For any NBA fans out there, what do you think about the release of Barnes/Ezeli or Bogut and adding Kevin Durant to the roster? That would be a perfect team and the dubs will definitely be in the finals again, imho.
Threads related to sports belong in The Game Room. I’ve relocated the thread there from IMHO.
Thanks. New here.
No worries. Welcome to the board.
Even if you’re not sure about whether Durant is a good fit with the Warriors, it might be worth it just to take him away from OKC.
Maybe they can pick up Dirk too :).
I’d prefer to have Durant on my Pacers, teaming with Paul George, thanks.
Sources say he’s leaning toward the DUBS. He’s been in the game since 2007 as a SuperSonic/Thunder, and wants a ring. Better chances if he’s with the DUBS.
That’s a cruel starting lineup, especially if Durant takes Barnes’ place in the Death squad, but how well would Durant take being relegated to the 2nd-4th option on the floor? The Warriors don’t run much iso stuff.
The results would be absurd. Durant actually prefers to defer a lot of the time when it comes to primary ballhandling, so an offense where he’s cutting off the ball and getting open looks as the 4th or 5th guy to touch the ball would actually suit him incredibly well for a guy who’s a scoring champion.
A death lineup of Curry, Thompson, Iguodala, Durant and Green would probably outscore opponents by about 30 points per 48. Durant’s probably a better defender and a lot longer than Barnes, so on switches against bigger lineups you’re at least treading water defensively, even if Durant is easier to overpower.
On offense it would be a god damned joke. You could conceivably have your top three scorers shooting a collective 50/40/90.
Folks that know far more about this than me have argued that getting Durant would probably cost Barnes + at least two of Iguodala, Ezeli, Bogut and Livingstone. As individuals I’d argue for keeping Iguodala and Livingstone if you could, but then you have no quality centers at all. If you have to give up three of the above + Barnes it becomes agonizing. It’s hard choices all the way down because you’re going to have to partially gut the bench to make an already strong starting 5 even stronger.
It’s probably worth the gamble if they can pull it off ( though personally I doubt Durant is going anywhere this year after OKC’s strong post-season ). But whether that would be a better team overall is an open question.
It’s Kevin Durant. If you have to lose all 5 of those guys, you do it anyway. Veterans will happily sign up to play the Bogut or Livingston roles on a team that’s going to win 80 games. You play Clark more, hope Looney’s healthy and ready, and draft wisely, and you’re OK. And realistically, there are things they can do to minimize the damage and hang on to a player or two who they really want to hang on to (which is to say Iguodala).
And you have Kevin Durant.
Livingston.
While I agree that Durant will probably stay with OKC, I think the Warriors should do it if they can. If for no other reason than it completely neutralizes one of the 4 teams they have to worry about (eg. Spurs, Cavs, Thunder, and the Clippers). The zero-sum nature here means they basically don’t have a choice. Doubly so since the cap going up would mean they’d have to overpay Barnes, Ezeli, and Bogut; three players who are probably overvauled.
Well, we’ll see 
Boom Durant as Warrior ready to sign today!
There’s really no point in doing anything but tanking for the next five years or so.
Hard to tank…Durant for the easily earned ring!
When I think ‘Championship Ring’ the words ‘easily earned’ kind of disgust me.
I think this is the only time in my life I have agreed with Stephen A Smith. It’s weak. Great players, championship players, make the teams they are on ‘great’ by their presence. The Warriors are a championship caliber team without Durant, he doesn’t make them great, he’s just along for the ride.
His ring, if he gets one, should have ‘Participant’ engraved on it.
I don’t get this line of thinking at all. To think that Durant will be “just along for the ride” and won’t contribute if they win a championship, you have to believe he’s either going to be injured or … well ignore the entirety of his NFL career so far. Durant is one of the best players in the NBA, and he would be if he were in OKC, New York, or East Bumblefuck, OH. This idea that somehow he’ll just be “participant” is just stupid, unless he’s injured.
I also don’t get this idea that somehow it’s a less worthy championship because he’s going to a good team. Not many think Magic’s championship are somehow lesser because he had Kareem, Green, and Worthy. Or that Bird was “just along for the ride” because he had Parish and McHale. Yes, the Warriors are a very good team. But to degrade Durant’s decision and performance before a second of the season is played, is just plain silly.
No, though frankly, adding (a miraculously healthy)Walton did make it kind of ridiculous.
Durant is absolutely a great player, and I’m sure he’ll play very well. He’s simply not needed for that team to be a championship caliber team. His presence is unnecessary.
Do you think the Lakers win without Magic, or the Celtics win without Bird? Do you think the Bulls get the most regular season wins ever without Jordan? Magic, Bird, Jordan, LeBron, these guys weren’t along for the ride, they were the one’s driving.