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dxfactor
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 Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 11:54 am Post subject: Durant quickly becoming Pre 2012 Lebron |
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Amid all the LeBron talk of free agency and ultimately the SA finals victory, one needs to start looking closely at Kevin Durant. I think he is quickly becoming pre-2012 LeBron before our eyes. He is uber talented, but his shelf life without delivering on the big stage is starting to be troubling. We can argue that Westbrook/Ibaka have been hurt the past 2 seasons, but really though?
There was a time when the Thunder were the young upstart team that everyone was told we should pay attention to. They took the Lakers to 6 games in the 2010 playoffs, and had 4 potential all stars. They were young, explosive, and dangerous in the playoffs. This story has quickly become old, especially as the Thunder have only won the Western conference title once since then; have never had the best record in the league, and ultimately have fizzled out before the NBA finals. LeBron got so much flak when he couldnt win, but it almost appears the media are giving Durant a pass. |
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cathy78
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Joined: 21 Jan 2013
Posts: 1415
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| Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 12:14 pm Post subject: Re: Durant quickly becoming Pre 2012 Lebron |
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| dxfactor wrote: | | but it almost appears the media are giving Durant a pass. |
What's wrong with that? At least he doesn't call himself "king" and isn't hosting his personal decisions on TV... |
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Aeneas Hunter
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Joined: 12 Jul 2005
Posts: 31763
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| Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 1:20 pm Post subject: |
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FYI, Simmons wrote a whole column about this. Personally, I think people obsess too much about this stuff. Ironically, many of the same people complain about Lebron going to Miami because he wanted to win a title and
not risk running into the same problem in Cleveland. |
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22
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Joined: 05 Apr 2013
Posts: 17063
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| Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 3:04 pm Post subject: |
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| I was just criticizing KD on here the other day. He's got to get it done. Doesn't impact the defensive side of the floor enough IMO. And he still struggles to get his teammates involved in the offense. |
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Aussiesuede
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Joined: 27 Jul 2005
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| Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 3:12 pm Post subject: |
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The public is not going to turn on Kevin Durant. It's a simple fact of life; Some people come off as likeable, and others come off as douchebags. Perception is everything, and Durant is perceived as the good guy next door, whereas LeBron (rightfully or wrongly) is perceived as that douche up the road that drives the Vette with the loud exhaust - who you're pretty sure is the one who left those doughnut marks on your front lawn even though there's no proof. Durant could have actually left the doughnuts, but nobody is ever going to believe that without HD 1080 Nite Vision Video proof.
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activeverb
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Joined: 17 Jun 2006
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| Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 3:57 pm Post subject: |
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| Aussiesuede wrote: | | The public is not going to turn on Kevin Durant. It's a simple fact of life; Some people come off as likeable, and others come off as douchebags. Perception is everything, and Durant is perceived as the good guy next door, whereas LeBron (rightfully or wrongly) is perceived as that douche up the road that drives the Vette with the loud exhaust - who you're pretty sure is the one who left those doughnut marks on your front lawn even though there's no proof. Durant could have actually left the doughnuts, but nobody is ever going to believe that without HD 1080 Nite Vision Video proof. |
Probably the best measure we have of popularity is Q rating.
Before the Decision, Lebron actually had a higher awareness level and popularity level than Durant has now. That meant more people knew him and more people liked him than know/like Durant now.
However, one difference is Lebron had a higher "negative Q rating" -- meaning there were also more people who disliked him. Often that's a measure of athletes who are viewed as arrogant or confident, depending on how you view it.
Durant comes off as humble so few people dislike him.
