2020-21 Players' Transactions: Breaking News , Trades, Free Agents, And Rumors

ox's dantley comparison was a good one:

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/dantlad01.html

 

You know what, you are right. 100%.

I'd like to reiterate my point as well. I was unconsciously waiting for the right subject to explain this because it has been gnawing at me for a few years.

I think we force this "Haven't Won a Title" thing unfairly A LOT. Fans and media have demanded it so much THEY created the player movement epidemic in the NBA. Like in most things, usually the first person who goes through the door gets the bloodiest. Lebron James was the first mega star talent to be in his prime and leave to form his own team in the manner that is allowed by the NBA. Most stars before him were either traded, ring chasing or hanging on to get one last title.

Let's use some of the stars the last 20 years as an example. Dirk Nowitzki is the first to come to mind. Dirk was called a choker for losing in the first round as an MVP, pissing away the 2006 Finals when they were up 2-0 AND up double digits late in Game 3. However, I never thought he ever choked. He always played his heart out and sometimes the breaks do not go your way. Dirk is such a good dude, he was mentally strong enough to not let himself get distracted by it.

Currently, Giannis is getting this BS. I do not like how observers are trying to coax Giannis to leave Milwaukee. He hasn't won a title so his accomplishments mean nothing. That's crap. Giannis is a good guy, I really wish everyone would get off his back and let him have his run. He is 25, he has time.

Kevin Durant, the tragic fall of him. KD was a lovable, smooth, and deadly for the first 9 years of his career. You never heard a peep from him. Played his butt off, got close to winning it all but came up short not because he was a choker but because things just didn't fall his way. He leaves, goes to GS, wins, but the credit isn't there, thus, making him resentful of everything and everyone and becomes this a-hole that no one likes now. It's sad because NBA fans lose a little bit of the greatest of a player when you demoralize him to the point where you make him hate you for the b******* you throw at him. He didn't win in OKC, you said he cant win it, then when he leaves to win, and wins, you say the titles mean nothing. That is hypocritical.

There are only 2 NBA players since MJ won his 6th title who have won 5 NBA titles as cornerstones to their franchises. Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant. That's it. Arguably 2 of the greatest 10 players ever. Did Kobe and Duncan spoil winning titles in abundance? Did they make it look easy? No. They were that godly in their sports.

Lebron is second so far with 4. So, the last 22 years, you have Kobe, Duncan and Lebron winning 14 of the 22 titles. In those 8 years they didn't win, Kobe, Lebron and Duncan were in the Finals 20 out of the 22. We live in this ANALytical world of sports now, but the simple numbers tell enough. The simple numbers say that winning titles is an extremely elite company. 3 players in the last 22 years were dominating one sport and ruining it for so many other greats. The moral of the story is, winning titles is NOT easy and has never been easy so just because you are a future hall of famer, doesn't mean you will win it all.

Closing this out with James Harden. James only cares about his stats and MVP. The noise is there, it's not some media make up. He cares about himself and his own stuff. So, with that, he is not elite to me. His game is boring as hell and I have NEVER feared him in any games, ever. Not because I'm dogging him for not winning it all but because he has allowed us to know he doesn't care about winning.

 

Great post big guy!

 

quadruple dittos for all. Durant and general condition of the NBA comments are spot on.

 

this may be my favorite ox post ever.

 

For me titles aren't the end all be all for a player. It definitely helps their resume (or hurts it if you're Bron). But my example would be Karl Malone. Before Duncan tied a bow on his career and took the seat of best PF of all time (until AD does his thing here), I had Karl locked in that spot. Karl never won, you can blame MJ and then his best chance crumbled when he got hurt as a Laker, but that didn't dissuade my ranking of him.

I have no problems with pairing up. Every team has had 2 guys. You can't do it alone. My problem is with building super teams. I'm not a fan of it for the competitive spirit of the league and it's hard to respect guys when they think they need to go that route. Boston. Miami. GS. It's a reason I didn't want Giannis. We don't need him.

I think every player who gives everything they have to a franchise, but do not get the same effort back can and should walk without anyone being able to say a word. That's why AD left. That's why Dame should leave, Portland has gotten better lately with giving him help, but it just feels like that team has a low ceiling, their window is small, and he's not getting any younger (how is he already 30?). I respect those who don't, but that's a nearly extinct breed. It used to be a badge of honor, but it's a different league today than it was even 10 years ago.

I don't like KD's move to GS and felt he deserved the heat he received. While I'm in favor of better opportunities for the player, I'm not in favor of a top 5 player walking to the reigning champs. It's the weakest, easiest, least competitive move someone can make. And in KD's case, he had to have known that walking in and it's on him if he couldn't handle the response he received. I think his inability to not take criticism on twitter and feel the need to engage the haters is juvenile and beneath him. I could never see a top 5 player in any era do that.

 

I don't know what any of you are talking about but I am pretty sure I would disagree because I am right about everything and that is the bottom line.

Just ask my wife!!! But you better wait until she is done beating me with the broomstick.

 

technically, durant walked to them after they just lost the finals (and won 73 games), right? but the point stands. the fact that they lost made it ok in kd's mind only, i think.

but the fans and media are partly to blame for this, as we've been pointing out. hanging the ringless title on excellent players who got unlucky creates these kinds of situations, wherein kd got to stick it to the haterz by getting his rings the cheap way.

but harden isn't a great player who got unlucky.

 

Harden fails to adapt when he's the focus of an opponent defense in the playoffs .

He just gave the ball up when trapped and STOPPED moving after it against us .

He's a great regular season player , that's it

 

No

 

jk

 

Harden didn’t show up for training camp because he was out hitting the clubs maskless in both Atlanta and Vegas this weekend. Even if he plans on playing, now he has to quarantine before he can show up. What a loser.

Imagine the outcry in the media if Lebron was pulling these stunts.

 

This could be Harden passive aggressively saying he doesn't want to be in Houston

Westbrook/Beal could make some noise in the (L)Eastern Conference

 

Hate to see it!

 

*Eastbrook