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USCandLakers
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Joined: 13 Mar 2008
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 Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2014 3:46 pm Post subject: |
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| GoldenThroat wrote: | Someone's going to win 55 games, get the 2nd or 3rd seed, and be rewarded with playing a healthy OKC team in the 1st Round. Ouch.  |
I hope it's Houston. That would be perfect. 
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Telleris
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Joined: 28 May 2013
Posts: 2371
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| Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2014 4:10 pm Post subject: |
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| GoldenThroat wrote: | | Someone's going to win 55 games, get the 2nd or 3rd seed, and be rewarded with playing a healthy OKC team in the 1st Round. Ouch. |
oh damn, how did i lose those last 3 games and drop to 3rd
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SlickVic
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Joined: 20 Feb 2009
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| Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2014 7:48 pm Post subject: |
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| Meh, the Thunder reap what they sow. To be fair, no one could have predicted Westbrook and Ibaka would've gone down with injuries during postseason runs over the past 2 seasons, but by trading Harden, they made it that much harder to deal with scenarios where key players get injured. There's only so much depth to go around, and their Front Office did a great job of cheeping out by not keeping an extra guy that could've helped them out during injury stretches. |
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Oliver Reed
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Joined: 28 Sep 2014
Posts: 2626
Location: Globo Gym
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| Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2014 10:33 pm Post subject: |
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| The irony in what happen to the Thunder, is that the system was meant to keep players in their own place and kill the Lakers. It's been killing the small market teams more. |
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jonnybravo
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Joined: 21 Sep 2007
Posts: 30680
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| Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2014 1:27 am Post subject: |
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| SlickVic wrote: | | Meh, the Thunder reap what they sow. To be fair, no one could have predicted Westbrook and Ibaka would've gone down with injuries during postseason runs over the past 2 seasons, but by trading Harden, they made it that much harder to deal with scenarios where key players get injured. There's only so much depth to go around, and their Front Office did a great job of cheeping out by not keeping an extra guy that could've helped them out during injury stretches. |
Hopefully they'll cheap their way into losing Reggie Jackson this off-season or having a roster frustrating enough that either Russell or Durant walk. |
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jonnybravo
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Joined: 21 Sep 2007
Posts: 30680
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| Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2014 1:31 am Post subject: |
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| P.K. wrote: | | Drifts wrote: | | a playoff spot just opened up for the Lakers! nice! |
Correction...a playoff spot just opened for the Jazz.
Lakers are still going to be 12th or worse |
You mean the Suns. |
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LandsbergerRules
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Joined: 29 Aug 2004
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Location: The Other Perspective
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| Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2014 6:54 am Post subject: |
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They'll probably be fine in time for the playoffs. This is bad news for the mid-level seeded team they'll face in the 1st round.
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Basketball Fan
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Joined: 03 Feb 2004
Posts: 24762
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| Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2014 9:24 am Post subject: |
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Sounds like another injury riddled year for the NBA.
Durant out for 2 months, Russell for one. Paul George out the entire season...
| Quote: | Russell Westbrook's right hand fracture could keep him out until mid-December
"For a while there, it appeared as if Russell Westbrook was going to have to carry the load. To use his own formidable gifts to put together an MVP-worthy month while Kevin Durant slowly and smartly worked his way back from a right foot fracture.
At this point, sadly, it looks as if the rest of the Oklahoma City Thunder will have to do the heavy lifting, as both Durant and Westbrook are likely out until the middle of December. Westbrook suffered a fracture in his right hand on Thursday night in OKC’s second game of the season, likely knocking him out for the next four to six weeks.
Darnell Mayberry, at the Oklahoman, has the report:
The early indication is that Russell Westbrook could miss four to six weeks after fracturing the second metacarpal in his right hand Thursday against the Los Angeles Clippers.
It could keep the Thunder's electric point guard sidelined through mid-December and add him to an already ridiculously long list of injured Oklahoma City players who are expected to miss the season's first month.