Even if basketball fans start to notice that Durant hasn't won, his popularity probably won't be affected unless he has some public scandal. |
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Aussiesuede
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Joined: 27 Jul 2005
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| Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 5:43 pm Post subject: |
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| activeverb wrote: |
Even if basketball fans start to notice that Durant hasn't won, his popularity probably won't be affected unless he has some public scandal. |
Exactly, and a public scandal for Durant would be that he allowed to have his picture put up on the "Wall of Fat" at Fat Guys Burger Bar in Tulsa even though he never actually ate the 5lb Kitchen Sink Burger.(includes one pound bun, two-pound beef patty, a pound of bacon, two 4-ounce hot dogs, six slices of cheese and a pound of fries) 
https://scontent-a-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/t1.0-9/166875_187754087917706_305931_n.jpg
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I'm On point, On task, On message, and Off drugs. A Streetwise Smart Bomb, Out of rehab and In denial. Over the Top, On the edge, Under the Radar, and In Control. Behind the 8 ball, Ahead of the Curve and I've got a Love Child who sends me Hate mail. |
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Brandon98
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| Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 6:35 pm Post subject: |
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| LeBron pre-2012 was unbelievably annoying both inside and outside of his basketball life. That type of stuff contributed heavily to him being criticized for not delivering. Durant has a long, long way to go before he degenerates into that level of drama queen and receives that type of scrutiny. |
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City_Dawg
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Location: Coming soon and striking at your borders.
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| Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 9:47 pm Post subject: |
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Westbrook will get far more flak than Durant ever will.
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*sighs*
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AY2043
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Joined: 26 Feb 2012
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| Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 10:45 pm Post subject: |
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Great, he can sign here as a free agent in 2016 and win back to back championships  |
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Jackobe
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Joined: 17 May 2011
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| Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 10:52 pm Post subject: |
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| AY2043 wrote: | | Great, he can sign here as a free agent in 2016 and win back to back championships |
Irving, KD, Marc Gasol....my future fantasy big 3 in the Purple and Gold!!! lol |
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Telleris
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| Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 11:45 pm Post subject: |
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He's the #1 option at 25
You know who else hasn't won a title as a #1 option by 25 on a team whose core are all younger than him? Everybody that has played in the nba. |
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SGV-Laker fan
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Joined: 23 May 2013
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| Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2014 5:05 am Post subject: |
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| imo, Durant's game is suitable for regular season only. he's just too thin and weak comes playoffs time when other team's defense start to punish him physically, that's why we see him roaming around the perimeter a lot during playoffs and settling for long jumpers. |
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1hu2ren3dui4
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Joined: 19 Jul 2002
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Location: Oak Park
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| Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 2:39 pm Post subject: |
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| I don't know wtf people are talking about. Id take durant all day long. That guy is the truth. |
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jonnybravo
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Joined: 21 Sep 2007
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| Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 4:04 pm Post subject: |
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| SGV-Laker fan wrote: | | imo, Durant's game is suitable for regular season only. he's just too thin and weak comes playoffs time when other team's defense start to punish him physically, that's why we see him roaming around the perimeter a lot during playoffs and settling for long jumpers. |
So that Finals trip never happened? |
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shnxx
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| Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 8:28 pm Post subject: |
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yes unlike Lebron, he doesn't call himself the king and the chosen one tatted across his chest and have AP photoshop his hairline and have TV shows where he talks about where he wants to play.
if he did these things we would all hate kevin durant. |
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postandpivot
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Joined: 16 Sep 2003
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| Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2014 6:30 am Post subject: Re: Durant quickly becoming Pre 2012 Lebron |
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| dxfactor wrote: | Amid all the LeBron talk of free agency and ultimately the SA finals victory, one needs to start looking closely at Kevin Durant. I think he is quickly becoming pre-2012 LeBron before our eyes. He is uber talented, but his shelf life without delivering on the big stage is starting to be troubling. We can argue that Westbrook/Ibaka have been hurt the past 2 seasons, but really though?
There was a time when the Thunder were the young upstart team that everyone was told we should pay attention to. They took the Lakers to 6 games in the 2010 playoffs, and had 4 potential all stars. They were young, explosive, and dangerous in the playoffs. This story has quickly become old, especially as the Thunder have only won the Western conference title once since then; have never had the best record in the league, and ultimately have fizzled out before the NBA finals. LeBron got so much flak when he couldnt win, but it almost appears the media are giving Durant a pass. |
the media is giving duran a pass. because KD's team isnt a TEAM.
its 2 guys that can score from the perimeter and thats about it.
you cant expect anyone to win it all with that type of lopsided team.
OKC is very Talented in the area of hyper athleticism. and durant's scoring ability.
but aside from that. they are not any where near the smartest bunch. they dont have any true inside game other their perimeter guys bull rushing the rim on a fast break. thats it.
look folks
its like pairing Dominique willkins with Kevin Johnson.
that would've been an explosive team. but would they have won anything? NO
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Telleris
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| Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 2:08 am Post subject: Re: Durant quickly becoming Pre 2012 Lebron |
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OKC's problem is they're a 4 + 1 offense, that one being WB, he operates basically on his own with limited communication like a special forces unit.
