KD’s Super Suns were almost as much of a title lock as KD’s Super Nets

[FultzNationRISE]

Remember how many people said a chip was guaranteed both times :lol

[warriorfan]

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?509858-TRADE-Nets-trading-Kevin-Durant-to-Suns&p=14729882&viewfull=1#post14729882

[Akeem34TheDream]

Nets were better. Harden&Kyrie > Booker&CP3

[SunsN07BookIt]

Shut yer fking yap

[Spurs m8]

And how many of those teams were healthy and all playing?

[Phoenix]

I never saw it as a lock. Staking your championship hopes on Chris Paul making it through an entire run, and even KD at this stage, was always fools hope.

[90sgoat]

KD is washed and has been washed for a while now. Maybe that's being too harsh, because he can still shoot, but he hasn't been a dominant player in a while. Just doesn't move the needle anymore. Reminds me of older Dirk. His playstyle doesn't seem to translate very well to older age. Not sure why, because you'd think it would.

[ILLsmak]

They really need CP3. Those guys don't 'need' a PG but when you got guys like book and KD who can shoot like that, getting a guy who can get you the ball without having to worry about dribbling to your spots is huge. I legit can't think of their back up.

I thought they would be right there, but dey got injured. CP3 has that bad luck. This was his year for sure. FINALLY, INJURY.

-Smak

[ILLsmak]

KD is washed and has been washed for a while now. Maybe that's being too harsh, because he can still shoot, but he hasn't been a dominant player in a while. Just doesn't move the needle anymore. Reminds me of older Dirk. His playstyle doesn't seem to translate very well to older age. Not sure why, because you'd think it would.


he ****in' tore his ACL or some shit didn't he? Achillies? He's good enough. Book can get you 50. You got number 1 pick Ayton and CP. That's ENOUGH. haha. They just got injured/didn't play well enough.

-Smak

[Phoenix]

KD is washed and has been washed for a while now. Maybe that's being too harsh, because he can still shoot, but he hasn't been a dominant player in a while. Just doesn't move the needle anymore. Reminds me of older Dirk. His playstyle doesn't seem to translate very well to older age. Not sure why, because you'd think it would.

Let's not get carried away, dude averages almost 30 a game even now.

https://media.tenor.com/giU4xlotBKIAAAAd/years-mileage.gif

[90sgoat]

Wow Durant is only 30?

Plays like his 35.

[Phoenix]

Wow Durant is only 30?

Plays like his 35.

If this is in reference to what I said, where did I say he's 30? I said he's almost averaging 30( and on 68% TS). Yes its easier to score nowadays but that's still very impressive relative to the league he's in. His 'game' is aging fine, what isn't is, well, his age and mileage( 16 years in the league, slightly built, and 4 years from an injury that's a coin toss on recovery).

[DMAVS41]

If this is in reference to what I said, where did I say he's 30? I said he's almost averaging 30( and on 68% TS). Yes its easier to score nowadays but that's still very impressive relative to the league he's in. His 'game' is aging fine, what isn't is, well, his age and mileage( 16 years in the league, slightly built, and 4 years from an injury that's a coin toss on recovery).

But we all know Durant is a very impressive basketball player and really good. Nobody disputes he is an all-time great...the question is how good/great is he. ESPN ranked him 12th all-time a couple years ago and some people here put him extremely high.

I argue and have argued for years, that he's actually not worthy of a ranking like that and what you are seeing now and what you saw his entire career with really good players/rosters around him...is what you would expect. The truth is...he joined a dynasty level team without him...that has proven they can make the finals, set records, and win titles with Harrison Barnes / Wiggins in his place...and everyone saw him play great while playing the easiest basketball a star has ever had to play en route to a couple titles.

If he never went to the Warriors...he'd be borderline top 20 or 25...and that would be far more accurate of a ranking given his impact on the court and on leading teams.

[Phoenix]

But we all know Durant is a very impressive basketball player and really good. Nobody disputes he is an all-time great...the question is how good/great is he. ESPN ranked him 12th all-time a couple years ago and some people here put him extremely high.