Westbrook appeared to sustain his hand injury with just over eight minutes remaining in the second quarter of the Thunder's 93-90 loss to the Clippers. After missing a shot in front of the rim, Westbrook went for the offensive rebound but hit his hand against [Kendrick] Perkins' back. Westbrook immediately looked down at his hand and grimaced. As he transitioned on defense, he attempted to shake off the discomfort. But 90 seconds later, Westbrook removed himself from the game and after pausing briefly at the end of the bench darted toward the locker room.
If you believe in basketball karma, then this is a good time to disabuse yourself of that cosmic notion.
The Thunder are a well-meaning, sound group of professionals who were more or less knocked out of championship contention in 2013 and 2014 because of an injury to Westbrook and a lack of depth following a franchise-killing trade involving James Harden. If you believe in corporate karma, then you’re in luck – the team’s owners just about signed up for this by avoiding the luxury tax, dealing Harden, and putting the Thunder in this sort of perilous position.
Then again, assuming that corporate-types are anything more than soulless to begin with is a bit of a stretch.
The Thunder, with reserve guard Reggie Jackson currently nursing an ankle injury, is now down to eight healthy players. The team can legally field as much, but that limited crew won’t be much to sniff at despite its impressive showing against the Clippers on Thursday night. The Thunder’s front office can apply for a “hardship exception” that allows the squad to go over the typically-allotted 15 roster spots in order to make up for injured compatriots, but doing as much would no doubt push the squad’s owners into a basketball vs. business decision.
Infuriatingly, owners Clay Bennett and Aubrey McClendon have always sided with business over basketball.
Currently, the Thunder sit about $1.6 million below the NBA’s luxury tax mark, and even dotting the payroll with minimum-salaried helpers on unguaranteed contracts would inch the franchise closer and closer to a threshold they abhor. A threshold they gave up the league’s best shooting guard to avoid.
It’s not yet November. The Oklahoma City Thunder could welcome back two of the league’s best players to its roster with three shopping weeks left before Christmas and make up for a lost November with heaps of wins by the time February hits. Things look rather dour now in OKC, and Perkins’ inadvertent culpability in this has to be more than frustrating for Thunder fans who are aware of the team’s anti-amnesty history. It’s early, though. It’s a long season, and we’re just beginning.
Early on, though … what an awful start to things." |
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ba...143058675.html |
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LandsbergerRules
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Joined: 29 Aug 2004
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Location: The Other Perspective
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| Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2014 9:41 am Post subject: |
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| USCandLakers wrote: | | GoldenThroat wrote: | | Someone's going to win 55 games, get the 2nd or 3rd seed, and be rewarded with playing a healthy OKC team in the 1st Round. Ouch. |
I hope it's Houston. That would be perfect. |
Haha, yeah I can't lie. I'd enjoy seeing Houston get crushed by OKC in the first round.
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"Chick lived and breathed Lakers basketball…but he was also fair and objective and called every game the way it was played."
-from Chick: His Unpublished Memoirs and the Memories of Those Who Knew Him |
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Lakers2001
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Joined: 11 Dec 2012
Posts: 745
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| Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2014 9:49 am Post subject: |
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Been saying it for the last few years ... keep an eye on the situation in OKC.... Westbrook may be available sooner then you think  |
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Wilkes52
Star Player
Joined: 02 Jun 2009
Posts: 2415
Location: Far from home
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| Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2014 10:41 am Post subject: |
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| Maybe these two injuries have converged so as to put OKC in an unexpectedly good position. They could suffer one lousy season and earn a lottery pick next Summer, with no loss of face. It's felt to me that they're missing one interior-scoring player or one wing with real defensive chops. This is opportunity knocking. |
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lakersken80
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Joined: 12 Aug 2009
Posts: 38783
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| Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2014 10:56 am Post subject: |
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| Lakers2001 wrote: | | Been saying it for the last few years ... keep an eye on the situation in OKC.... Westbrook may be available sooner then you think |
Or if they don't make the playoffs they get a high draft pick, which makes getting quality help for that team really cheap....which entices Westbrook and Durant to stay. |
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Steve007
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Joined: 21 Jul 2006
Posts: 13224
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| Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2014 12:16 pm Post subject: |
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| Basketball Fan wrote: | Sounds like another injury riddled year for the NBA.