When they had Harden in that 4 to be the playmaker, Durant's playoff percentages were great, since then, been (bleep). |
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vanexelent
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| Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2014 7:57 am Post subject: |
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So another Free Agency period has passed and the Thunder did nothing to alter their team in any productive fashion. Durant and Westbrook are not enough. They haven't improved in 5 years.
Time to consider moving Ibaka? |
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NBAFAN24
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Joined: 30 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2014 7:22 pm Post subject: |
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| vanexelent wrote: | So another Free Agency period has passed and the Thunder did nothing to alter their team in any productive fashion. Durant and Westbrook are not enough. They haven't improved in 5 years.
Time to consider moving Ibaka? |
Moving Ibaka would be the biggest mistake that they would make since trading James Harden. Ibaka is the head of the snake for OKC's defense. Without him, OKC would be just a tier level above Warriors, etc. They need to find a way to amnesty Perkins and sign some good pieces. Durant is a great scorer, but without a rim protector like Ibaka on his team, he'd have trouble carrying the team. LeBron never had a guy like Ibaka on his team. LeBron played with Ben Wallace when Wallace was already past his prime just like when he played with Shaq.
Durant has all the help he needs, it's the coach that needs to make it work. Another thing is the BB IQ comparison with LeBron and Durant. LeBron is like a quarterback on the court, he knows exactly when to make certain plays happen at the right time. Durant isn't as smart as LeBron is when it comes to figuring out schemes. Sometimes, the head coach is either too slow to figure it out or doesn't know how to adjust to it, it's up to the superstar to figure it out. LeBron has that ability, and I haven't seen it from Durant yet. LeBron didn't always agreed with Spo's game plan and they bumped heads, but LeBron has a great insight of the game and arguably realized a few things better than Spo did. |
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jonnybravo
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| Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2014 10:00 pm Post subject: |
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| NBAFAN24 wrote: | | vanexelent wrote: | So another Free Agency period has passed and the Thunder did nothing to alter their team in any productive fashion. Durant and Westbrook are not enough. They haven't improved in 5 years.
Time to consider moving Ibaka? |
Moving Ibaka would be the biggest mistake that they would make since trading James Harden. Ibaka is the head of the snake for OKC's defense. Without him, OKC would be just a tier level above Warriors, etc. They need to find a way to amnesty Perkins and sign some good pieces. Durant is a great scorer, but without a rim protector like Ibaka on his team, he'd have trouble carrying the team. LeBron never had a guy like Ibaka on his team. LeBron played with Ben Wallace when Wallace was already past his prime just like when he played with Shaq.
Durant has all the help he needs, it's the coach that needs to make it work. Another thing is the BB IQ comparison with LeBron and Durant. LeBron is like a quarterback on the court, he knows exactly when to make certain plays happen at the right time. Durant isn't as smart as LeBron is when it comes to figuring out schemes. Sometimes, the head coach is either too slow to figure it out or doesn't know how to adjust to it, it's up to the superstar to figure it out. LeBron has that ability, and I haven't seen it from Durant yet. LeBron didn't always agreed with Spo's game plan and they bumped heads, but LeBron has a great insight of the game and arguably realized a few things better than Spo did. |
Ibaka's also the team's tight end so to speak on offense. His jumper is so ridiculously money that it relieves pressure off both West and KD. It's always a good place to go to when the defense swarms the ball. |
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improper
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| Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 5:55 am Post subject: |
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Durant's situation seems to be a perfect storm of bad coaching (seriously...Brooks is worse than Mike Brown was offensively) and bad ownership. I also think Presti is pretty overrated. He's proven to be adept at drafting, but most of his trades have been total duds, and the decision to keep hanging on to Scott Brooks may haunt that franchise if Durant (understandably) leaves in 2016.
They tossed away a chance at a dynasty because their owner was too cheap to pay Harden an extra million or two a year, and then their GM flipped him for pennies on the dollar without truly exploring the trade market for him. He also flipped him a year before his actual contract extension kicked in, meaning they could have offer him what he was asking and flipped him the following summer if they decided they weren't willing to pay him. |
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