atlanta's in full makeover mode. Ibaka, Jackson and the Dallas pick might do it.
How am I in denial? I'm legitimately concerned that KD or YNB (or both) will leave, and I openly stated I'd rather have traded Westbrook than Harden.MorisUkunRasik said:
I think you're wrong about the "cash saving moves" part too. I'd be very surprised if we don't go into the tax after this season, we're just trying to stay out of repeater status for as long as possible before going for broke. It makes no sense to invoke the repeater for someone like Kyle Korver or JJ Redick.
Sure, it might turn out like LBJ in Cleveland with us making desperate, expensive roster moves that don't pan out. But unless every young player on the roster pans out I expect some kind of significant trade this season.
MorisUkunRasik
Member
Wasn't the reason OkC dumped Harden cash related?
He wouldn't budge from a max deal, which would have put us way over the tax starting this year. We offered him 4 years and between $50 and $55 million if you believe the reports.
We essentially chose keeping a core of YNB, Durant, and Ibaka and more financial flexibility into the future over Harden (in addition to the young guys we got via the trade--Adams and Lamb). We also (obviously) underestimated his trade value and how good he would be as a #1 option.
At the same time, we know that several other (better) deals were rejected. We tried to send him to GS for Klay, to Toronto for Valanciunas, and to Washington for Bradley Beal.
CoffeeJanitor
Member
Hasphat'sAnts
Member
Because Presti panicked and made the trade when Harden just came off an awful performance in the finals.
MorisUkunRasik
Member
So the FO who chose flexibility instead of a player who was already top 5 at his position and with the few in front of him being much older....is gonna spend now or in the near future? The time to spend to win has passed. Maybe that's a bit hindsight 20/20 but most everyone knew Harden was going to best the best 2 guard or damn near.
What possible option would be better than a very young SG who compliments your franchise player perfectly? There was no reason to choose flexibility. When that FO says 'flexibility' to fans they mean 'to save money'
What possible option would be better than a very young SG who compliments your franchise player perfectly? There was no reason to choose flexibility. When that FO says 'flexibility' to fans they mean 'to save money'
ItWasMeantToBe19
Banned
I don't think Harden was that great of a complement to Durant and Westbrook, but that's because there's only one ball. I think trading Westbrook or Harden to get a real center who was great defensively and good enough offensively would have been a good move, but instead they traded Harden for bad picks (and Adams is still very similar to Kwame Brown on offense if you take his college career more seriously than the preseason). Trading Westbrook for someone like Dwight would have made a lot more sense since Harden had limited trade value due to NBA GMs being terrible at their jobs.
His Finals performance had nothing to do with why we traded him before the season started.
If he couldn't get Harden to sign a deal, our leverage would have been far less after the season when he's about to hit free agency anyways.
We're talking hypotheticals now. Nobody knew how good Harden would be in a #1 role (not even Houston), and it's idiotic to think Presti didn't take the best deal he was offered for him at the time. We'd be able to get far more for him now, but that's not how things work.MorisUkunRasik said:
With our roster, he was essentially a luxury to have coming off the bench. If he was one of the best young power forwards in the league, it wouldn't have even been a question of who to resign. But you have to have a frontline to win a chip, especially in the West.
And I disagree that the time to spend is past. We're still under the tax, and we posted these numbers during the regular season last year:
Off Rtg: 112.4 (1st of 30) ▪ Def Rtg: 102.6 (3rd of 30)
And still won 60 games before YNB went down in the playoffs.
If we don't spend in the next 2-3 years before KD's contract is up, I'll readily admit that our ownership is cheap. But the Harden situation was much more complex than people make it out to be. Presti's trying to keep us contending for 10-15 years rather than "going for it" for a short burst. We'll see whether it works or not.
MorisUkunRasik
Member
Shipping out Yn and/or Ibaka was always the obvious move.
Red Blaster
Member
in retrospect, a dwight/westbrook swap would've been hilarious
ynb would probably average 34 ppg on 40% shooting
ynb would probably average 34 ppg on 40% shooting
MorisUkunRasik
Member
I disagree that the Harden situation was at all complex. There are lots of details involved but they all still point to the FO being dumb or cheap.
The FO is obviously not dumb. They just took a huge risk by betting that their odds are better of competing long-term with Ibaka and other young players alongside YNB and KD than with Harden and a pu pu platter of bigs and late first-round type of players.
We just have to see what happens. All of this speculation is wayyyyyy premature though.
MorisUkunRasik
Member
OKC would be supremely lucky to get a player almost as good as Harden, I'm sure you'd agree. I'm not sure how that doesn't make them look cheap and/or dumb when they HAD Harden.
I agree. I'm sure you'd also agree that you need good frontcourt players to win a title, especially in the Western Conference.
I'm just arguing that the move they made (preferring a YNB-Durant-Ibaka core and a more flexible cast of supporting players over three max wing players and a bunch of garbage) was rational, even if it was risky.
MorisUkunRasik
Member
The choice wasn't Harden YN KD Perk or Ibaka YN KD Perk and flexibility.
They could have flipped YN and/or Ibaka sooner or later for a defensive big who had decent offense.
Like I said, yea there are lots of details to the Harden situation but they all still point to a cheap or dumb FO.
They could have flipped YN and/or Ibaka sooner or later for a defensive big who had decent offense.
Like I said, yea there are lots of details to the Harden situation but they all still point to a cheap or dumb FO.
How many "defensive bigs with decent offense" can you count in this league? Sounds a lot like Ibaka to me.
It's getting pretty damn convoluted now, because we're dealing with hypothetical trades involving Ibaka or YNB from over a year ago. Nobody knows what went on in the Thunder FO so it's pretty useless to speculate. Fun, sure. But ultimately useless.
MorisUkunRasik
Member
It's not Ibaka. And it's really not that convulated when my point was the FO fucked up and you're saying it was for flexibility sake when it was clear they already had flexibility. Other GMs overvalue YN and Ibaka as much as OKC fans, yes even a year ago.
Red Blaster
Member
oladipo's game against the spuds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEVGr4TFTNE
through pre-season he's averaging 14 points, 6 boards, 5 assists, 1.5 steals and 3.4 turns in 27 mpg
he's doing way more shit than I ever imagined; post ups, driving left, etc.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEVGr4TFTNE
through pre-season he's averaging 14 points, 6 boards, 5 assists, 1.5 steals and 3.4 turns in 27 mpg
he's doing way more shit than I ever imagined; post ups, driving left, etc.
I've been saying for a while that Steven Adams is gonna be a player. I was pissed when a team didn't snatch him up, blocking OKC in the process. He is gonna give OKC the big body in the middle that they have been dying for the last few seasons.
He was fighting with Ibaka too. He tried to steal Ibaka's lady. Harden thought she was too good for him.
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