Durant out for 2 months, Russell for one. Paul George out the entire season...
| Quote: | Russell Westbrook's right hand fracture could keep him out until mid-December
"For a while there, it appeared as if Russell Westbrook was going to have to carry the load. To use his own formidable gifts to put together an MVP-worthy month while Kevin Durant slowly and smartly worked his way back from a right foot fracture.
At this point, sadly, it looks as if the rest of the Oklahoma City Thunder will have to do the heavy lifting, as both Durant and Westbrook are likely out until the middle of December. Westbrook suffered a fracture in his right hand on Thursday night in OKC’s second game of the season, likely knocking him out for the next four to six weeks.
Darnell Mayberry, at the Oklahoman, has the report:
The early indication is that Russell Westbrook could miss four to six weeks after fracturing the second metacarpal in his right hand Thursday against the Los Angeles Clippers.
It could keep the Thunder's electric point guard sidelined through mid-December and add him to an already ridiculously long list of injured Oklahoma City players who are expected to miss the season's first month.
Westbrook appeared to sustain his hand injury with just over eight minutes remaining in the second quarter of the Thunder's 93-90 loss to the Clippers. After missing a shot in front of the rim, Westbrook went for the offensive rebound but hit his hand against [Kendrick] Perkins' back. Westbrook immediately looked down at his hand and grimaced. As he transitioned on defense, he attempted to shake off the discomfort. But 90 seconds later, Westbrook removed himself from the game and after pausing briefly at the end of the bench darted toward the locker room.
If you believe in basketball karma, then this is a good time to disabuse yourself of that cosmic notion.
The Thunder are a well-meaning, sound group of professionals who were more or less knocked out of championship contention in 2013 and 2014 because of an injury to Westbrook and a lack of depth following a franchise-killing trade involving James Harden. If you believe in corporate karma, then you’re in luck – the team’s owners just about signed up for this by avoiding the luxury tax, dealing Harden, and putting the Thunder in this sort of perilous position.
Then again, assuming that corporate-types are anything more than soulless to begin with is a bit of a stretch.
The Thunder, with reserve guard Reggie Jackson currently nursing an ankle injury, is now down to eight healthy players. The team can legally field as much, but that limited crew won’t be much to sniff at despite its impressive showing against the Clippers on Thursday night. The Thunder’s front office can apply for a “hardship exception” that allows the squad to go over the typically-allotted 15 roster spots in order to make up for injured compatriots, but doing as much would no doubt push the squad’s owners into a basketball vs. business decision.
Infuriatingly, owners Clay Bennett and Aubrey McClendon have always sided with business over basketball.
Currently, the Thunder sit about $1.6 million below the NBA’s luxury tax mark, and even dotting the payroll with minimum-salaried helpers on unguaranteed contracts would inch the franchise closer and closer to a threshold they abhor. A threshold they gave up the league’s best shooting guard to avoid.
It’s not yet November. The Oklahoma City Thunder could welcome back two of the league’s best players to its roster with three shopping weeks left before Christmas and make up for a lost November with heaps of wins by the time February hits. Things look rather dour now in OKC, and Perkins’ inadvertent culpability in this has to be more than frustrating for Thunder fans who are aware of the team’s anti-amnesty history. It’s early, though. It’s a long season, and we’re just beginning.