I argue and have argued for years, that he's actually not worthy of a ranking like that and what you are seeing now and what you saw his entire career with really good players/rosters around him...is what you would expect. The truth is...he joined a dynasty level team without him...that has proven they can make the finals, set records, and win titles with Harrison Barnes / Wiggins in his place...and everyone saw him play great while playing the easiest basketball a star has ever had to play en route to a couple titles.

If he never went to the Warriors...he'd be borderline top 20 or 25...and that would be far more accurate of a ranking given his impact on the court and on leading teams.

Yeah I agree with all that. I'm just responding to the idea that his game hasn't 'aged well'. KD is what he always was, accounting for attrition and scoring being made easier than ever has allowed him( and other older stars) to 'age' fine in terms of just production. The league as it exists now allows the stars to better mask the ways they've dropped off from their peak. Guys like Durant, Lebron, and Curry in their mid/late 30's can still average similar production but 30ppg in 2023 definitely ain't 30ppg in 2012, 2002, and so forth.

As far as ranking, I said like 5 years ago that whatever he was ranked before 2017 and 2018 is about what he should have been ranked afterwards, and the last 5 years since leaving the Warriors only confirms what some people have said all along: great individual talent, transcendent scoring ability, but lacks those intangibles that don't show up on basketball reference to galvanize the troops in pursuit of a title. He's like the greatest cherry on top ever or something like that, but he's not the one you want baking the cake.

[DMAVS41]

Yeah I agree with all that. I'm just responding to the idea that his game hasn't 'aged well'. KD is what he always was, accounting for attrition and scoring being made easier than ever has allowed him( and other older stars) to 'age' fine in terms of just production. The league as it exists now allows the stars to better mask the ways they've dropped off from their peak. Guys like Durant, Lebron, and Curry in their mid/late 30's can still average similar production but 30ppg in 2023 definitely ain't 30ppg in 2012, 2002, and so forth.

As far as ranking, I said like 5 years ago that whatever he was ranked before 2017 and 2018 is about what he should have been ranked afterwards, and the last 5 years since leaving the Warriors only confirms what people have said all along: great individual talent, transcendent scoring ability, but lacks those intangibles that don't show up on basketball reference to galvanize the troops in pursuit of a title. He's like the greatest cherry on top ever or something like that, but he's not the one you want baking the cake.

Oh yea...he is aging just fine, but as you point out...it is really hard to gauge as the league has become a bit of a joke, imo, on how easy it is to score.

Until something changes, I agree...and I think he should be ranked 20 to 25 or so until he actually does something noteworthy as a leader of a team.

[Phoenix]

Oh yea...he is aging just fine, but as you point out...it is really hard to gauge as the league has become a bit of a joke, imo, on how easy it is to score.

Until something changes, I agree...and I think he should be ranked 20 to 25 or so until he actually does something noteworthy as a leader of a team.

And to your earlier point about Steph, the 'he makes his teammates better' has become cliche but he really is one of the all-time best at shining in his own right while uplifting those in his wake. He's pretty much the anti-KD in that regard.

[pandiani17]

[QUOTE=DMAVS41;14774967]But we all know Durant is a very impressive basketball player and really good. Nobody disputes he is an all-time great...the question is how good/great is he. ESPN ranked him 12th all-time a couple years ago and some people here put him extremely high.

Number 12th all-time? Why do people underrate former stars like that? Off the top of my head, MJ, LeBron, KAJ, Magic, Bird, Chamberlain, Russell, Julius Erving, Tim Duncan, Shaq, Kobe, Stephen Curry. Those are 12 people who "MUST BE" ahead of him without question. And I left Hakeem, Dirk, Moses Malone, D-Wade, Giannis and others (especially old-school players because I don't know that much about their careers) out. KD is a great player, I agree, one of the best scorers to play the game, but Top 12?:biggums:

P.D. I don't think this year was supposed to happen for the Suns, especially after the injury. They didn't have enough time to develop the chemistry on and off-the court required to win the title. Let's see how it goes next year. Also, I think many free-agents will go there looking to get a ring.