Early on, though … what an awful start to things." |
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ba...143058675.html |
Yeah, right. A sound group of professionals? OKC was the only team to have more technical fouls than the Clippers last season. And Ibaka and Adams are two of the dirtiest players in the league. |
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Steve007
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Joined: 21 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2014 12:21 pm Post subject: |
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| Wilkes52 wrote: | | Maybe these two injuries have converged so as to put OKC in an unexpectedly good position. They could suffer one lousy season and earn a lottery pick next Summer, with no loss of face. It's felt to me that they're missing one interior-scoring player or one wing with real defensive chops. This is opportunity knocking. |
The lottery pick could be a bust though. If I were an OKC fan I'd want the team in the playoffs. Miami was their biggest challenge and that team is done. They might be able to beat Cleveland. It remains to be seen how motivated the Spurs will be this year. Last year they were on a mission and benefitted from the Ibaka injury.
Besides the Spurs, I doubt anybody else in the West would beat them, except for maybe Dallas if they take a big step forward. |
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USCandLakers
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Joined: 13 Mar 2008
Posts: 19955
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| Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2014 5:15 pm Post subject: |
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| Steve007 wrote: | | Wilkes52 wrote: | | Maybe these two injuries have converged so as to put OKC in an unexpectedly good position. They could suffer one lousy season and earn a lottery pick next Summer, with no loss of face. It's felt to me that they're missing one interior-scoring player or one wing with real defensive chops. This is opportunity knocking. |
The lottery pick could be a bust though. If I were an OKC fan I'd want the team in the playoffs. Miami was their biggest challenge and that team is done. They might be able to beat Cleveland. It remains to be seen how motivated the Spurs will be this year. Last year they were on a mission and benefitted from the Ibaka injury.
Besides the Spurs, I doubt anybody else in the West would beat them, except for maybe Dallas if they take a big step forward. |
Clippers, Spurs and Grizzlies are their biggest threats.
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A banana is killed every time a terrible thread or post is made. Save the bananas. Stop creating terrible posts! |
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Steve007
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Joined: 21 Jul 2006
Posts: 13224
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| Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2014 5:48 pm Post subject: |
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| USCandLakers wrote: | | Steve007 wrote: | | Wilkes52 wrote: | | Maybe these two injuries have converged so as to put OKC in an unexpectedly good position. They could suffer one lousy season and earn a lottery pick next Summer, with no loss of face. It's felt to me that they're missing one interior-scoring player or one wing with real defensive chops. This is opportunity knocking. |
The lottery pick could be a bust though. If I were an OKC fan I'd want the team in the playoffs. Miami was their biggest challenge and that team is done. They might be able to beat Cleveland. It remains to be seen how motivated the Spurs will be this year. Last year they were on a mission and benefitted from the Ibaka injury.
Besides the Spurs, I doubt anybody else in the West would beat them, except for maybe Dallas if they take a big step forward. |
Clippers, Spurs and Grizzlies are their biggest threats. |
I'm very skeptical about the Clippers chances unless they can acquire someone better than Matt Barnes to defend Durant and Westbrook
I'll agree on Memphis. Surprised I forgot about them. |
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GoldenThroat
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Joined: 25 Jul 2005
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| Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2014 5:53 pm Post subject: |
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| SlickVic wrote: | | Meh, the Thunder reap what they sow. To be fair, no one could have predicted Westbrook and Ibaka would've gone down with injuries during postseason runs over the past 2 seasons, but by trading Harden, they made it that much harder to deal with scenarios where key players get injured. There's only so much depth to go around, and their Front Office did a great job of cheeping out by not keeping an extra guy that could've helped them out during injury stretches. |
There's no decent team in the league that wouldn't be seriously damaged without their best two players. What would the Clippers look like without CP3 & Griffin? The Rockets without Howard & Harden? The Cavs without LeBron & Love?
This is just bad luck, not an indictment of how OKC has handled things. |
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MoriArty
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| Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2014 8:03 am Post subject: |
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The kid Perry Jones III is finally coming along. He was a projected lottery pick before the word got out that he had some knee issue and OKC snatched him up at #28 back in 2012. If he's legit they can hold the fort until the superstars return, and they'll be an even stronger team.
...
Here's hoping he's Earl Clark 2.0. |
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70sdude
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Joined: 05 Feb 2009
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| Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2014 8:10 am Post subject: |
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Strange to me to see so many folks thinking the Thunder pose a strong enough to make the playoffs, without Durant. They're already toast in 2014-15.
Westbrook strikes me as a type of guy quite highly unsuited to lead and carry a team to a .500 record without a second scoring threat on the roster. |
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Troblin
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| Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2014 9:20 am Post subject: |
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| 70sdude wrote: | Strange to me to see so many folks thinking the Thunder pose a strong enough to make the playoffs, without Durant. They're already toast in 2014-15.
Westbrook strikes me as a type of guy quite highly unsuited to lead and carry a team to a .500 record without a second scoring threat on the roster. |
Durant and Westbrook will both be back come playoff time assuming OKC can sneak into the playoffs as a 7th or 8th seed, which they likely will. |
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Firelord_Rag
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| Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2014 9:45 am Post subject: |
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| Wow they played with such heart last night |
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venturalakersfan
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Location: The Gold Coast
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| Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2014 10:44 am Post subject: |
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Imagine their pain when we offer a contract to Jackson and they can't match because of payroll concerns.
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RIP mom. 11-21-1933 to 6-14-2023. |
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Dreamshake
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Joined: 05 May 2006
Posts: 13711
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| Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2014 12:34 pm Post subject: |
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| GoldenThroat wrote: | | SlickVic wrote: | | Meh, the Thunder reap what they sow. To be fair, no one could have predicted Westbrook and Ibaka would've gone down with injuries during postseason runs over the past 2 seasons, but by trading Harden, they made it that much harder to deal with scenarios where key players get injured. There's only so much depth to go around, and their Front Office did a great job of cheeping out by not keeping an extra guy that could've helped them out during injury stretches. |
There's no decent team in the league that wouldn't be seriously damaged without their best two players. What would the Clippers look like without CP3 & Griffin? The Rockets without Howard & Harden? The Cavs without LeBron & Love?
This is just bad luck, not an indictment of how OKC has handled things. |
It is bad luck but the Thunder are idiots for breaking up a core of dudes all 25 and under when they had just gone to the Finals, simply to save $$. When one of the studs was CONTENT coming off the bench! Those are the kind of situations GM's dream of building.
I'm sure the Spurs are thankful though. |
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-Showtime-
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| Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2014 1:35 pm Post subject: |
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| USCandLakers wrote: | | GoldenThroat wrote: | | Someone's going to win 55 games, get the 2nd or 3rd seed, and be rewarded with playing a healthy OKC team in the 1st Round. Ouch. |
I hope it's Houston. That would be perfect. |
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venturalakersfan
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Joined: 14 Apr 2001
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Location: The Gold Coast
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| Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2014 3:02 pm Post subject: |
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| GoldenThroat wrote: | | SlickVic wrote: | | Meh, the Thunder reap what they sow. To be fair, no one could have predicted Westbrook and Ibaka would've gone down with injuries during postseason runs over the past 2 seasons, but by trading Harden, they made it that much harder to deal with scenarios where key players get injured. There's only so much depth to go around, and their Front Office did a great job of cheeping out by not keeping an extra guy that could've helped them out during injury stretches. |
There's no decent team in the league that wouldn't be seriously damaged without their best two players. What would the Clippers look like without CP3 & Griffin? The Rockets without Howard & Harden? The Cavs without LeBron & Love?
This is just bad luck, not an indictment of how OKC has handled things. |
Yeah, can you imagine the Lakers without Kobe and Lin? Uhhhh.....  ... never mind
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